diff --git a/tags_import.go b/tags_import.go
index a64c820..186fd8e 100644
--- a/tags_import.go
+++ b/tags_import.go
@@ -8,16 +8,17 @@ type tagImportNode struct {
 	position *Token
 	filename string
 	macros   map[string]*tagMacroNode // alias/name -> macro instance
+	template *Template
 }
 
 func (node *tagImportNode) Execute(ctx *ExecutionContext, writer TemplateWriter) *Error {
-	for name, macro := range node.macros {
-		func(name string, macro *tagMacroNode) {
-			ctx.Private[name] = func(args ...*Value) (*Value, error) {
-				return macro.call(ctx, args...)
-			}
-		}(name, macro)
-	}
+	// for name, macro := range node.macros {
+	// 	func(name string, macro *tagMacroNode) {
+	// 		ctx.Private[name] = func(args ...*Value) (*Value, error) {
+	// 			return macro.call(ctx, args...)
+	// 		}
+	// 	}(name, macro)
+	// }
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -76,6 +77,9 @@ func tagImportParser(doc *Parser, start *Token, arguments *Parser) (INodeTag, *E
 		}
 	}
 
+	doc.template.macroImportNodes = append(doc.template.macroImportNodes, importNode)
+	importNode.template = tpl
+
 	return importNode, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/tags_macro.go b/tags_macro.go
index 0e196c6..ef3a46b 100644
--- a/tags_macro.go
+++ b/tags_macro.go
@@ -18,19 +18,18 @@ type tagMacroNode struct {
 }
 
 func (node *tagMacroNode) Execute(ctx *ExecutionContext, writer TemplateWriter) *Error {
-	ctx.Private[node.name] = func(args ...*Value) (*Value, error) {
-		ctx.macroDepth++
-		defer func() {
-			ctx.macroDepth--
-		}()
-
-		if ctx.macroDepth > maxMacroDepth {
-			return nil, ctx.Error(fmt.Sprintf("maximum recursive macro call depth reached (max is %v)", maxMacroDepth), node.position)
-		}
-
-		return node.call(ctx, args...)
-	}
-
+	// ctx.Private[node.name] = func(args ...*Value) (*Value, error) {
+	// 	ctx.macroDepth++
+	// 	defer func() {
+	// 		ctx.macroDepth--
+	// 	}()
+
+	// 	if ctx.macroDepth > maxMacroDepth {
+	// 		return nil, ctx.Error(fmt.Sprintf("maximum recursive macro call depth reached (max is %v)", maxMacroDepth), node.position)
+	// 	}
+
+	// 	return node.call(ctx, args...)
+	// }
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -151,6 +150,8 @@ func tagMacroParser(doc *Parser, start *Token, arguments *Parser) (INodeTag, *Er
 		doc.template.exportedMacros[macroNode.name] = macroNode
 	}
 
+	doc.template.ownMacroNodes = append(doc.template.ownMacroNodes, macroNode)
+
 	return macroNode, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/template.go b/template.go
index f96b3f4..f9c24a5 100644
--- a/template.go
+++ b/template.go
@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@ type Template struct {
 	parser *Parser
 
 	// first come, first serve (it's important to not override existing entries in here)
-	level          int
-	parent         *Template
-	child          *Template
-	blocks         map[string]*NodeWrapper
-	exportedMacros map[string]*tagMacroNode
+	level            int
+	parent           *Template
+	child            *Template
+	blocks           map[string]*NodeWrapper
+	exportedMacros   map[string]*tagMacroNode
+	ownMacroNodes    []*tagMacroNode
+	macroImportNodes []*tagImportNode
 
 	// Output
 	root *nodeDocument
@@ -61,14 +63,16 @@ func newTemplate(set *TemplateSet, name string, isTplString bool, tpl []byte) (*
 
 	// Create the template
 	t := &Template{
-		set:            set,
-		isTplString:    isTplString,
-		name:           name,
-		tpl:            strTpl,
-		size:           len(strTpl),
-		blocks:         make(map[string]*NodeWrapper),
-		exportedMacros: make(map[string]*tagMacroNode),
-		Options:        newOptions(),
+		set:              set,
+		isTplString:      isTplString,
+		name:             name,
+		tpl:              strTpl,
+		size:             len(strTpl),
+		blocks:           make(map[string]*NodeWrapper),
+		exportedMacros:   make(map[string]*tagMacroNode),
+		ownMacroNodes:    make([]*tagMacroNode, 0),
+		macroImportNodes: make([]*tagImportNode, 0),
+		Options:          newOptions(),
 	}
 	// Copy all settings from another Options.
 	t.Options.Update(set.Options)
diff --git a/template_tests/macro.tpl b/template_tests/macro.tpl
index f0652f5..526e070 100644
--- a/template_tests/macro.tpl
+++ b/template_tests/macro.tpl
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ issue #39 (deactivate auto-escape of macros)
 {{ html_test("Max") }}
 
 Importing macros
-{% import "macro.helper" imported_macro, imported_macro as renamed_macro, imported_macro as html_test %}
+{% import "macro.helper" imported_macro, imported_macro as renamed_macro, imported_macro as html_test2 %}
 {{ imported_macro("User1") }}
 {{ renamed_macro("User2") }}
-{{ html_test("Max") }}
+{{ html_test2("Max") }}
 
 Chaining macros{% import "macro2.helper" greeter_macro %}
 {{ greeter_macro() }}
diff --git a/template_tests/macro_transitive.tpl b/template_tests/macro_transitive.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d6bacea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template_tests/macro_transitive.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{% import "macro_transitive/b.tpl" b -%}
+a{{ b() }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/template_tests/macro_transitive.tpl.out b/template_tests/macro_transitive.tpl.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2ba8f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template_tests/macro_transitive.tpl.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+abc
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/template_tests/macro_transitive/b.tpl b/template_tests/macro_transitive/b.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8793517
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template_tests/macro_transitive/b.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{% import "c.tpl" c %}
+{% macro b() export %}b{{ c() }}{% endmacro %}
diff --git a/template_tests/macro_transitive/c.tpl b/template_tests/macro_transitive/c.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e00396
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template_tests/macro_transitive/c.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{% macro c() export %}c{% endmacro %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/variable.go b/variable.go
index 96e047e..180f29a 100644
--- a/variable.go
+++ b/variable.go
@@ -274,9 +274,33 @@ func (vr *variableResolver) resolve(ctx *ExecutionContext) (*Value, error) {
 			// First we're having a look in our private
 			// context (e. g. information provided by tags, like the forloop)
 			val, inPrivate := ctx.Private[vr.parts[0].s]
+			valPublic, inPublic := ctx.Public[vr.parts[0].s]
+
 			if !inPrivate {
-				// Nothing found? Then have a final lookup in the public context
-				val = ctx.Public[vr.parts[0].s]
+				if inPublic {
+					// Nothing found? Then have a final lookup in the public context
+					val = valPublic
+				} else {
+					// could be a macro
+					macroNode, template := lookupMacro(ctx.template, vr.parts[0].s)
+					if macroNode != nil {
+						val = func(args ...*Value) (*Value, error) {
+							ctx.macroDepth++
+							thisTemplate := ctx.template
+							defer func() {
+								ctx.macroDepth--
+								ctx.template = thisTemplate
+							}()
+							ctx.template = template
+
+							if ctx.macroDepth > maxMacroDepth {
+								return nil, ctx.Error(fmt.Sprintf("maximum recursive macro call depth reached (max is %v)", maxMacroDepth), macroNode.position)
+							}
+
+							return macroNode.call(ctx, args...)
+						}
+					}
+				}
 			}
 			current = reflect.ValueOf(val) // Get the initial value
 		} else {
@@ -505,6 +529,7 @@ func (vr *variableResolver) resolve(ctx *ExecutionContext) (*Value, error) {
 				current = rv.Interface().(*Value).val
 				isSafe = rv.Interface().(*Value).safe
 			}
+
 		}
 
 		if !current.IsValid() {
@@ -516,6 +541,33 @@ func (vr *variableResolver) resolve(ctx *ExecutionContext) (*Value, error) {
 	return &Value{val: current, safe: isSafe}, nil
 }
 
+// lookupMacro searches for the macro in the current template including imports
+// and returns the macro's call function along with the template it is registered in
+func lookupMacro(template *Template, name string) (*tagMacroNode, *Template) {
+	var macro *tagMacroNode
+	for _, m := range template.ownMacroNodes {
+		if m.name == name {
+			macro = m
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if macro != nil {
+		return macro, template
+	}
+	for _, importNode := range template.macroImportNodes {
+		for n, m := range importNode.macros {
+			if n == name {
+				macro = m
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if macro != nil {
+			return macro, importNode.template
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
 func (vr *variableResolver) Evaluate(ctx *ExecutionContext) (*Value, *Error) {
 	value, err := vr.resolve(ctx)
 	if err != nil {