diff --git a/src/scanner.l b/src/scanner.l
index 2f5b6db..e8c4f10 100644
--- a/src/scanner.l
+++ b/src/scanner.l
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "pheading.h"
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "tac.h"
+#include "switches.h"
 
 /* tokens for language */
 #include "parser.h"
@@ -47,7 +48,38 @@ integer		{digit}+
 text		\"({ascii_char}|{escaped_char})*\"
 id		@?({letter}|{digit}|[\^\-])+
 
+/* the "incl" state is used for picking up the name of an include file
+ */
+%x incl inclend
 %%
+include		BEGIN(incl);
+<incl>[ \t]*\"	/* eat the whitespace */
+<incl>[^\"]+	{ /* got the include file name */
+			/* try to open, using scytherdirs environment variable as well. */
+			yyin = openFileSearch (yytext, NULL);
+			if (! yyin)
+			{
+				error ("Could not open include file %s.", yytext);
+			}
+			yypush_buffer_state(yy_create_buffer(yyin, YY_BUF_SIZE ));
+			BEGIN(INITIAL);
+		}
+
+<inclend>\";?	{ /* eat the closing things */
+			BEGIN(INITIAL);
+		}
+
+<INITIAL><<EOF>>	{
+			yypop_buffer_state();
+			if (! YY_CURRENT_BUFFER )
+			{
+				yyterminate();
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				BEGIN(inclend);
+			}
+		}
 
 "/*"		{
 			register int c;
diff --git a/src/switches.c b/src/switches.c
index f881898..19c30e9 100644
--- a/src/switches.c
+++ b/src/switches.c
@@ -92,12 +92,14 @@ switchesDone (void)
 {
 }
 
-//! Open a (protocol) file instead of stdin
+//! Open a (protocol) file.
 /**
  * Uses the environment variable SCYTHERDIR to also search for files
+ *
+ * If reopener == NULL then we open a new file pointer, otherwise reopen this one.
  */
-int
-openFileStdin (char *filename)
+FILE *
+openFileSearch (char *filename, FILE * reopener)
 {
   const char *separators = ":;\n";
   char *dirs;
@@ -139,9 +141,20 @@ openFileStdin (char *filename)
       }
 
     // Now try to open it
-    if (freopen (buffer, "r", stdin) != NULL)
+    if (reopener != NULL)
       {
-	result = true;
+	if (freopen (buffer, "r", reopener) != NULL)
+	  {
+	    result = true;
+	  }
+      }
+    else
+      {
+	reopener = fopen (buffer, "r");
+	if (reopener != NULL)
+	  {
+	    result = true;
+	  }
       }
 
     free (buffer);
@@ -152,7 +165,7 @@ openFileStdin (char *filename)
 
   if (try (""))
     {
-      return true;
+      return reopener;
     }
 
   // Now try the environment variable
@@ -164,7 +177,7 @@ openFileStdin (char *filename)
 	  // try this one
 	  if (try (dirs))
 	    {
-	      return true;
+	      return reopener;
 	    }
 	  // skip to next
 	  dirs = strpbrk (dirs, separators);
@@ -181,7 +194,21 @@ openFileStdin (char *filename)
     }
 
   // Nope
-  return false;
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+//! Open a (protocol) file instead of stdin
+int
+openFileStdin (char *filename)
+{
+  if (openFileSearch (filename, stdin) == NULL)
+    {
+      return false;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      return true;
+    }
 }
 
 //! Process a single switch or generate help text
diff --git a/src/switches.h b/src/switches.h
index babe7e5..8d0738f 100644
--- a/src/switches.h
+++ b/src/switches.h
@@ -61,4 +61,6 @@ struct switchdata
 
 extern struct switchdata switches;	//!< pointer to switchdata structure
 
+FILE *openFileSearch (char *filename, FILE * reopener);
+
 #endif