diff --git a/src/differentials.jl b/src/differentials.jl
index c725f0360d..08bd80de3d 100644
--- a/src/differentials.jl
+++ b/src/differentials.jl
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 struct Differential <: Function
     x::Expression
-    order::Int
 end
-Differential(x) = Differential(x,1)
 
-Base.show(io::IO, D::Differential) = print(io,"($(D.x),$(D.order))")
+Base.show(io::IO, D::Differential) = print(io, "(D'~", D.x, ")")
 Base.convert(::Type{Expr}, D::Differential) = D
 
 (D::Differential)(x::Operation) = Operation(D, Expression[x])
@@ -13,8 +11,8 @@ function (D::Differential)(x::Variable)
     has_dependent(x, D.x) || return Constant(0)
     return Operation(D, Expression[x])
 end
-(::Differential)(::Constant) = Constant(0)
-Base.:(==)(D1::Differential, D2::Differential) = D1.order == D2.order && D1.x == D2.x
+(::Differential)(::Any) = Constant(0)
+Base.:(==)(D1::Differential, D2::Differential) = D1.x == D2.x
 
 function expand_derivatives(O::Operation)
     @. O.args = expand_derivatives(O.args)
@@ -56,6 +54,7 @@ function count_order(x)
     n, x.args[1]
 end
 
+_repeat_apply(f, n) = n == 1 ? f : f ∘ _repeat_apply(f, n-1)
 function _differential_macro(x)
     ex = Expr(:block)
     lhss = Symbol[]
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ function _differential_macro(x)
         rhs = di.args[3]
         order, lhs = count_order(lhs)
         push!(lhss, lhs)
-        expr = :($lhs = Differential($rhs, $order))
+        expr = :($lhs = $_repeat_apply(Differential($rhs), $order))
         push!(ex.args,  expr)
     end
     push!(ex.args, Expr(:tuple, lhss...))
diff --git a/src/systems/diffeqs/diffeqsystem.jl b/src/systems/diffeqs/diffeqsystem.jl
index a3becf8d02..ad1e35393c 100644
--- a/src/systems/diffeqs/diffeqsystem.jl
+++ b/src/systems/diffeqs/diffeqsystem.jl
@@ -6,17 +6,28 @@ using Base: RefValue
 
 isintermediate(eq::Equation) = !(isa(eq.lhs, Operation) && isa(eq.lhs.op, Differential))
 
-struct DiffEq  # D(x) = t
-    D::Differential  # D
-    var::Variable    # x
-    rhs::Expression  # t
+function flatten_differential(O::Operation)
+    @assert is_derivative(O) "invalid differential: $O"
+    is_derivative(O.args[1]) || return (O.args[1], O.op.x, 1)
+    (x, t, order) = flatten_differential(O.args[1])
+    t == O.op.x || throw(ArgumentError("non-matching differentials on lhs: $t, $(O.op.x)"))
+    return (x, t, order + 1)
+end
+
+
+struct DiffEq  # dⁿx/dtⁿ = rhs
+    x::Expression
+    t::Variable
+    n::Int
+    rhs::Expression
 end
 function Base.convert(::Type{DiffEq}, eq::Equation)
     isintermediate(eq) && throw(ArgumentError("intermediate equation received"))
-    return DiffEq(eq.lhs.op, eq.lhs.args[1], eq.rhs)
+    (x, t, n) = flatten_differential(eq.lhs)
+    return DiffEq(x, t, n, eq.rhs)
 end
-Base.:(==)(a::DiffEq, b::DiffEq) = (a.D, a.var, a.rhs) == (b.D, b.var, b.rhs)
-get_args(eq::DiffEq) = Expression[eq.var, eq.rhs]
+Base.:(==)(a::DiffEq, b::DiffEq) = (a.x, a.t, a.n, a.rhs) == (b.x, b.t, b.n, b.rhs)
+get_args(eq::DiffEq) = Expression[eq.x, eq.t, eq.rhs]
 
 struct DiffEqSystem <: AbstractSystem
     eqs::Vector{DiffEq}
diff --git a/src/systems/diffeqs/first_order_transform.jl b/src/systems/diffeqs/first_order_transform.jl
index b2ed598195..706de49f9a 100644
--- a/src/systems/diffeqs/first_order_transform.jl
+++ b/src/systems/diffeqs/first_order_transform.jl
@@ -1,33 +1,27 @@
-function lower_varname(D::Differential, x; lower=false)
-    order = lower ? D.order-1 : D.order
-    return lower_varname(x, D.x, order)
-end
-function lower_varname(var::Variable, idv, order::Int)
-    sym = var.name
-    name = order == 0 ? sym : Symbol(sym, :_, string(idv.name)^order)
+function lower_varname(var::Variable, idv, order)
+    order == 0 && return var
+    name = Symbol(var.name, :_, string(idv.name)^order)
     return Variable(name, var.known, var.dependents)
 end
 
 function ode_order_lowering(sys::DiffEqSystem)
     eqs_lowered = ode_order_lowering(sys.eqs, sys.iv)
-    DiffEqSystem(eqs_lowered, sys.iv)
+    DiffEqSystem(eqs_lowered, sys.iv, sys.dvs, sys.ps)
 end
 function ode_order_lowering(eqs, iv)
-    D = Differential(iv, 1)
     var_order = Dict{Variable,Int}()
     vars = Variable[]
     new_eqs = similar(eqs, DiffEq)
 
     for (i, eq) ∈ enumerate(eqs)
-        var, maxorder = eq.var, eq.D.order
-        maxorder == 1 && continue # fast pass
+        var, maxorder = eq.x, eq.n
         if maxorder > get(var_order, var, 0)
             var_order[var] = maxorder
             var ∈ vars || push!(vars, var)
         end
-        var′ = lower_varname(eq.D, eq.var, lower = true)
+        var′ = lower_varname(eq.x, eq.t, eq.n - 1)
         rhs′ = rename(eq.rhs)
-        new_eqs[i] = DiffEq(D, var′, rhs′)
+        new_eqs[i] = DiffEq(var′, iv, 1, rhs′)
     end
 
     for var ∈ vars
@@ -35,7 +29,7 @@ function ode_order_lowering(eqs, iv)
         for o in (order-1):-1:1
             lvar = lower_varname(var, iv, o-1)
             rhs = lower_varname(var, iv, o)
-            eq = DiffEq(D, lvar, rhs)
+            eq = DiffEq(lvar, iv, 1, rhs)
             push!(new_eqs, eq)
         end
     end
@@ -45,7 +39,10 @@ end
 
 function rename(O::Expression)
     isa(O, Operation) || return O
-    isa(O.op, Differential) && return lower_varname(O.op, O.args[1])
+    if is_derivative(O)
+        (x, t, order) = flatten_differential(O)
+        return lower_varname(x, t, order)
+    end
     return Operation(O.op, rename.(O.args))
 end
 
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index d9f2935c5d..f5e83aeae3 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ is_constant(::Any) = false
 is_operation(::Operation) = true
 is_operation(::Any) = false
 
+is_derivative(O::Operation) = isa(O.op, Differential)
+is_derivative(::Any) = false
+
 has_dependent(t::Variable) = Base.Fix2(has_dependent, t)
 has_dependent(x::Variable, t::Variable) =
     t ∈ x.dependents || any(has_dependent(t), x.dependents)
diff --git a/src/variables.jl b/src/variables.jl
index 473a35409b..32f4a9ff79 100644
--- a/src/variables.jl
+++ b/src/variables.jl
@@ -38,12 +38,7 @@ function Base.convert(::Type{Expr}, x::Variable)
 end
 Base.convert(::Type{Expr}, c::Constant) = c.value
 
-function Base.show(io::IO, x::Variable)
-    subtype = x.known ? :Parameter : :Unknown
-    print(io, subtype, '(', repr(x.name))
-    isempty(x.dependents) || print(io, ", ", x.dependents)
-    print(io, ')')
-end
+Base.show(io::IO, x::Variable) = print(io, x.name)
 
 # Build variables more easily
 function _parse_vars(macroname, fun, x)
diff --git a/test/derivatives.jl b/test/derivatives.jl
index b9b346311d..768fd80b14 100644
--- a/test/derivatives.jl
+++ b/test/derivatives.jl
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ dsin = D(sin(t))
 dcsch = D(csch(t))
 @test expand_derivatives(dcsch) == simplify_constants(coth(t) * csch(t) * -1)
 
+@test expand_derivatives(D(-7)) == 0
+@test expand_derivatives(D(sin(2t))) == simplify_constants(cos(2t) * 2)
+@test expand_derivatives(D2(sin(t))) == simplify_constants(-sin(t))
+@test expand_derivatives(D2(sin(2t))) == simplify_constants(sin(2t) * -4)
+@test expand_derivatives(D2(t)) == 0
+@test expand_derivatives(D2(5)) == 0
+
 # Chain rule
 dsinsin = D(sin(sin(t)))
 @test expand_derivatives(dsinsin) == cos(sin(t))*cos(t)
diff --git a/test/variable_parsing.jl b/test/variable_parsing.jl
index 95080830a2..96ba18aecd 100644
--- a/test/variable_parsing.jl
+++ b/test/variable_parsing.jl
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ s1 = Parameter(:s)
 @test convert(Expr, s) == :s
 @test convert(Expr, cos(t + sin(s))) == :(cos(t + sin(s)))
 
-@Deriv D''~t
-D1 = Differential(t, 2)
+@Deriv D'~t
+D1 = Differential(t)
 @test D1 == D
 @test convert(Expr, D) == D