diff --git a/__tests__/compilers/variable.test.ts b/__tests__/compilers/variable.test.ts
index f6232e3b9..aae497a86 100644
--- a/__tests__/compilers/variable.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/compilers/variable.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as rmdx from '../../index';
 
 describe('variable compiler', () => {
-  it('compiles back to the ', () => {
+  it('compiles back to the original mdx', () => {
     const mdx = `
 ## Hello!
 
@@ -13,4 +13,11 @@ describe('variable compiler', () => {
 
     expect(rmdx.mdx(tree).trim()).toStrictEqual(mdx.trim());
   });
+
+  it('with spaces in a variable, it compiles back to the original', () => {
+    const mdx = `{user["oh no"]}`;
+    const tree = rmdx.mdast(mdx);
+
+    expect(rmdx.mdx(tree).trim()).toStrictEqual(mdx.trim());
+  });
 });
diff --git a/__tests__/lib/mdast/index.test.ts b/__tests__/lib/mdast/index.test.ts
index af5a711f1..43ca8519b 100644
--- a/__tests__/lib/mdast/index.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/lib/mdast/index.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import tablesJson from './tables/out.json';
 import variablesMdx from './variables/in.mdx?raw';
 import variablesJson from './variables/out.json';
 
+import variablesWithSpacesMdx from './variables-with-spaces/in.mdx?raw';
+import variablesWithSpacesJson from './variables-with-spaces/out.json';
+
 import inlineImagesMdx from './images/inline/in.mdx?raw';
 import inlineImagesJson from './images/inline/out.json';
 
@@ -28,6 +31,11 @@ describe('mdast transformer', async () => {
     expect(mdast(variablesMdx)).toStrictEqualExceptPosition(variablesJson);
   });
 
+  it('parses variables with spaces', () => {
+    // @ts-ignore
+    expect(mdast(variablesWithSpacesMdx)).toStrictEqualExceptPosition(variablesWithSpacesJson);
+  });
+
   it('parses inline images', () => {
     // @ts-ignore
     expect(mdast(inlineImagesMdx)).toStrictEqualExceptPosition(inlineImagesJson);
diff --git a/__tests__/lib/mdast/variables-with-spaces/in.mdx b/__tests__/lib/mdast/variables-with-spaces/in.mdx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..12b445c0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/lib/mdast/variables-with-spaces/in.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hello, { user['this is cursed'] }
diff --git a/__tests__/lib/mdast/variables-with-spaces/out.json b/__tests__/lib/mdast/variables-with-spaces/out.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..413361bb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/lib/mdast/variables-with-spaces/out.json
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+{
+  "children": [
+    {
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "position": {
+            "end": {
+              "column": 8,
+              "line": 1,
+              "offset": 7
+            },
+            "start": {
+              "column": 1,
+              "line": 1,
+              "offset": 0
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Hello, "
+        },
+        {
+          "data": {
+            "hName": "Variable",
+            "hProperties": {
+              "name": "this is cursed"
+            }
+          },
+          "position": {
+            "end": {
+              "column": 19,
+              "line": 1,
+              "offset": 18
+            },
+            "start": {
+              "column": 8,
+              "line": 1,
+              "offset": 7
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "readme-variable",
+          "value": "{ user['this is cursed'] }"
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "end": {
+          "column": 19,
+          "line": 1,
+          "offset": 18
+        },
+        "start": {
+          "column": 1,
+          "line": 1,
+          "offset": 0
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "paragraph"
+    }
+  ],
+  "position": {
+    "end": {
+      "column": 1,
+      "line": 2,
+      "offset": 19
+    },
+    "start": {
+      "column": 1,
+      "line": 1,
+      "offset": 0
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "root"
+}
diff --git a/__tests__/transformers/variables.test.tsx b/__tests__/transformers/variables.test.tsx
index 8fbf2cfbe..5b4abecb8 100644
--- a/__tests__/transformers/variables.test.tsx
+++ b/__tests__/transformers/variables.test.tsx
@@ -52,4 +52,11 @@ describe('variables transformer', () => {
       type: 'root',
     });
   });
+
+  it('does not parse regular expressions into variables', () => {
+    const mdx = `{notUser.name}`;
+
+    // @ts-ignore
+    expect(rmdx.mdast(mdx).children[0].type).toBe('mdxFlowExpression');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/processor/compile/variable.ts b/processor/compile/variable.ts
index 7b96ef679..2d39b82d0 100644
--- a/processor/compile/variable.ts
+++ b/processor/compile/variable.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const variable = (node: Variable) => {
   // @note: coming from RDMD, it's set as `variable`. But when mdx is parsed,
   // it's set as `name`
   const name = node.data.hProperties.variable || node.data.hProperties.name;
-  return `{user.${name}}`;
+  return name.toString().match(/ /) ? `{user[${JSON.stringify(name)}]}` : `{user.${name}}`;
 };
 
 export default variable;
diff --git a/processor/parse/reusable-content-parser.js b/processor/parse/reusable-content-parser.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 271d86fa4..000000000
--- a/processor/parse/reusable-content-parser.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-const { insertBlockTokenizerBefore } = require('./utils');
-
-export const type = 'reusable-content';
-
-function tokenizeReusableContent(eat, value, silent) {
-  const { tags, disabled } = this.data('reusableContent');
-  if (disabled) return false;
-
-  // Modifies the regular expression to match from
-  // the start of the line
-  const match = /^<(?<tag>[A-Z]\S+)\s*\/>\s*/.exec(value);
-
-  if (!match || !match.groups.tag) return false;
-  const { tag } = match.groups;
-
-  /* istanbul ignore if */
-  if (silent) return true;
-
-  const node = {
-    type: 'reusable-content',
-    tag,
-    children: tag in tags ? tags[tag] : [],
-  };
-
-  return eat(match[0])(node);
-}
-
-function parser() {
-  insertBlockTokenizerBefore.call(this, {
-    name: 'reusableContent',
-    before: 'html',
-    tokenizer: tokenizeReusableContent.bind(this),
-  });
-}
-
-export default parser;
diff --git a/processor/transform/variables.ts b/processor/transform/variables.ts
index 826354004..8c68148f9 100644
--- a/processor/transform/variables.ts
+++ b/processor/transform/variables.ts
@@ -12,8 +12,22 @@ const variables =
     visit(tree, (node, index, parent) => {
       if (!['mdxFlowExpression', 'mdxTextExpression'].includes(node.type) || !('value' in node)) return;
 
-      const match = node.value.match(/^user\.(?<value>.*)$/);
-      if (!match) return;
+      // @ts-expect-error - estree is not defined on our mdx types?!
+      if (node.data.estree.type !== 'Program') return;
+      // @ts-expect-error - estree is not defined on our mdx types?!
+      const [expression] = node.data.estree.body;
+      if (
+        !expression ||
+        expression.type !== 'ExpressionStatement' ||
+        expression.expression.object?.name !== 'user' ||
+        !['Literal', 'Identifier'].includes(expression.expression.property?.type)
+      )
+        return;
+
+      const name =
+        expression.expression.property.type === 'Identifier'
+          ? expression.expression.property.name
+          : expression.expression.property.value;
 
       let variable = asMdx
         ? ({
@@ -23,7 +37,7 @@ const variables =
               {
                 type: 'mdxJsxAttribute',
                 name: 'name',
-                value: match.groups.value,
+                value: name,
               },
             ],
             children: [],
@@ -34,7 +48,7 @@ const variables =
             data: {
               hName: 'Variable',
               hProperties: {
-                name: match.groups.value,
+                name,
               },
             },
             value: `{${node.value}}`,