diff --git a/schala-lang/language/src/reduced_ast.rs b/schala-lang/language/src/reduced_ast.rs
index 0e66dc8..d001902 100644
--- a/schala-lang/language/src/reduced_ast.rs
+++ b/schala-lang/language/src/reduced_ast.rs
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ impl Meta<Expression> {
       Value(qualified_name) => {
         let ref sym_name = match self.fqsn {
           Some(ref fqsn) => fqsn,
-          None => return Expr::ReductionError(format!("FQSN lookup for value failed")),
+          None => return Expr::ReductionError(format!("FQSN lookup for value A failed")),
         };
         let FullyQualifiedSymbolName(ref v) = sym_name;
         let name = v.last().unwrap().name.clone();
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ fn reduce_lambda(params: &Vec<FormalParam>, body: &Block, symbol_table: &SymbolT
 fn reduce_named_struct(fqsn: Option<&FullyQualifiedSymbolName>, name: &QualifiedName, fields: &Vec<(Rc<String>, Meta<Expression>)>, symbol_table: &SymbolTable) -> Expr {
   let sym_name = match fqsn {
     Some(fqsn) => fqsn,
-    None => return Expr::ReductionError(format!("FQSN lookup for value failed")),
+    None => return Expr::ReductionError(format!("FQSN lookup for value  B failed")),
   };
   let FullyQualifiedSymbolName(ref v) = sym_name;
   let ref name = v.last().unwrap().name;
@@ -295,9 +295,18 @@ fn handle_symbol(symbol: Option<&Symbol>, inner_patterns: &Vec<Pattern>, symbol_
     _ => panic!("Symbol is not a data constructor - this should've been caught in type-checking"),
   });
   let bound_vars = inner_patterns.iter().map(|p| match p {
-    VarOrName(name) => {
-      //if this is a variable, return Some(var.clone()), else None
-      unimplemented!()
+    VarOrName(meta_name) => {
+      let symbol_exists = meta_name.fqsn.as_ref().and_then(|fqsn| symbol_table.lookup_by_fqsn(&fqsn)).is_some();
+      if symbol_exists {
+        None
+      } else {
+        let QualifiedName(name_elems) = meta_name.node();
+        if name_elems.len() == 1 {
+          Some(name_elems[0].clone())
+        } else {
+          panic!("Bad variable name in pattern");
+        }
+      }
     },
     _ => None,
   }).collect();