diff --git a/src/lgdo/types/table.py b/src/lgdo/types/table.py
index 34cdac5..bf59153 100644
--- a/src/lgdo/types/table.py
+++ b/src/lgdo/types/table.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import logging
 from collections.abc import Mapping
+from types import ModuleType
 from typing import Any
 from warnings import warn
 
@@ -266,6 +267,7 @@ def eval(
         self,
         expr: str,
         parameters: Mapping[str, str] | None = None,
+        modules: Mapping[str, ModuleType] | None = None,
     ) -> LGDO:
         """Apply column operations to the table and return a new LGDO.
 
@@ -299,6 +301,10 @@ def eval(
             a dictionary of function parameters. Passed to
             :func:`numexpr.evaluate`` as `local_dict` argument or to
             :func:`eval` as `locals` argument.
+        modules
+            a dictionary of additional modules used by the expression. If this is not `None`
+            then :func:`eval`is used and the expression can depend on any modules from this dictionary in
+            addition to awkward and numpy. These are passed to :func:`eval` as `globals` argument.
 
         Examples
         --------
@@ -339,8 +345,8 @@ def eval(
         msg = f"evaluating {expr!r} with locals={(self_unwrap | parameters)} and {has_ak=}"
         log.debug(msg)
 
-        # use numexpr if we are only dealing with numpy data types
-        if not has_ak:
+        # use numexpr if we are only dealing with numpy data types (and no global dictionary)
+        if not has_ak and modules is None:
             out_data = ne.evaluate(
                 expr,
                 local_dict=(self_unwrap | parameters),
@@ -366,6 +372,9 @@ def eval(
 
         # resort to good ol' eval()
         globs = {"ak": ak, "np": np}
+        if modules is not None:
+            globs = globs | modules
+
         out_data = eval(expr, globs, (self_unwrap | parameters))
 
         msg = f"...the result is {out_data!r}"
@@ -380,6 +389,10 @@ def eval(
         if np.isscalar(out_data):
             return Scalar(out_data)
 
+        # if out_data is already an LGDO just return it
+        if isinstance(out_data, LGDO):
+            return out_data
+
         msg = (
             f"evaluation resulted in a {type(out_data)} object, "
             "I don't know which LGDO this corresponds to"
diff --git a/tests/types/test_table_eval.py b/tests/types/test_table_eval.py
index 1fb837e..1c4a180 100644
--- a/tests/types/test_table_eval.py
+++ b/tests/types/test_table_eval.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import hist
 import numpy as np
+import pytest
 
 import lgdo
 
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ def test_eval_dependency():
             ),
         }
     )
+
     r = obj.eval("sum(a)")
     assert isinstance(r, lgdo.Scalar)
 
@@ -77,3 +80,11 @@ def test_eval_dependency():
     assert isinstance(r, lgdo.Scalar)
 
     assert obj.eval("np.sum(a) + ak.sum(e)")
+
+    # test with modules argument, the simplest is using directly lgdo
+    res = obj.eval("lgdo.Array([1,2,3])", {}, modules={"lgdo": lgdo})
+    assert res == lgdo.Array([1, 2, 3])
+
+    # check bad type
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        obj.eval("hist.Hist()", modules={"hist": hist})