diff --git a/src/dynamicprompts/parser/utils.py b/src/dynamicprompts/parser/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7210a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dynamicprompts/parser/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from functools import partial
+
+import pyparsing as pp
+
+from dynamicprompts.commands import LiteralCommand
+from dynamicprompts.parser.config import ParserConfig
+from dynamicprompts.parser.parse import (
+    _configure_variable_access,
+    _configure_wildcard_path,
+)
+
+
+def resolve_variable_references(
+    subject: str,
+    *,
+    parser_config: ParserConfig,
+    variables: dict,
+) -> str:
+    """
+    Parse `subject` for variable references and resolve them.
+
+    If there are no variable references, returns `subject` unchanged.
+
+    """
+    if parser_config.variable_start not in subject:
+        return subject
+    prompt = pp.SkipTo(parser_config.variable_end)
+    variable_access = _configure_variable_access(
+        parser_config=parser_config,
+        prompt=prompt,
+    )
+    variable_access.set_parse_action(
+        partial(_replace_variable, variables=variables),
+    )
+    wildcard = _configure_wildcard_path(
+        parser_config=parser_config,
+        variable_ref=variable_access,
+    )
+    return "".join(wildcard.parse_string(subject))
+
+
+def _replace_variable(string, location, token, *, variables: dict):
+    if isinstance(token, pp.ParseResults):
+        var_parts = token[0].as_dict()
+        var_name = var_parts.get("name")
+        if var_name:
+            var_name = var_name.strip()
+
+        default = var_parts.get("default")
+        if default:
+            default = default.strip()
+
+    else:
+        var_name = token
+
+    variable = None
+    if var_name:
+        variable = variables.get(var_name)
+
+        if isinstance(variable, LiteralCommand):
+            variable = variable.literal
+        if variable and not isinstance(variable, str):
+            raise NotImplementedError(
+                "evaluating complex commands within wildcards is not supported right now",
+            )
+    return variable or default or var_name
diff --git a/src/dynamicprompts/samplers/utils.py b/src/dynamicprompts/samplers/utils.py
index 55a8757..ed9af6e 100644
--- a/src/dynamicprompts/samplers/utils.py
+++ b/src/dynamicprompts/samplers/utils.py
@@ -1,21 +1,16 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
-from functools import partial
-
-import pyparsing as pp
 
 from dynamicprompts.commands import (
-    LiteralCommand,
     VariantCommand,
     VariantOption,
     WildcardCommand,
 )
 from dynamicprompts.parser.parse import (
-    _configure_variable_access,
-    _configure_wildcard_path,
     parse,
 )
+from dynamicprompts.parser.utils import resolve_variable_references
 from dynamicprompts.sampling_context import SamplingContext
 from dynamicprompts.sampling_result import SamplingResult
 from dynamicprompts.types import ResultGen
@@ -70,52 +65,14 @@ def replace_wildcard_variables(
     *,
     context: SamplingContext,
 ) -> WildcardCommand:
-    if context.parser_config.variable_start not in command.wildcard:
-        return command
-
-    prompt = pp.SkipTo(context.parser_config.variable_end)
-    variable_access = _configure_variable_access(
-        parser_config=context.parser_config,
-        prompt=prompt,
-    )
-    variable_access.set_parse_action(
-        partial(_replace_variable, variables=context.variables),
-    )
-    wildcard = _configure_wildcard_path(
-        parser_config=context.parser_config,
-        variable_ref=variable_access,
-    )
-
     try:
-        wildcard_result = wildcard.parse_string(command.wildcard)
-        return command.with_content("".join(wildcard_result))
+        wildcard_result = resolve_variable_references(
+            command.wildcard,
+            parser_config=context.parser_config,
+            variables=context.variables,
+        )
+        if wildcard_result != command.wildcard:
+            return command.with_content(wildcard_result)
     except Exception:
         logger.warning("Unable to parse wildcard %r", command.wildcard, exc_info=True)
-        return command
-
-
-def _replace_variable(string, location, token, *, variables: dict):
-    if isinstance(token, pp.ParseResults):
-        var_parts = token[0].as_dict()
-        var_name = var_parts.get("name")
-        if var_name:
-            var_name = var_name.strip()
-
-        default = var_parts.get("default")
-        if default:
-            default = default.strip()
-
-    else:
-        var_name = token
-
-    variable = None
-    if var_name:
-        variable = variables.get(var_name)
-
-        if isinstance(variable, LiteralCommand):
-            variable = variable.literal
-        if variable and not isinstance(variable, str):
-            raise NotImplementedError(
-                "evaluating complex commands within wildcards is not supported right now",
-            )
-    return variable or default or var_name
+    return command