diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index 02586203f..0aa7cc62b 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -551,10 +551,9 @@ sub read_a_line {
 	    #
 	    $line = '', next if $line =~ /^\s*$/;
 	    #
-	    # Expand Shell Variables using %ENV 
+	    # Expand Shell Variables using %ENV
 	    #
-	    $line = join( '', $1 , ( $ENV{$2} || '' ) , $3 ) while $line =~ /^(.*?)\${([a-zA-Z]\w*)}(.*)$/;
-	    $line = join( '', $1 , ( $ENV{$2} || '' ) , $3 ) while $line =~ /^(.*?)\$([a-zA-Z]\w*)(.*)$/;
+	    $line = join( '', $1 , ( $ENV{$2} || '' ) , $3 ) while $line =~ /^(.*?)\$([a-zA-Z]\w*)(.*)$/ || $line =~ /^(.*?)\${([a-zA-Z]\w*)}(.*)$/;
 
 	    if ( $line =~ /^\s*INCLUDE\s/ ) {
 
diff --git a/docs/shorewall_extension_scripts.xml b/docs/shorewall_extension_scripts.xml
index ab5a2c09f..3b86b390f 100644
--- a/docs/shorewall_extension_scripts.xml
+++ b/docs/shorewall_extension_scripts.xml
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@
       will abort the compilation.</para>
 
       <para>All scripts will need to begin with the following
-      line:<programlisting>use Shorewall::Chains;</programlisting> For more
+      line:<programlisting>use Shorewall::Chains;</programlisting>For more
       complex scripts, you may need to 'use' other Shorewall Perl modules --
       browse <filename
       class="directory">/usr/share/shorewall-perl/Shorewall/</filename> to see
@@ -479,12 +479,20 @@
 
           <member>maclog</member>
         </simplelist>Note that in the 'initdone' script, there is no default
-      chain ($chainref). You can objtain a reference to a standard chain
-      by:<programlisting>my $chainref = $chain_table{&lt;table&gt;}{&lt;chain name&gt;};</programlisting>Example:<programlisting>my $chainref = $chain_table{filter}{INPUT};</programlisting>The
-      continue script has been eliminated because it no longer make any sense
-      under Shorewall-perl. This script was designed to allow you to add
-      special temporary rules during [re]start. Shorewall-perl doesn't need
-      such rules.</para>
+      chain ($chainref). You can obtain a reference to a standard chain
+      by:<programlisting>my $chainref = $chain_table{&lt;table&gt;}{&lt;chain name&gt;};</programlisting>Example:<programlisting>my $chainref = $chain_table{filter}{INPUT};</programlisting></para>
+
+      <para>You can also use the hash references $filter_table, $mangle_table
+      and $nat_table to access chain references.</para>
+
+      <para>Example:</para>
+
+      <programlisting>my $chainref = $filter_table-&gt;{INPUT}; #Same as above with a few less keystrokes; runs faster too</programlisting>
+
+      <para>The continue script has been eliminated because it no longer make
+      any sense under Shorewall-perl. This script was designed to allow you to
+      add special temporary rules during [re]start. Shorewall-perl doesn't
+      need such rules.</para>
     </listitem>
   </itemizedlist>
 </article>
\ No newline at end of file