diff --git a/IPython/ipapi.py b/IPython/ipapi.py
index 1b2e065..daa107b 100644
--- a/IPython/ipapi.py
+++ b/IPython/ipapi.py
@@ -362,6 +362,14 @@ class IPApi:
         res = pre + self.IP.expand_aliases(fn,rest)
         return res
 
+    def itpl(self, s, depth = 1):
+        """ Expand Itpl format string s.
+        
+        Only callable from command line (i.e. prefilter results);
+        If you use in your scripts, you need to use a bigger depth!
+        """
+        return self.IP.var_expand(s, depth)
+        
     def defalias(self, name, cmd):
         """ Define a new alias
         
@@ -463,7 +471,7 @@ class IPApi:
             
         self.extensions[mod] = m
         return m
-    
+
 
 class DebugTools:
     """ Used for debugging mishaps in api usage
diff --git a/IPython/iplib.py b/IPython/iplib.py
index c2f9164..03da63f 100644
--- a/IPython/iplib.py
+++ b/IPython/iplib.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Requires Python 2.3 or newer.
 
 This file contains all the classes and helper functions specific to IPython.
 
-$Id: iplib.py 2713 2007-09-05 18:34:29Z vivainio $
+$Id: iplib.py 2718 2007-09-05 21:54:50Z vivainio $
 """
 
 #*****************************************************************************
@@ -316,7 +316,6 @@ class InteractiveShell(object,Magic):
                          'internal':self.internal_ns,
                          'builtin':__builtin__.__dict__
                          }
-
         # The user namespace MUST have a pointer to the shell itself.
         self.user_ns[name] = self
 
@@ -592,6 +591,8 @@ class InteractiveShell(object,Magic):
         # tracking what it did via the builtins_added dict.
         self.add_builtins()
 
+        
+
     # end __init__
 
     def var_expand(self,cmd,depth=0):
@@ -2172,8 +2173,13 @@ want to merge them back into the new files.""" % locals()
         tgt = self.alias_table[line_info.iFun]
         # print "=>",tgt #dbg
         if callable(tgt):
-            line_out = "_sh.%s(%s)" % (line_info.iFun, 
-            make_quoted_expr(self.var_expand(line_info.line, depth=2)))
+            if '$' in line_info.line:
+                call_meth = '(_ip.itpl(%s))'
+            else:
+                call_meth = '(%s)'
+            line_out = ("%s_sh.%s" + call_meth) % (line_info.preWhitespace,
+                                         line_info.iFun, 
+            make_quoted_expr(line_info.line))
         else:
             transformed = self.expand_aliases(line_info.iFun,line_info.theRest)