-diff --git a/IkiWiki.pm b/IkiWiki.pm
-index e476521..532aaf5 100644
---- a/IkiWiki.pm
-+++ b/IkiWiki.pm
-@@ -1524,7 +1524,16 @@ sub globlist_to_pagespec ($) { #{{{
-
- sub is_globlist ($) { #{{{
- my $s=shift;
-- return ( $s =~ /[^\s]+\s+([^\s]+)/ && $1 ne "and" && $1 ne "or" );
-+ return ! ($s =~ /
-+ (^\s*
-+ [^\s\(]+ # single item
-+ (\( # possibly with parens after it
-+ ([^\)]* # with stuff inside those parens
-+ (\([^\)]*\))*)* # maybe even nested parens
-+ \))?\s*$
-+ ) |
-+ (\s and \s) | (\s or \s) # or we find 'and' or 'or' somewhere
-+ /x);
- } #}}}
-
- sub safequote ($) { #{{{
-@@ -1605,7 +1614,7 @@ sub pagespec_merge ($$) { #{{{
- return "($a) or ($b)";
- } #}}}
-
--sub pagespec_translate ($) { #{{{
-+sub pagespec_makeperl ($) { #{{{
- my $spec=shift;
-
- # Support for old-style GlobLists.
-@@ -1624,9 +1633,11 @@ sub pagespec_translate ($) { #{{{
- |
- \) # )
- |
-- \w+\([^\)]*\) # command(params)
-+ define\(\s*~\w+\s*,((\([^\(\)]*\)) | ([^\(\)]+))+\) # define(~specName, spec) - spec can contain parens 1 deep
-+ |
-+ \w+\([^\(\)]*\) # command(params) - params cannot contain parens
- |
-- [^\s()]+ # any other text
-+ [^\s\(\)]+ # any other text
- )
- \s* # ignore whitespace
- }igx) {
-@@ -1640,16 +1651,23 @@ sub pagespec_translate ($) { #{{{
- elsif ($word eq "(" || $word eq ")" || $word eq "!") {
- $code.=' '.$word;
- }
-+ elsif ($word =~ /^define\(\s*~(\w+)\s*,(.*)\)$/) {
-+ $code .= " (\$specFuncsRef->{$1}=";
-+ $code .= "memoize(";
-+ $code .= &pagespec_makeperl($2);
-+ $code .= ")";
-+ $code .= ") ";
-+ }
- elsif ($word =~ /^(\w+)\((.*)\)$/) {
- if (exists $IkiWiki::PageSpec::{"match_$1"}) {
-- $code.="IkiWiki::PageSpec::match_$1(\$page, ".safequote($2).", \@_)";
-+ $code.="IkiWiki::PageSpec::match_$1(\$specFuncsRef, \$page, ".safequote($2).", \@_)";
- }
- else {
- $code.=' 0';
- }
- }
- else {
-- $code.=" IkiWiki::PageSpec::match_glob(\$page, ".safequote($word).", \@_)";
-+ $code.=" IkiWiki::PageSpec::match_glob(\$specFuncsRef, \$page, ".safequote($word).", \@_)";
- }
- }
-
-@@ -1657,8 +1675,16 @@ sub pagespec_translate ($) { #{{{
- $code=0;
- }
-
-+ return 'sub { my $specFuncsRef=shift; my $page=shift; '.$code.' }';
-+} #}}}
-+
-+sub pagespec_translate ($) { #{{{
-+ my $spec=shift;
-+
-+ my $code = pagespec_makeperl($spec);
-+
- no warnings;
-- return eval 'sub { my $page=shift; '.$code.' }';
-+ return eval $code;
- } #}}}
-
- sub pagespec_match ($$;@) { #{{{
-@@ -1673,7 +1699,7 @@ sub pagespec_match ($$;@) { #{{{
-
- my $sub=pagespec_translate($spec);
- return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("syntax error in pagespec \"$spec\"") if $@;
-- return $sub->($page, @params);
-+ return $sub->({}, $page, @params);
- } #}}}
-
- sub pagespec_valid ($) { #{{{
-@@ -1722,11 +1748,71 @@ sub new { #{{{
-
- package IkiWiki::PageSpec;
-
--sub match_glob ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub check_named_spec($$$;@) {
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
-+ my $page=shift;
-+ my $specName=shift;
-+ my %params=@_;
-+
-+ return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("Named page spec '$specName' is not valid")
-+ unless (substr($specName, 0, 1) eq '~');
-+
-+ $specName = substr($specName, 1);
-+
-+ if (exists $specFuncsRef->{$specName}) {
-+ # remove the named spec from the spec refs
-+ # when we recurse to avoid infinite recursion
-+ my $sub = $specFuncsRef->{$specName};
-+ $specFuncsRef->{$specName} = undef;
-+ my $result = $sub->($specFuncsRef, $page, %params);
-+ $specFuncsRef->{$specName} = $sub;
-+ return $result;
-+ } else {
-+ return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("Page spec '$specName' does not exist");
-+ }
-+}
-+
-+sub check_named_spec_existential($$$$;@) {
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
-+ my $page=shift;
-+ my $specName=shift;
-+ my $funcref=shift;
-+ my %params=@_;
-+
-+ return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("Named page spec '$specName' is not valid")
-+ unless (substr($specName, 0, 1) eq '~');
-+ $specName = substr($specName, 1);
-+
-+ if (exists $specFuncsRef->{$specName}) {
-+ # remove the named spec from the spec refs
-+ # when we recurse to avoid infinite recursion
-+ my $sub = $specFuncsRef->{$specName};
-+ $specFuncsRef->{$specName} = undef;
-+
-+ foreach my $nextpage (keys %IkiWiki::pagesources) {
-+ if ($sub->($specFuncsRef, $nextpage, %params)) {
-+ my $tempResult = $funcref->($specFuncsRef, $page, $nextpage, %params);
-+ return $tempResult if ($tempResult);
-+ }
-+ }
-+
-+ $specFuncsRef->{$specName} = $sub;
-+ return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("No page in spec '$specName' was successfully matched");
-+ } else {
-+ return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("Named page spec '$specName' does not exist");
-+ }
-+}
-+
-+sub match_glob ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
- my $page=shift;
- my $glob=shift;
- my %params=@_;
-
-+ if (substr($glob, 0, 1) eq '~') {
-+ return check_named_spec($specFuncsRef, $page, $glob);
-+ }
-+
- my $from=exists $params{location} ? $params{location} : '';
-
- # relative matching
-@@ -1750,17 +1836,23 @@ sub match_glob ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_internal ($$;@) { #{{{
-- return match_glob($_[0], $_[1], @_, internal => 1)
-+sub match_internal ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ return match_glob(shift, shift, shift, @_, internal => 1)
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_link ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_link ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
- my $page=shift;
-- my $link=lc(shift);
-+ my $fulllink=shift;
-+ my $link=lc($fulllink);
- my %params=@_;
-
-- my $from=exists $params{location} ? $params{location} : '';
-+ if (substr($fulllink, 0, 1) eq '~') {
-+ return check_named_spec_existential($specFuncsRef, $page, $fulllink, \&match_link);
-+ }
-
-+ my $from=exists $params{location} ? $params{location} : '';
-+
- # relative matching
- if ($link =~ m!^\.! && defined $from) {
- $from=~s#/?[^/]+$##;
-@@ -1778,17 +1870,21 @@ sub match_link ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- else {
- return IkiWiki::SuccessReason->new("$page links to page $p matching $link")
-- if match_glob($p, $link, %params);
-+ if match_glob($specFuncsRef, $p, $link, %params);
- }
- }
- return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("$page does not link to $link");
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_backlink ($$;@) { #{{{
-- return match_link($_[1], $_[0], @_);
-+sub match_backlink ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
-+ my $page=shift;
-+ my $backlink=shift;
-+ return match_link($specFuncsRef, $backlink, $page, @_);
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_created_before ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_created_before ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
- my $page=shift;
- my $testpage=shift;
-
-@@ -1805,7 +1901,8 @@ sub match_created_before ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_created_after ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_created_after ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
- my $page=shift;
- my $testpage=shift;
-
-@@ -1822,8 +1919,12 @@ sub match_created_after ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_creation_day ($$;@) { #{{{
-- if ((gmtime($IkiWiki::pagectime{shift()}))[3] == shift) {
-+sub match_creation_day ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
-+ my $page=shift;
-+ my $time=shift;
-+
-+ if ((gmtime($IkiWiki::pagectime{$page}))[3] == $time) {
- return IkiWiki::SuccessReason->new('creation_day matched');
- }
- else {
-@@ -1831,8 +1932,12 @@ sub match_creation_day ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_creation_month ($$;@) { #{{{
-- if ((gmtime($IkiWiki::pagectime{shift()}))[4] + 1 == shift) {
-+sub match_creation_month ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
-+ my $page=shift;
-+ my $time=shift;
-+
-+ if ((gmtime($IkiWiki::pagectime{$page}))[4] + 1 == $time) {
- return IkiWiki::SuccessReason->new('creation_month matched');
- }
- else {
-@@ -1840,8 +1945,12 @@ sub match_creation_month ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_creation_year ($$;@) { #{{{
-- if ((gmtime($IkiWiki::pagectime{shift()}))[5] + 1900 == shift) {
-+sub match_creation_year ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
-+ my $page=shift;
-+ my $time=shift;
-+
-+ if ((gmtime($IkiWiki::pagectime{$page}))[5] + 1900 == $time) {
- return IkiWiki::SuccessReason->new('creation_year matched');
- }
- else {
-diff --git a/IkiWiki/Plugin/attachment.pm b/IkiWiki/Plugin/attachment.pm
-index f1f792a..a410e48 100644
---- a/IkiWiki/Plugin/attachment.pm
-+++ b/IkiWiki/Plugin/attachment.pm
-@@ -291,7 +291,8 @@ sub attachment_list ($) { #{{{
-
- package IkiWiki::PageSpec;
-
--sub match_user ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_user ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- shift;
- my $user=shift;
- my %params=@_;
-@@ -311,7 +312,8 @@ sub match_user ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_ip ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_ip ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- shift;
- my $ip=shift;
- my %params=@_;
-diff --git a/IkiWiki/Plugin/conditional.pm b/IkiWiki/Plugin/conditional.pm
-index 7716fce..c0dbb50 100644
---- a/IkiWiki/Plugin/conditional.pm
-+++ b/IkiWiki/Plugin/conditional.pm
-@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ sub preprocess_if (@) { #{{{
-
- package IkiWiki::PageSpec;
-
--sub match_enabled ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_enabled ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- shift;
- my $plugin=shift;
-
-@@ -83,13 +84,14 @@ sub match_enabled ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_sourcepage ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_sourcepage ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
- shift;
- my $glob=shift;
- my %params=@_;
-
- return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("cannot match sourcepage") unless exists $params{sourcepage};
-- if (match_glob($params{sourcepage}, $glob, @_)) {
-+ if (match_glob($specFuncsRef, $params{sourcepage}, $glob, @_)) {
- return IkiWiki::SuccessReason->new("sourcepage matches $glob");
- }
- else {
-@@ -97,13 +99,14 @@ sub match_sourcepage ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_destpage ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_destpage ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ my $specFuncsRef=shift;
- shift;
- my $glob=shift;
- my %params=@_;
-
- return IkiWiki::FailReason->new("cannot match destpage") unless exists $params{destpage};
-- if (match_glob($params{destpage}, $glob, @_)) {
-+ if (match_glob($specFuncsRef, $params{destpage}, $glob, @_)) {
- return IkiWiki::SuccessReason->new("destpage matches $glob");
- }
- else {
-@@ -111,7 +114,8 @@ sub match_destpage ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_included ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_included ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- shift;
- shift;
- my %params=@_;
-diff --git a/IkiWiki/Plugin/filecheck.pm b/IkiWiki/Plugin/filecheck.pm
-index 6f71be3..3592342 100644
---- a/IkiWiki/Plugin/filecheck.pm
-+++ b/IkiWiki/Plugin/filecheck.pm
-@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ sub humansize ($) { #{{{
-
- package IkiWiki::PageSpec;
-
--sub match_maxsize ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_maxsize ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- my $page=shift;
- my $maxsize=eval{IkiWiki::Plugin::attachment::parsesize(shift)};
- if ($@) {
-@@ -87,7 +88,8 @@ sub match_maxsize ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_minsize ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_minsize ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- my $page=shift;
- my $minsize=eval{IkiWiki::Plugin::attachment::parsesize(shift)};
- if ($@) {
-@@ -108,7 +110,8 @@ sub match_minsize ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_mimetype ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_mimetype ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- my $page=shift;
- my $wanted=shift;
-
-@@ -138,7 +141,8 @@ sub match_mimetype ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_virusfree ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_virusfree ($$$;@) { #{{{
-+ shift;
- my $page=shift;
- my $wanted=shift;
-
-@@ -180,7 +184,7 @@ sub match_virusfree ($$;@) { #{{{
- }
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_ispage ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_ispage ($$$;@) { #{{{
- my $filename=shift;
-
- if (defined IkiWiki::pagetype($filename)) {
-diff --git a/IkiWiki/Plugin/meta.pm b/IkiWiki/Plugin/meta.pm
-index b2c85c8..788f248 100644
---- a/IkiWiki/Plugin/meta.pm
-+++ b/IkiWiki/Plugin/meta.pm
-@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ sub pagetemplate (@) { #{{{
-
- sub match { #{{{
- my $field=shift;
-+ shift;
- my $page=shift;
-
- # turn glob into a safe regexp
-@@ -291,23 +292,23 @@ sub match { #{{{
-
- package IkiWiki::PageSpec;
-
--sub match_title ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_title ($$$;@) { #{{{
- IkiWiki::Plugin::meta::match("title", @_);
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_author ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_author ($$$;@) { #{{{
- IkiWiki::Plugin::meta::match("author", @_);
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_authorurl ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_authorurl ($$$;@) { #{{{
- IkiWiki::Plugin::meta::match("authorurl", @_);
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_license ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_license ($$$;@) { #{{{
- IkiWiki::Plugin::meta::match("license", @_);
- } #}}}
-
--sub match_copyright ($$;@) { #{{{
-+sub match_copyright ($$$;@) { #{{{
- IkiWiki::Plugin::meta::match("copyright", @_);
- } #}}}
-