diff --git a/mercurial/revsetlang.py b/mercurial/revsetlang.py
--- a/mercurial/revsetlang.py
+++ b/mercurial/revsetlang.py
@@ -352,6 +352,9 @@ def _analyze(x):
     elif op == 'keyvalue':
         return (op, x[1], _analyze(x[2]))
     elif op == 'func':
+        f = getsymbol(x[1])
+        if f == 'revset':
+            return _analyze(x[2])
         return (op, x[1], _analyze(x[2]))
     raise ValueError('invalid operator %r' % op)
 
@@ -482,6 +485,8 @@ def _parsewith(spec, lookup=None, symini
       ...
     ParseError: ('invalid token', 4)
     """
+    if lookup and spec.startswith('revset(') and spec.endswith(')'):
+        lookup = None
     p = parser.parser(elements)
     tree, pos = p.parse(tokenize(spec, lookup=lookup,
                                  syminitletters=syminitletters))
diff --git a/tests/test-revset-legacy-lookup.t b/tests/test-revset-legacy-lookup.t
--- a/tests/test-revset-legacy-lookup.t
+++ b/tests/test-revset-legacy-lookup.t
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ within a more advances revset
   $ hg log -r 'rev(0) and branch(default)'
   0:a87874c6ec31 first []
 
+with explicit revset resolution
+(still resolved as the label)
+
+  $ hg log -r 'revset(rev(0))'
+  0:a87874c6ec31 first []
+
 some of the above with quote to force its resolution as a label
 
   $ hg log -r ':"rev(0)"'
@@ -91,8 +97,13 @@ Test label with quote in them.
   $ hg log -r '("foo")'
   abort: unknown revision 'foo'!
   [255]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset("foo")'
+  abort: unknown revision 'foo'!
+  [255]
   $ hg log -r '("\"foo\"")'
   2:fb616635b18f Added tag rev(0) for changeset 43114e71eddd ["foo"]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset("\"foo\"")'
+  2:fb616635b18f Added tag rev(0) for changeset 43114e71eddd ["foo"]
 
 Test label with dash in them.
 
@@ -116,6 +127,9 @@ Test label with + in them.
   $ hg log -r '(foo+bar)'
   abort: unknown revision 'foo'!
   [255]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset(foo+bar)'
+  abort: unknown revision 'foo'!
+  [255]
   $ hg log -r '"foo+bar"'
   4:bbf52b87b370 Added tag foo-bar for changeset a50aae922707 [foo+bar]
   $ hg log -r '("foo+bar")'
@@ -129,6 +143,8 @@ Test tag with numeric version number.
   5:ff42fde8edbb Added tag foo+bar for changeset bbf52b87b370 [1.2]
   $ hg log -r '(1.2)'
   5:ff42fde8edbb Added tag foo+bar for changeset bbf52b87b370 [1.2]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset(1.2)'
+  5:ff42fde8edbb Added tag foo+bar for changeset bbf52b87b370 [1.2]
   $ hg log -r '"1.2"'
   5:ff42fde8edbb Added tag foo+bar for changeset bbf52b87b370 [1.2]
   $ hg log -r '("1.2")'
@@ -157,6 +173,9 @@ Test tag with parenthesis (but not a val
   $ hg log -r '(release_4.1(candidate1))'
   hg: parse error: unknown identifier: release_4.1
   [255]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset(release_4.1(candidate1))'
+  hg: parse error: unknown identifier: release_4.1
+  [255]
   $ hg log -r '"release_4.1(candidate1)"'
   6:db72e24fe069 Added tag 1.2 for changeset ff42fde8edbb [release_4.1(candidate1)]
   $ hg log -r '("release_4.1(candidate1)")'
@@ -182,6 +201,9 @@ Test tag with parenthesis and other func
   $ hg log -r '(release_4.1(arch=x86,arm))'
   hg: parse error: unknown identifier: release_4.1
   [255]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset(release_4.1(arch=x86,arm))'
+  hg: parse error: unknown identifier: release_4.1
+  [255]
   $ hg log -r '"release_4.1(arch=x86,arm)"'
   7:b29b25d7d687 Added tag release_4.1(candidate1) for changeset db72e24fe069 [release_4.1(arch=x86,arm)]
   $ hg log -r '("release_4.1(arch=x86,arm)")'
@@ -208,6 +230,9 @@ Test tag conflicting with revset functio
   $ hg log -r '(secret(team=foo,project=bar))'
   hg: parse error: secret takes no arguments
   [255]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset(secret(team=foo,project=bar))'
+  hg: parse error: secret takes no arguments
+  [255]
   $ hg log -r '"secret(team=foo,project=bar)"'
   8:6b2e2d4ea455 Added tag release_4.1(arch=x86,arm) for changeset b29b25d7d687 [secret(team=foo,project=bar)]
   $ hg log -r '("secret(team=foo,project=bar)")'
@@ -237,6 +262,11 @@ Test tag with space
   ((my little version)
        ^ here)
   [255]
+  $ hg log -r 'revset(my little version)'
+  hg: parse error at 10: unexpected token: symbol
+  (revset(my little version)
+             ^ here)
+  [255]
   $ hg log -r '"my little version"'
   9:269192bf8fc3 Added tag secret(team=foo,project=bar) for changeset 6b2e2d4ea455 [my little version]
   $ hg log -r '("my little version")'
diff --git a/tests/test-revset.t b/tests/test-revset.t
--- a/tests/test-revset.t
+++ b/tests/test-revset.t
@@ -2801,3 +2801,43 @@ test multiline revset with errors
   ( . + .^ +
             ^ here)
   [255]
+  $ hg debugrevspec -v 'revset(first(rev(0)))' -p all
+  * parsed:
+  (func
+    (symbol 'revset')
+    (func
+      (symbol 'first')
+      (func
+        (symbol 'rev')
+        (symbol '0'))))
+  * expanded:
+  (func
+    (symbol 'revset')
+    (func
+      (symbol 'first')
+      (func
+        (symbol 'rev')
+        (symbol '0'))))
+  * concatenated:
+  (func
+    (symbol 'revset')
+    (func
+      (symbol 'first')
+      (func
+        (symbol 'rev')
+        (symbol '0'))))
+  * analyzed:
+  (func
+    (symbol 'first')
+    (func
+      (symbol 'rev')
+      (symbol '0')))
+  * optimized:
+  (func
+    (symbol 'first')
+    (func
+      (symbol 'rev')
+      (symbol '0')))
+  * set:
+  <baseset+ [0]>
+  0