diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index e6d69d8..2e7884a 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,15 @@
 ---
-# should we install weechat?
-install_weechat: true
-
-# should we configure weechat
-configure_weechat: true
-
-# user to install and use weechat
-weechat_user: "{{ ansible_user_id }}"
-
-# where is our home direcotory for weechat
-weechat_directory: "/home/{{ weechat_user }}/.weechat"
-
-# plugins we want
-weechat_plugins: []
+weechat:
+  # should we install weechat?
+  install: true
+  # should we configure weechat
+  configure: true
+  # user to install and use weechat
+  user: "{{ ansible_user_id }}"
+  # where is our home direcotory for weechat
+  home_directory: "/home/{{ weechat_user }}/.weechat"
+  # plugins we want
+  plugins: []
 
 # version check for this role? (true is recomended)
 submodules_versioncheck: false
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 2d7371a..5eff529 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 ---
+- name: combine weechat variables
+  set_fact:
+    weechat: "{{ _weechat | combine(weechat, recursive=True) }}"
+
 - include_tasks: versioncheck.yml
   when: submodules_versioncheck|bool
 
 - include_tasks: "install-{{ ansible_os_family|lower }}.yml"
-  when: install_weechat | bool
+  when: weechat.install | bool
 
 #- include_tasks: plugins.yml
 #  when: configure_weechat | bool
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 62c4ba1..c7970e3 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -9,5 +9,15 @@ weechat_plugin_languages:
   lua: lua
 
 # version management
-playbook_version_number: 2048 # should be over ninethousand
+playbook_version_number: 2049 # should be over ninethousand
 playbook_version_path: 'role-weechat_roles-ansible_github.com.version'
+
+# default values
+_weechat:
+  install: true
+  configure: true
+  user: "{{ ansible_user_id }}"
+  home_directory: "/home/{{ weechat_user }}/.weechat"
+  plugins: []
+
+