diff --git a/src/compile/references.js b/src/compile/references.js
index 0f75cfb..4425058 100644
--- a/src/compile/references.js
+++ b/src/compile/references.js
@@ -265,7 +265,8 @@ module.exports = function(Velocity, utils) {
       } else if (id === 'size') {
 
         return getSize(baseRef);
-
+      } else if (id === 'put') {
+        return baseRef[this.getLiteral(property.args[0])] = this.getLiteral(property.args[1]);
       } else {
 
         ret = baseRef[id];
diff --git a/tests/compile.js b/tests/compile.js
index ce9b652..61ebecb 100644
--- a/tests/compile.js
+++ b/tests/compile.js
@@ -694,6 +694,18 @@ describe('Compile', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('assignment via .put', function () {
+    it('should set a key to an object', function() {
+      var vm = `
+        #set($foo = {})
+        #set($test = $foo.put('foo', 'bar'))
+        $foo["foo"]
+      `;
+      var expected = 'bar';
+      assert.equal(render(vm).trim(), expected)
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Object|Array#toString', function() {
     it('simple object', function() {
       var vm = '$data';