diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 6d857ee3..7eb7e802 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+2024-01-06 (12.27)
+	COMMON: Allow modules to return objects with methods that take arguments
+
 2023-08-27 (12.27)
 	COMMON: Fix parameter number error when calling a unit sub/func
 	COMMON: Show a runtime error if a module calls exit()
diff --git a/src/common/blib.c b/src/common/blib.c
index 6902ab94..d3e10fcc 100644
--- a/src/common/blib.c
+++ b/src/common/blib.c
@@ -2881,13 +2881,10 @@ void cmd_call_vfunc() {
       rt_raise(ERR_NO_FUNC);
     }
   } else {
-    if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_BEGIN) {
-      code_skipnext();
-    }
-    v_func->v.fn.cb(map, NULL);
-    if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_END) {
-      code_skipnext();
-    }
+    var_t result;
+    v_init(&result);
+    v_eval_func(map, v_func, &result);
+    v_free(&result);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/plugins.c b/src/common/plugins.c
index 0e5159b3..cd5c4b5a 100644
--- a/src/common/plugins.c
+++ b/src/common/plugins.c
@@ -358,80 +358,6 @@ static void slib_import_routines(slib_t *lib, int comp) {
   }
 }
 
-//
-// build parameter table
-//
-static int slib_build_ptable(slib_par_t *ptable) {
-  int pcount = 0;
-  var_t *arg;
-  bcip_t ofs;
-
-  if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_BEGIN) {
-    code_skipnext();
-    byte ready = 0;
-    do {
-      byte code = code_peek();
-      switch (code) {
-      case kwTYPE_EOC:
-        code_skipnext();
-        break;
-      case kwTYPE_SEP:
-        code_skipsep();
-        break;
-      case kwTYPE_LEVEL_END:
-        ready = 1;
-        break;
-      case kwTYPE_VAR:
-        // variable
-        ofs = prog_ip;
-        if (code_isvar()) {
-          // push parameter
-          ptable[pcount].var_p = code_getvarptr();
-          ptable[pcount].byref = 1;
-          pcount++;
-          break;
-        }
-
-        // restore IP
-        prog_ip = ofs;
-        // no 'break' here
-      default:
-        // default --- expression (BYVAL ONLY)
-        arg = v_new();
-        eval(arg);
-        if (!prog_error) {
-          // push parameter
-          ptable[pcount].var_p = arg;
-          ptable[pcount].byref = 0;
-          pcount++;
-        } else {
-          v_free(arg);
-          v_detach(arg);
-          return pcount;
-        }
-      }
-      if (pcount == MAX_PARAM) {
-        err_parm_limit(MAX_PARAM);
-      }
-    } while (!ready && !prog_error);
-    // kwTYPE_LEVEL_END
-    code_skipnext();
-  }
-  return pcount;
-}
-
-//
-// free parameter table
-//
-static void slib_free_ptable(slib_par_t *ptable, int pcount) {
-  for (int i = 0; i < pcount; i++) {
-    if (ptable[i].byref == 0) {
-      v_free(ptable[i].var_p);
-      v_detach(ptable[i].var_p);
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 //
 // execute a function or procedure
 //
@@ -440,13 +366,13 @@ static int slib_exec(slib_t *lib, var_t *ret, int index, int proc) {
   int pcount;
   if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_BEGIN) {
     ptable = (slib_par_t *)malloc(sizeof(slib_par_t) * MAX_PARAM);
-    pcount = slib_build_ptable(ptable);
+    pcount = plugin_build_ptable(ptable, MAX_PARAM);
   } else {
     ptable = NULL;
     pcount = 0;
   }
   if (prog_error) {
-    slib_free_ptable(ptable, pcount);
+    plugin_free_ptable(ptable, pcount);
     free(ptable);
     return 0;
   }
@@ -470,7 +396,7 @@ static int slib_exec(slib_t *lib, var_t *ret, int index, int proc) {
 
   // clean-up
   if (ptable) {
-    slib_free_ptable(ptable, pcount);
+    plugin_free_ptable(ptable, pcount);
     free(ptable);
   }
 
@@ -643,3 +569,71 @@ int plugin_funcexec(int lib_id, int index, var_t *ret) { return -1; }
 void plugin_free(int lib_id, int cls_id, int id) {}
 void plugin_close() {}
 #endif
+
+int plugin_build_ptable(slib_par_t *ptable, int size) {
+  int pcount = 0;
+  var_t *arg;
+  bcip_t ofs;
+
+  if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_BEGIN) {
+    code_skipnext();
+    byte ready = 0;
+    do {
+      byte code = code_peek();
+      switch (code) {
+      case kwTYPE_EOC:
+        code_skipnext();
+        break;
+      case kwTYPE_SEP:
+        code_skipsep();
+        break;
+      case kwTYPE_LEVEL_END:
+        ready = 1;
+        break;
+      case kwTYPE_VAR:
+        // variable
+        ofs = prog_ip;
+        if (code_isvar()) {
+          // push parameter
+          ptable[pcount].var_p = code_getvarptr();
+          ptable[pcount].byref = 1;
+          pcount++;
+          break;
+        }
+
+        // restore IP
+        prog_ip = ofs;
+        // no 'break' here
+      default:
+        // default --- expression (BYVAL ONLY)
+        arg = v_new();
+        eval(arg);
+        if (!prog_error) {
+          // push parameter
+          ptable[pcount].var_p = arg;
+          ptable[pcount].byref = 0;
+          pcount++;
+        } else {
+          v_free(arg);
+          v_detach(arg);
+          return pcount;
+        }
+      }
+      if (pcount == size) {
+        err_parm_limit(size);
+      }
+    } while (!ready && !prog_error);
+    // kwTYPE_LEVEL_END
+    code_skipnext();
+  }
+  return pcount;
+}
+
+void plugin_free_ptable(slib_par_t *ptable, int pcount) {
+  for (int i = 0; i < pcount; i++) {
+    if (ptable[i].byref == 0) {
+      v_free(ptable[i].var_p);
+      v_detach(ptable[i].var_p);
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/common/plugins.h b/src/common/plugins.h
index a4dd16bd..ceac683c 100644
--- a/src/common/plugins.h
+++ b/src/common/plugins.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ int plugin_get_kid(int lib_id, const char *keyword);
 // returns the function pointer for the given function name
 //
 void *plugin_get_func(const char *name);
-  
+
 //
 // executes the plugin procedure at the given index
 //
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ void plugin_free(int lib_id, int cls_id, int id);
 //
 void plugin_close();
 
+//
+// build parameter table
+//
+int plugin_build_ptable(slib_par_t *ptable, int size);
+
+//
+// free parameter table
+//
+void plugin_free_ptable(slib_par_t *ptable, int pcount);
+
 #if defined(__cplusplus)
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/common/var.c b/src/common/var.c
index 05017773..6f46ca7b 100644
--- a/src/common/var.c
+++ b/src/common/var.c
@@ -800,5 +800,14 @@ void v_create_func(var_p_t map, const char *name, method cb) {
   var_p_t v_func = map_add_var(map, name, 0);
   v_func->type = V_FUNC;
   v_func->v.fn.cb = cb;
+  v_func->v.fn.mcb = NULL;
+  v_func->v.fn.id = 0;
+}
+
+void v_create_callback(var_p_t map, const char *name, callback cb) {
+  var_p_t v_func = map_add_var(map, name, 0);
+  v_func->type = V_FUNC;
+  v_func->v.fn.cb = NULL;
+  v_func->v.fn.mcb = cb;
   v_func->v.fn.id = 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/var_eval.c b/src/common/var_eval.c
index 4509fef9..7bcec5de 100644
--- a/src/common/var_eval.c
+++ b/src/common/var_eval.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 // This program is distributed under the terms of the GPL v2.0 or later
 // Download the GNU Public License (GPL) from www.gnu.org
 //
-// Copyright(C) 2010-2014 Chris Warren-Smith. [http://tinyurl.com/ja2ss]
+// Copyright(C) 2010-2024 Chris Warren-Smith. [http://tinyurl.com/ja2ss]
 
 #include "common/sys.h"
 #include "common/kw.h"
@@ -14,6 +14,55 @@
 #include "common/smbas.h"
 #include "common/var.h"
 #include "common/var_eval.h"
+#include "common/plugins.h"
+
+//
+// returns a temporary var that can exist in the calling scope
+//
+var_p_t v_get_tmp(var_p_t map) {
+  var_p_t result = map_get(map, MAP_TMP_FIELD);
+  if (result == NULL) {
+    result = map_add_var(map, MAP_TMP_FIELD, 0);
+  }
+  return result;
+}
+
+void v_eval_func(var_p_t self, var_p_t v_func, var_p_t result) {
+  if (v_func->v.fn.cb != NULL) {
+    // internal object method
+    if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_BEGIN) {
+      code_skipnext();
+    }
+    v_func->v.fn.cb(self, NULL);
+    if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_END) {
+      code_skipnext();
+    }
+  } else {
+    // module callback
+    slib_par_t *ptable;
+    int pcount;
+    if (code_peek() == kwTYPE_LEVEL_BEGIN) {
+      ptable = (slib_par_t *)malloc(sizeof(slib_par_t) * MAX_PARAMS);
+      pcount = plugin_build_ptable(ptable, MAX_PARAMS);
+    } else {
+      ptable = NULL;
+      pcount = 0;
+    }
+    if (!prog_error) {
+      if (!v_func->v.fn.mcb(self, pcount, ptable, result)) {
+        if (result->type == V_STR) {
+          err_throw(result->v.p.ptr);
+        } else {
+          err_throw("Undefined");
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    if (ptable) {
+      plugin_free_ptable(ptable, pcount);
+      free(ptable);
+    }
+  }
+}
 
 /**
  * Convert multi-dim index to one-dim index
@@ -147,11 +196,7 @@ var_t *code_get_map_element(var_t *map, var_t *field) {
       if (udf_rv.type != kwTYPE_RET) {
         err_stackmess();
       } else {
-        // result must exist until processed in eval()
-        var_p_t var = map_get(map, MAP_TMP_FIELD);
-        if (var == NULL) {
-          var = map_add_var(map, MAP_TMP_FIELD, 0);
-        }
+        var_p_t var = v_get_tmp(map);
         v_move(var, udf_rv.x.vdvar.vptr);
         v_detach(udf_rv.x.vdvar.vptr);
         result = var;
@@ -159,6 +204,10 @@ var_t *code_get_map_element(var_t *map, var_t *field) {
     }
   } else if (field->type == V_ARRAY) {
     result = code_getvarptr_arridx(field);
+  } else if (field->type == V_FUNC) {
+    result = v_get_tmp(map);
+    v_init(result);
+    v_eval_func(map, field, result);
   } else {
     code_skipnext();
     var_t var;
diff --git a/src/common/var_eval.h b/src/common/var_eval.h
index 9ba681ef..6daee18a 100644
--- a/src/common/var_eval.h
+++ b/src/common/var_eval.h
@@ -67,6 +67,13 @@ int code_isvar(void);
  */
 void v_eval_str(var_p_t v);
 
+/**
+ * @ingroup var
+ *
+ * invokes the virtual function
+ */
+void v_eval_func(var_p_t self, var_p_t v_func, var_p_t result);
+
 #if defined(__cplusplus)
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/include/module.h b/src/include/module.h
index 451e24e2..d27ea522 100644
--- a/src/include/module.h
+++ b/src/include/module.h
@@ -16,14 +16,6 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-typedef struct {
-  // the parameter
-  var_t *var_p;
-
-  // whether the parameter can be used by reference
-  uint8_t byref;
-} slib_par_t;
-
 /**
  * @ingroup modstd
  *
diff --git a/src/include/var.h b/src/include/var.h
index 003e7949..16e0f4d2 100644
--- a/src/include/var.h
+++ b/src/include/var.h
@@ -47,6 +47,19 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 struct var_s;
+
+typedef struct {
+  // the parameter
+  struct var_s *var_p;
+
+  // whether the parameter can be used by reference
+  uint8_t byref;
+} slib_par_t;
+
+// signature for module callback/virtual functions
+typedef int (*callback) (struct var_s *self, int param_count, slib_par_t *params, struct var_s *retval);
+
+// signature for internal v_funcs
 typedef void (*method) (struct var_s *self, struct var_s *retval);
 
 typedef struct var_s {
@@ -83,6 +96,7 @@ typedef struct var_s {
     // object method
     struct {
       method cb;
+      callback mcb;
       uint32_t id;
     } fn;
 
@@ -489,6 +503,13 @@ int v_strlen(const var_t *v);
  */
 void v_create_func(var_p_t map, const char *name, method cb);
 
+/**
+ * @ingroup var
+ *
+ * creates a callback method
+ */
+void v_create_callback(var_p_t map, const char *name, callback cb);
+
 #if defined(__cplusplus)
 }
 #endif