diff --git a/opts.go b/opts.go
index 2508b42..7dae85e 100644
--- a/opts.go
+++ b/opts.go
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ type options struct {
 	parsed valueCache
 
 	activeFields *fieldSet
+
+	ignoreCommas bool
 }
 
 type valueCache map[string]spliceValue
@@ -82,6 +84,12 @@ func StructTag(tag string) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+var IgnoreCommas = doIgnoreCommas
+
+func doIgnoreCommas(o *options) {
+	o.ignoreCommas = true
+}
+
 // ValidatorTag option sets the struct tag name used to set validators
 // on struct fields in `Unpack`.
 // The default struct tag in `validate`.
diff --git a/reify_test.go b/reify_test.go
index cd12c6a..9d85f09 100644
--- a/reify_test.go
+++ b/reify_test.go
@@ -22,8 +22,46 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/elastic/go-ucfg/parse"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+var exampleInputWithExpVarAndComma = map[string]interface{}{
+	"condition": "startsWith('${host.name}','motmot')",
+	"data_stream": map[string]interface{}{
+		"dataset": "docker.container_logs",
+	},
+}
+
+func TestValueVarExpIgnoreCommas(t *testing.T) {
+	extendedCfg, err := NewFrom(exampleInputWithExpVarAndComma, VarExp)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var test map[string]interface{}
+	err = extendedCfg.Unpack(&test, ResolveNOOP, IgnoreCommas) // IgnoreCommmas is what makes this not fail
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "startsWith('${host.name}','motmot')", test["condition"])
+}
+
+func TestValueUnpackVarExpFail(t *testing.T) {
+	extendedCfg, err := NewFrom(exampleInputWithExpVarAndComma, VarExp)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var test map[string]interface{}
+	err = extendedCfg.Unpack(&test, ResolveNOOP) // will fail without IgnoreCommas
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestValueUnpackNoExpVar(t *testing.T) {
+	extendedCfg, err := NewFrom(exampleInputWithExpVarAndComma) // will not fail, since no VarExp
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var test map[string]interface{}
+	err = extendedCfg.Unpack(&test, ResolveNOOP)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Equal(t, "startsWith('${host.name}','motmot')", test["condition"])
+}
+
 func TestUnpackPrimitiveValues(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []interface{}{
 		New(),
diff --git a/types.go b/types.go
index b0b8e92..949f910 100644
--- a/types.go
+++ b/types.go
@@ -561,6 +561,11 @@ func parseValue(p *cfgPrimitive, opts *options, str string, parseCfg parse.Confi
 		return nil, raiseNoParse(p.ctx, p.meta())
 	}
 
+	// only set IgnoreCommas if the default has been changed.
+	if opts.ignoreCommas {
+		parseCfg.IgnoreCommas = opts.ignoreCommas
+	}
+
 	ifc, err := parse.ValueWithConfig(str, parseCfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err