diff --git a/cue/export.go b/cue/export.go
index 83a1922..ae5af74 100644
--- a/cue/export.go
+++ b/cue/export.go
@@ -200,10 +200,32 @@
 	return short
 }
 
+func mkTemplate(n *ast.Ident) ast.Label {
+	var expr ast.Expr = n
+	switch n.Name {
+	case "":
+		expr = ast.NewIdent("_")
+	case "_":
+	default:
+		expr = &ast.Alias{Ident: n, Expr: ast.NewIdent("_")}
+	}
+	return ast.NewList(expr)
+}
+
 func hasTemplate(s *ast.StructLit) bool {
 	for _, e := range s.Elts {
 		if f, ok := e.(*ast.Field); ok {
-			if _, ok := f.Label.(*ast.TemplateLabel); ok {
+			label := f.Label
+			if _, ok := label.(*ast.TemplateLabel); ok {
+				return true
+			}
+			if a, ok := label.(*ast.Alias); ok {
+				label, ok = a.Expr.(ast.Label)
+				if !ok {
+					return false
+				}
+			}
+			if _, ok := label.(*ast.ListLit); ok {
 				return true
 			}
 		}
@@ -469,9 +491,7 @@
 			}
 			expr = &ast.BinaryExpr{X: expr, Op: token.AND, Y: &ast.StructLit{
 				Elts: []ast.Decl{&ast.Field{
-					Label: &ast.TemplateLabel{
-						Ident: p.identifier(l.params.arcs[0].feature),
-					},
+					Label: mkTemplate(p.identifier(l.params.arcs[0].feature)),
 					Value: p.expr(l.value),
 				}},
 			}}
@@ -676,9 +696,7 @@
 				break
 			}
 			obj.Elts = append(obj.Elts, &ast.Field{
-				Label: &ast.TemplateLabel{
-					Ident: p.identifier(l.params.arcs[0].feature),
-				},
+				Label: mkTemplate(p.identifier(l.params.arcs[0].feature)),
 				Value: p.expr(l.value),
 			})
 		} // TODO: else record error
diff --git a/cue/export_test.go b/cue/export_test.go
index a42f84e..302b1a9 100644
--- a/cue/export_test.go
+++ b/cue/export_test.go
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@
 				f
 
 				b: int
-				<_>: <100
+				[_]: <100
 			}
 		}`,
 		out: unindent(`
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@
 				emb
 			}
 			e :: {
-				<_>: <100
+				[_]: <100
 				b:   int
 				f
 			}
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@
 		eval: true,
 		in: `{
 			b: [{
-				<X>: int
+				[X=_]: int
 				if a > 4 {
 					f: 4
 				}
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@
 		out: unindent(`
 		{
 			b: [{
-				<X>: int
+				[X=_]: int
 				if a > 4 {
 					f: 4
 				}
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@
 		}`),
 	}, {
 		in: `A: {
-			<_>: B
+			[_]: B
 		} @protobuf(1,"test")
 
 		B: {}
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@
 		out: unindent(`
 		{
 			A: {
-				<_>: B
+				[_]: B
 			} @protobuf(1,"test")
 			B: {
 			} & ({
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@
 		eval: true,
 		in: `
 		A :: { b: int }
-		a: A & { <_>: <10 }
+		a: A & { [_]: <10 }
 		B :: a
 		`,
 		out: unindent(`
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@
 		eval: true,
 		in: `
 			T :: {
-				<_>: int64
+				[_]: int64
 			}
 			X :: {
 				x: int
@@ -780,7 +780,7 @@
 		out: unindent(`
 		{
 			T :: {
-				<_>: int64
+				[_]: int64
 			}
 			X :: {
 				x: int64
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@
 		opts: []Option{Optional(false)},
 		in: `
 		T :: {
-			<_>: int64
+			[_]: int64
 		}
 		X :: {
 			x: int