diff --git a/dagrt/expression.py b/dagrt/expression.py
index e47a94f6b201f243d9379ed9f626ba0ea72e1340..9c3b83e7e6e8943863ff16bb5c7323ef321eb252 100644
--- a/dagrt/expression.py
+++ b/dagrt/expression.py
@@ -414,8 +414,10 @@ class _ExtendedParser(Parser):
 
 
 def parse(expr):
-    """Return a pymbolic expression constructed from the string. Values
-    between backticks ("`") are parsed as variable names.
+    """Return a pymbolic expression constructed from the string.
+
+    Values between backticks ("`") are parsed as variable names.
+    Tagged identifiers ("<func>f") are also parsed as variable names.
     """
     from pymbolic import var
 
@@ -433,4 +435,20 @@ def parse(expr):
     return substitutor(parser(expr))
 
 
+def substitute(expression, variable_assignments={}, **kwargs):
+    """Perform variable substitution.
+
+    :arg expression: A string or :mod:`pymbolic` expression.
+        If a string, it will be parsed with :func:`parse`.
+    :arg variable_assignments: Mapping from variable names to expressions
+    :arg kwargs: Extra arguments passed to to :func:`pymbolic.substitute`
+    """
+    from pymbolic import substitute as substitute_pymbolic
+
+    if isinstance(expression, str):
+        expression = parse(expression)
+
+    return substitute_pymbolic(expression, variable_assignments, **kwargs)
+
+
 # vim: foldmethod=marker
diff --git a/test/test_expressions.py b/test/test_expressions.py
index 84b04dd7af795911033c56d0011ba2a31d2a901e..97b9e8101aaff137f928aaa4eefb0b0664e74e72 100755
--- a/test/test_expressions.py
+++ b/test/test_expressions.py
@@ -133,6 +133,13 @@ def test_get_variables_with_function_symbols():
         frozenset(['f', 'x'])
 
 
+def test_substitute():
+    f, a = declare("f", "a")
+
+    from dagrt.expression import substitute
+    assert substitute("f(<state>y)", {"<state>y": a}) == f(a)
+
+
 # {{{ parser
 
 def test_parser():