diff --git a/src/nodemetadata.cpp b/src/nodemetadata.cpp
index 911d86d22..4cdd61767 100644
--- a/src/nodemetadata.cpp
+++ b/src/nodemetadata.cpp
@@ -191,3 +191,34 @@ void NodeMetadataList::clear()
 	}
 	m_data.clear();
 }
+
+std::string NodeMetadata::getString(const std::string &name, unsigned short recursion) const
+{
+	std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator it;
+	it = m_stringvars.find(name);
+	if (it == m_stringvars.end()) {
+		return "";
+	}
+	return resolveString(it->second, recursion);
+}
+
+void NodeMetadata::setString(const std::string &name, const std::string &var)
+{
+	if (var.empty()) {
+		m_stringvars.erase(name);
+	} else {
+		m_stringvars[name] = var;
+	}
+}
+
+std::string NodeMetadata::resolveString(const std::string &str, unsigned short recursion) const
+{
+	if (recursion > 1) {
+		return str;
+	}
+	if (str.substr(0, 2) == "${" && str[str.length() - 1] == '}') {
+		return getString(str.substr(2, str.length() - 3), recursion + 1);
+	}
+	return str;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/nodemetadata.h b/src/nodemetadata.h
index 710270502..6baf3b3d3 100644
--- a/src/nodemetadata.h
+++ b/src/nodemetadata.h
@@ -49,28 +49,10 @@ public:
 	void clear();
 
 	// Generic key/value store
-	std::string getString(const std::string &name) const
-	{
-		std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator i;
-		i = m_stringvars.find(name);
-		if(i == m_stringvars.end())
-			return "";
-		return i->second;
-	}
-	void setString(const std::string &name, const std::string &var)
-	{
-		if(var.empty())
-			m_stringvars.erase(name);
-		else
-			m_stringvars[name] = var;
-	}
-	// support variable names in values
-	std::string resolveString(const std::string &str) const
-	{
-		if(str.substr(0,2) == "${" && str[str.length()-1] == '}')
-			return getString(str.substr(2,str.length()-3));
-		return str;
-	}
+	std::string getString(const std::string &name, unsigned short recursion = 0) const;
+	void setString(const std::string &name, const std::string &var);
+	// Support variable names in values
+	std::string resolveString(const std::string &str, unsigned short recursion = 0) const;
 	std::map<std::string, std::string> getStrings() const
 	{
 		return m_stringvars;