diff --git a/grammar.pest b/grammar.pest
index 663e94e..22bdb88 100644
--- a/grammar.pest
+++ b/grammar.pest
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ anon_command = { "cmd" ~ NEWLINE* ~ OPENBR
 cmd_body = { ((cmd_settings|vars_def|shell_def) ~ NEWLINE)* ~ quick_command }
 vars_def = { "vars" ~ var_def ~ (DEF_SEP* ~ var_def)* }
 DEF_SEP = _{"," ~ NEWLINE*}
-var_def = { symbol }
+var_def = { symbol ~ default_var? }
+default_var = { "=" ~ normal_string }
 cmd_settings = { "set" ~ symbol ~ (DEF_SEP* ~ symbol)* }
 
 shell_def = {"shell" ~ (string|word)+ }
diff --git a/src/core.rs b/src/core.rs
index c4bafc0..82468d2 100644
--- a/src/core.rs
+++ b/src/core.rs
@@ -132,12 +132,12 @@ fn run_command(
         let val = if let Some(val) = arg_vals.get(i) {
             val
         } else {
-            history = query_env_var(var, history).context("querying env var")?;
+            history = query_env_var(&var.name, &var.value, history).context("querying env var")?;
             history.last().unwrap()
         };
         // uppon calling exec, the env vars are kept, so just setting them here
         // means setting them for the callee
-        env::set_var(var, val);
+        env::set_var(&var.name, val);
     }
     term.clear_last_lines(cmd.env_vars.len() - arg_vals.len())
         .context("Clearing input lines")?;
@@ -233,7 +233,11 @@ struct RlHelper {
 }
 impl Highlighter for RlHelper {}
 
-fn query_env_var(name: &str, mut hist: Vec<String>) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
+fn query_env_var(
+    name: &str,
+    default_val: &Option<String>,
+    mut hist: Vec<String>,
+) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
     let mut rl = rustyline::Editor::new()?;
     rl.set_helper(Some(RlHelper {
         completer: FilenameCompleter::new(),
@@ -241,8 +245,22 @@ fn query_env_var(name: &str, mut hist: Vec<String>) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
     for h in &hist {
         rl.add_history_entry(h)?;
     }
-    let line = rl.readline(&format!("Value for {name}: "))?;
-    hist.push(line);
+    let line = rl.readline(&format!(
+        "Value for {name}{default}: ",
+        default = if let Some(default_val) = default_val {
+            format!(" ({default_val})")
+        } else {
+            String::new()
+        }
+    ))?;
+
+    if line.is_empty() {
+        if let Some(default_val) = default_val {
+            hist.push(default_val.to_string());
+        }
+    } else {
+        hist.push(line);
+    }
     Ok(hist)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index a36c8ad..83659b3 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ pub struct Command {
     pub settings: Vec<CommandSetting>,
     pub name: Option<String>,
     pub shell: Option<ShellDef>,
-    pub env_vars: Vec<String>,
+    pub env_vars: Vec<VarDef>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Copy)]
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ pub struct ShellDef {
     pub args: Vec<String>,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct VarDef {
+    pub name: String,
+    pub value: Option<String>,
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 struct RawMenu<'a> {
     display_name: Option<String>,
@@ -231,7 +237,7 @@ fn parse_anon_command(p: Pair<'_, Rule>) -> Command {
 #[derive(Default)]
 struct CmdBodyParser {
     settings: Option<Vec<CommandSetting>>,
-    vars: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    vars: Option<Vec<VarDef>>,
     shell_def: Option<ShellDef>,
 }
 
@@ -278,14 +284,25 @@ fn parse_cmd_settings(p: Pair<'_, Rule>) -> Vec<CommandSetting> {
     res
 }
 
-fn parse_vars_def(p: Pair<'_, Rule>) -> Vec<String> {
+fn parse_vars_def(p: Pair<'_, Rule>) -> Vec<VarDef> {
+    fn parse_var_def(p: Pair<'_, Rule>) -> VarDef {
+        assert!(p.as_rule() == Rule::var_def, "unexpected rule: {p:#?}");
+        let mut p = p.into_inner();
+        let name_def = p.next().unwrap();
+        let value_def = p.next();
+
+        let name = name_def.as_str().to_string();
+        let value = value_def.map(|v| {
+            assert!(v.as_rule() == Rule::default_var, "unexpected rule: {p:#?}");
+            // v(default_var) -> normal_string -> normal_content
+            v.inext().inext().as_str().to_string()
+        });
+
+        VarDef { name, value }
+    }
+
     assert!(p.as_rule() == Rule::vars_def);
-    p.into_inner()
-        .map(|p| {
-            assert!(p.as_rule() == Rule::var_def, "unexpected rule: {p:#?}");
-            p.inext().as_str().to_string()
-        })
-        .collect()
+    p.into_inner().map(parse_var_def).collect()
 }
 
 fn parse_quick_command(pair: Pair<'_, Rule>) -> (Option<String>, StringExpr) {