diff --git a/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_threading.hpp b/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_threading.hpp
index 2821cfc..d5cfd00 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_threading.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_threading.hpp
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ namespace chaiscript
       {
         public:
           unique_lock(T &) {}
+          void lock() {}
+          void unlock() {}
       };
 
       template<typename T>
@@ -129,6 +131,7 @@ namespace chaiscript
       {
         public:
           shared_lock(T &) {}
+          void lock() {}
           void unlock() {}
       };
 
diff --git a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/bootstrap_stl.hpp b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/bootstrap_stl.hpp
index 636b1e5..0c090cf 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/bootstrap_stl.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/bootstrap_stl.hpp
@@ -519,6 +519,31 @@ namespace chaiscript
           return m;
         }
 
+        namespace detail {
+          template<typename String>
+          struct apple_string_workarounds
+          {
+            /// The latest version of MacOS has a broken std::string implementation which will not allow
+            /// us to take pointers to the members. Code compiles, but does not link
+            /// \todo re-evaluate at some point
+
+            static size_t find(const String *s, const String &w, int pos) { return s->find(w, pos); }
+            static size_t rfind(const String *s, const String &w, size_t pos) { return s->rfind(w, pos); }
+            static size_t find_first_of(const String *s, const String &w, size_t pos) { return s->find_first_of(w, pos); }
+            static size_t find_last_of(const String *s, const String &w, size_t pos) { return s->find_last_of(w, pos); }
+            static size_t find_first_not_of(const String *s, const String &w, size_t pos) { return s->find_first_not_of(w, pos); }
+            static size_t find_last_not_of(const String *s, const String &w, size_t pos) { return s->find_last_not_of(w, pos); }
+
+            static void clear(String *s) { s->clear(); }
+            static bool empty(const String *s) { return s->empty(); }
+            static size_t size(const String *s) { return s->size(); }
+ 
+            static std::string substr(const String *s, size_t pos, size_t len) { return s->substr(pos,len); }
+            static const char *c_str(const String *s) {  return s->c_str(); }
+            static const char *data(const String *s) { return s->data(); }
+          };
+        }
+
       /**
        * Add a String container
        * http://www.sgi.com/tech/stl/basic_string.html
@@ -533,7 +558,7 @@ namespace chaiscript
           random_access_container_type<String>(type, m);
           sequence_type<String>(type, m);
           default_constructible_type<String>(type, m);
-          container_type<String>(type, m);
+          // container_type<String>(type, m);
           assignable_type<String>(type, m);
           input_range_type<String>(type, m);
 
diff --git a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/boxed_number.hpp b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/boxed_number.hpp
index 194efbd..ce93228 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/boxed_number.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/boxed_number.hpp
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <cstdint>
 
-
 namespace chaiscript 
 {
  
diff --git a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/dispatchkit.hpp b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/dispatchkit.hpp
index 1bc3be5..865bc68 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/dispatchkit.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/dispatchkit.hpp
@@ -53,9 +53,31 @@ namespace chaiscript
 
       private:
         std::string m_word;
-
     };
 
+    /**
+     * Exception thrown in the case that an object name is invalid because it contains illegal characters
+     */
+    class illegal_name_error : public std::runtime_error
+    {
+      public:
+        illegal_name_error(const std::string &t_name) throw()
+          : std::runtime_error("Reserved name not allowed in object name: " + t_name), m_name(t_name)
+        {
+        }
+
+        virtual ~illegal_name_error() throw() {}
+
+        std::string name() const
+        {
+          return m_name;
+        }
+
+      private:
+        std::string m_name;
+    };
+
+
     /**
      * Exception thrown in the case that an object name is invalid because it already exists in current context
      */
@@ -483,6 +505,25 @@ namespace chaiscript
           }
         }
 
+
+        /**
+         * Adds a new global (non-const) shared object, between all the threads
+         */
+        void add_global(const Boxed_Value &obj, const std::string &name)
+        {
+          validate_object_name(name);
+
+          chaiscript::detail::threading::unique_lock<chaiscript::detail::threading::shared_mutex> l(m_global_object_mutex);
+
+          if (m_state.m_global_objects.find(name) != m_state.m_global_objects.end())
+          {
+            throw chaiscript::exception::name_conflict_error(name);
+          } else {
+            m_state.m_global_objects.insert(std::make_pair(name, obj));
+          }
+        }
+
+
         /**
          * Adds a new scope to the stack
          */
@@ -1102,6 +1143,10 @@ namespace chaiscript
          */
         void validate_object_name(const std::string &name) const
         {
+          if (name.find("::") != std::string::npos) {
+            throw chaiscript::exception::illegal_name_error(name);
+          }
+
           chaiscript::detail::threading::shared_lock<chaiscript::detail::threading::shared_mutex> l(m_mutex);
 
           if (m_state.m_reserved_words.find(name) != m_state.m_reserved_words.end())
diff --git a/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_engine.hpp b/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_engine.hpp
index 26c1404..b73b78c 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_engine.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_engine.hpp
@@ -515,6 +515,17 @@ namespace chaiscript
       return *this;
     }
 
+    /// \brief Adds a mutable object that is available in all contexts and to all threads
+    /// \param[in] t_bv Boxed_Value to add as a global
+    /// \param[in] t_name Name of the value to add
+    /// \warning The user is responsible for making sure the object is thread-safe if necessary
+    ///          ChaiScript is thread-safe but provides no threading locking mechanism to the script
+    ChaiScript &add_global(const Boxed_Value &t_bv, const std::string &t_name)
+    {
+      m_engine.add_global(t_bv, t_name);
+      return *this;
+    }
+
     /// \brief Represents the current state of the ChaiScript system. State and be saved and restored
     /// \sa ChaiScript::get_state
     /// \sa ChaiScript::set_state
diff --git a/src/test_module.cpp b/src/test_module.cpp
index 5b1aa0a..db8d562 100644
--- a/src/test_module.cpp
+++ b/src/test_module.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ class TestBaseType
     virtual ~TestBaseType() {}
     virtual int func() { return 0; }
 
+    const TestBaseType &constMe() const { return *this; }
+
     int val;
     const int const_val;
 };
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ CHAISCRIPT_MODULE_EXPORT  chaiscript::ModulePtr create_chaiscript_module_test_mo
   m->add(chaiscript::user_type<TestEnum>(), "TestEnum");
 
   m->add(chaiscript::fun(&to_int), "to_int");
+  m->add(chaiscript::fun(&TestBaseType::constMe), "constMe");
 
 
   return m;
diff --git a/unittests/member_variable_access.chai b/unittests/member_variable_access.chai
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..000d058
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/member_variable_access.chai
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+load_module("test_module")
+
+var t0 = TestBaseType()
+t0.val = 13
+
+assert_equal(15, t0.const_val)
+assert_equal(13, t0.val)
+assert_equal(15, t0.constMe().const_val)
+assert_equal(13, t0.constMe().val)
+
+