diff --git a/admin_interface/templates/admin/base_site.html b/admin_interface/templates/admin/base_site.html
index 4b4ad14f..dff51a83 100644
--- a/admin_interface/templates/admin/base_site.html
+++ b/admin_interface/templates/admin/base_site.html
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@
 {% if theme.list_filter_highlight %} list-filter-highlight {% endif %}
 {% if theme.list_filter_sticky %} list-filter-sticky {% endif %}
 
+{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "adminform" as adminform %}
+{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "inline_admin_formsets" as inline_admin_formsets %}
+
 {% if adminform and inline_admin_formsets %}
 {% admin_interface_use_changeform_tabs adminform inline_admin_formsets as admin_interface_use_changeform_tabs %}
 {% if admin_interface_use_changeform_tabs %}
diff --git a/admin_interface/templatetags/admin_interface_tags.py b/admin_interface/templatetags/admin_interface_tags.py
index a675dff1..0fe9df2d 100644
--- a/admin_interface/templatetags/admin_interface_tags.py
+++ b/admin_interface/templatetags/admin_interface_tags.py
@@ -188,6 +188,23 @@ def admin_interface_use_changeform_tabs(adminform, inline_forms):
     return has_tabs
 
 
+@register.simple_tag(takes_context=True)
+def admin_interface_resolve_variable(context, var_name, default=""):
+    bits = var_name.split(".")
+    current = context.flatten()  # merge all and create a context dict
+
+    for bit in bits:
+        try:
+            if isinstance(current, dict):
+                current = current[bit]
+            else:
+                current = getattr(current, bit)
+        except (KeyError, AttributeError, TypeError):
+            return default
+
+    return template.Variable(var_name).resolve(context)
+
+
 @register.filter
 def admin_interface_slugify(name):
     return slugify(str(name or ""))
diff --git a/tests/test_resolve_variable.py b/tests/test_resolve_variable.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..15e49413
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_resolve_variable.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+from django.template import Context, Template
+from django.test import SimpleTestCase
+
+
+class ResolveVariableTagTests(SimpleTestCase):
+    def render_template(self, tpl, context=None):
+        if context is None:
+            context = {}
+        return (
+            Template("{% load admin_interface_tags %}" + tpl)
+            .render(Context(context))
+            .strip()
+        )
+
+    def test_returns_existing_variable(self):
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "myvar" as res %}{{ res }}',
+            {"myvar": "hello"},
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "hello")
+
+    def test_returns_default_when_missing(self):
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "missingvar" as res %}{{ res }}'
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "")
+
+    def test_returns_custom_default(self):
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "missingvar" "def" as res %}{{ res }}'
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "def")
+
+    def test_dotted_variable_existing(self):
+        context = {"user": {"name": "alice"}}
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "user.name" as res %}{{ res }}',
+            context,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "alice")
+
+    def test_dotted_variable_missing_middle_key(self):
+        context = {"user": {}}
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "user.name" "def" as res %}{{ res }}',
+            context,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "def")
+
+    def test_dotted_variable_missing_top_key(self):
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "user.name" "guest" as res %}{{ res }}'
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "guest")
+
+    def test_dotted_variable_with_object_attribute(self):
+        class User:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.name = "bob"
+
+        context = {"user": User()}
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "user.name" as res %}{{ res }}',
+            context,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "bob")
+
+    def test_dotted_variable_partial_attribute_missing(self):
+        class User:
+            pass
+
+        context = {"user": User()}
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "user.name"  as res %}{{ res }}',
+            context,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "")
+
+    def test_non_dict_non_object_root(self):
+        context = {"user": "notadict"}
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "user.name"  as res %}{{ res }}',
+            context,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "")
+
+    def test_dotted_variable_object_with_nested_dict(self):
+        class User:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.info = {"name": "bob"}
+
+        context = {"user": User()}
+        out = self.render_template(
+            '{% admin_interface_resolve_variable "user.info.name" as res %}{{ res }}',
+            context,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(out, "bob")