diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/semantics/AttributeChecks.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/semantics/AttributeChecks.java
index 576c48cf3..dc934da36 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/semantics/AttributeChecks.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/semantics/AttributeChecks.java
@@ -68,16 +68,15 @@ public class AttributeChecks implements ActionSplitterListener {
         new AttributeChecks(g, r, alt, node, rhs).examineAction();
     }
 
-    public void qualifiedAttr(String expr, Token x, Token y) {
-		if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), y.getText(), node) ) {
-			if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), node) &&
-				 (r==null || !r.name.equals(x.getText())) )
-			{
-				ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_SIMPLE_ATTRIBUTE,
-										  g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
-				return;
-			}
-			if ( node.resolver.resolveRefToRule(x.getText(), node)!=null ) {
+	public void qualifiedAttr(String expr, Token x, Token y) {
+		if ( node.resolver.resolveToScope(x.getText(), node)==null ) {
+			ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_SIMPLE_ATTRIBUTE,
+									  g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		if ( node.resolver.resolveToAttribute(x.getText(), y.getText(), node)==null ) {
+			if ( node.resolver.resolveToRule(x.getText(), node)!=null ) {
 				Rule rref = g.getRule(x.getText());
 				if ( rref!=null && rref.args!=null && rref.args.get(y.getText())!=null ) {
 					ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.INVALID_RULE_PARAMETER_REF,
@@ -95,7 +94,7 @@ public class AttributeChecks implements ActionSplitterListener {
 	}
 
 	public void setAttr(String expr, Token x, Token rhs) {
-		if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), node) ) {
+		if ( node.resolver.resolveToAttribute(x.getText(), node)==null ) {
             ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_SIMPLE_ATTRIBUTE,
                                       g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
         }
@@ -103,15 +102,15 @@ public class AttributeChecks implements ActionSplitterListener {
     }
 
     public void attr(String expr, Token x) { // arg, retval, predefined, token ref, rule ref, current rule
-        if ( node.resolver.resolveRefToRule(x.getText(), node)!=null ) { // or in rule and is rule ref
-            ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.ISOLATED_RULE_SCOPE,
-                                      g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
-            return;
-        }
-        if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), node) ) {
-            ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_SIMPLE_ATTRIBUTE,
-                                      g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
-        }
+		if ( node.resolver.resolveToAttribute(x.getText(), node)==null ) {
+			if ( node.resolver.resolveToRule(x.getText(), node)!=null ) { // or in rule and is rule ref
+				ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.ISOLATED_RULE_SCOPE,
+										  g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
+				return;
+			}
+			ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_SIMPLE_ATTRIBUTE,
+									  g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
+		}
     }
 
     public void setDynamicScopeAttr(String expr, Token x, Token y, Token rhs) {
@@ -120,18 +119,18 @@ public class AttributeChecks implements ActionSplitterListener {
 
     public void dynamicScopeAttr(String expr, Token x, Token y) {
 		System.out.println(x+" :: "+y);
-		if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), y.getText(), node) ) {
-			if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), node) &&
-				 (r==null || !r.name.equals(x.getText())) )
-			{
-				ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_SIMPLE_ATTRIBUTE,
-										  g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
-			}
-			else {
-				ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_DYNAMIC_SCOPE_ATTRIBUTE,
-										  g.fileName, y, x.getText(), y.getText(), expr);
-			}
-		}
+//		if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), y.getText(), node) ) {
+//			if ( !node.resolver.resolves(x.getText(), node) &&
+//				 (r==null || !r.name.equals(x.getText())) )
+//			{
+//				ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_SIMPLE_ATTRIBUTE,
+//										  g.fileName, x, x.getText(), expr);
+//			}
+//			else {
+//				ErrorManager.grammarError(ErrorType.UNKNOWN_DYNAMIC_SCOPE_ATTRIBUTE,
+//										  g.fileName, y, x.getText(), y.getText(), expr);
+//			}
+//		}
     }
 
     public void setDynamicNegativeIndexedScopeAttr(String expr, Token x, Token y,
diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Alternative.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Alternative.java
index 02c8abf29..d676f988f 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Alternative.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Alternative.java
@@ -35,39 +35,54 @@ public class Alternative implements AttributeResolver {
 
     public AttributeResolver getParent() { return rule; }
 
-    /** Is isolated x a token/rule/label ref? */
-    public boolean resolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
-        boolean inAlt =
-            tokenRefs.get(x)!=null||
-            ruleRefs.get(x)!=null ||
-            labelDefs.get(x)!=null;
-        if ( inAlt ) return inAlt;
-        return getParent().resolves(x, node);
-    }
-
-    /** Find x as token/rule/label ref then find y in properties list. */
-    public boolean resolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
-        if ( tokenRefs.get(x)!=null ) { // token ref in this alt?
-            return rule.getPredefinedScope(LabelType.TOKEN_LABEL).get(y)!=null;
-        }
-        if ( ruleRefs.get(x)!=null ) {  // rule ref in this alt?
-            // look up rule, ask it to resolve y (must be retval or predefined)
-            return rule.g.getRule(x).resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(y);
-        }
-        Rule r = resolveRefToRule(x, node);
-        if ( r!=null ) return r.resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(y);
-        return getParent().resolves(x, y, node);
-    }
-
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
-		return getParent().dynScopeResolves(x,node);
+	// only rules have attr, not alts
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, ActionAST node) {
+		return getParent().resolveToAttribute(x, node);
 	}
 
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
-		return getParent().dynScopeResolves(x,y,node);
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
+		AttributeScope s = resolveToScope(x, node);
+		return s.get(y);
+//		if ( s.get(y)!=null ) return s.get(y);
+//		return getParent().resolveToAttribute(x, y, node);
 	}
 
-	public Rule resolveRefToRule(String x, ActionAST node) {
+	/** Is isolated x a token/rule/label ref? */
+	public AttributeScope resolveToScope(String x, ActionAST node) {
+		if ( tokenRefs.get(x)!=null ) return AttributeScope.predefinedTokenScope;
+		if ( ruleRefs.get(x)!=null ) return AttributeScope.predefinedTokenScope;
+		List<LabelElementPair> labels = labelDefs.get(x);
+		if ( labels !=null ) {
+			LabelElementPair anyLabelDef = labels.get(0);
+			return rule.getPredefinedScope(anyLabelDef.type);
+		}
+		return getParent().resolveToScope(x, node);
+	}
+
+	//    public boolean resolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
+//        boolean inAlt =
+//            tokenRefs.get(x)!=null||
+//            ruleRefs.get(x)!=null ||
+//            labelDefs.get(x)!=null;
+//        if ( inAlt ) return inAlt;
+//        return getParent().resolves(x, node);
+//    }
+//
+//    /** Find x as token/rule/label ref then find y in properties list. */
+//    public boolean resolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
+//        if ( tokenRefs.get(x)!=null ) { // token ref in this alt?
+//            return rule.getPredefinedScope(LabelType.TOKEN_LABEL).get(y)!=null;
+//        }
+//        if ( ruleRefs.get(x)!=null ) {  // rule ref in this alt?
+//            // look up rule, ask it to resolve y (must be retval or predefined)
+//            return rule.g.getRule(x).resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(y);
+//        }
+//        Rule r = resolveRule(x, node);
+//        if ( r!=null ) return r.resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(y);
+//        return getParent().resolves(x, y, node);
+//    }
+
+	public Rule resolveToRule(String x, ActionAST node) {
         if ( ruleRefs.get(x)!=null ) return rule.g.getRule(x);
         List<LabelElementPair> labels = labelDefs.get(x);
         if ( labels!=null ) { // it's a label ref. is it a rule label?
@@ -76,6 +91,6 @@ public class Alternative implements AttributeResolver {
                 return rule.g.getRule(anyLabelDef.element.getText());
             }
         }
-        return getParent().resolveRefToRule(x, node);
+        return getParent().resolveToRule(x, node);
     }
 }
diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeResolver.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeResolver.java
index e52ff04c2..f1b427034 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeResolver.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeResolver.java
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ package org.antlr.v4.tool;
  */
 public interface AttributeResolver {
     public AttributeResolver getParent();
-	public boolean resolves(String x, ActionAST node);
-	public boolean resolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node);
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, ActionAST node);
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node);
-    public Rule resolveRefToRule(String x, ActionAST node);
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, ActionAST node);
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, String y, ActionAST node);
+	public AttributeScope resolveToScope(String x, ActionAST node);
+	/** Resolve to surrounding rule, rule ref/label if in alt, or other rule */
+	public Rule resolveToRule(String x, ActionAST node);
 }
diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeScope.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeScope.java
index 14ae2afc2..58a1a6050 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeScope.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/AttributeScope.java
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ import java.util.Set;
  */
 public class AttributeScope {
     /** The scope name */
-    protected String name;
+    public String name;
     public GrammarAST ast;
+//	public Type type;
 
     /** All token scopes (token labels) share the same fixed scope of
      *  of predefined attributes.  I keep this out of the runtime.Token
diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Grammar.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Grammar.java
index 731c8db04..26e8cb1f1 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Grammar.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Grammar.java
@@ -214,33 +214,35 @@ public class Grammar implements AttributeResolver {
 
     public AttributeResolver getParent() { return null; }
 
-    /** $x in grammar action can only be scope name */
-    public boolean resolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
-        return scopes.get(x)!=null;
-    }
-
-    /** $x.y makes no sense in grammar action; Rule.resolves()
-     *  shouldn't call this.
-     */
-    public boolean resolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) { return false; }
-
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
-		if ( scopes.get(x)!=null ) return true;
-		// resolve inside of a rule? x can be any rule ref
-		if ( !(node.resolver instanceof Grammar) ) {
-			Rule r = getRule(x);
-			if ( r!=null && r.scope!=null ) return true;
-		}
-		return false;
+	// no isolated attr at grammar action level
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, ActionAST node) {
+		return null;
 	}
 
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
+		AttributeScope s = resolveToScope(x, node);
+		return s.get(y);
+	}
+
+	// $x can be scope (but not rule with scope)
+	public AttributeScope resolveToScope(String x, ActionAST node) {
 		AttributeScope s = scopes.get(x);
-		return s.get(y)!=null;
+		if ( s!=null ) return s;
+		return null;
 	}
 
+	//	/** $x in grammar action can only be scope name */
+//    public boolean resolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
+//        return scopes.get(x)!=null;
+//    }
+//
+//    /** $x.y makes no sense in grammar action; Rule.resolves()
+//     *  shouldn't call this.
+//     */
+//    public boolean resolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) { return false; }
+
 	/** Can't be a rule ref in grammar named action */
-    public Rule resolveRefToRule(String x, ActionAST node) { return null; }
+    public Rule resolveToRule(String x, ActionAST node) { return null; }
 
     /** Given a grammar type, what should be the default action scope?
      *  If I say @members in a COMBINED grammar, for example, the
diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Rule.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Rule.java
index c18ec1d1a..b2fccd527 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Rule.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/tool/Rule.java
@@ -79,49 +79,25 @@ public class Rule implements AttributeResolver {
         for (int i=1; i<=numberOfAlts; i++) alt[i] = new Alternative(this);
     }
 
-    public AttributeResolver getParent() { return g; }
-
     /** Is isolated x an arg, retval, predefined prop? */
-    public boolean resolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
-        if ( resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(x) ) return true;
-        if ( args.get(x)!=null ) return true;
-        // resolve outside of an alt?
-        if ( node.resolver instanceof Alternative ) return getParent().resolves(x, node);
-        if ( getLabelNames().contains(x) ) return true; // can see all labels if not in alt
-        return getParent().resolves(x, node);
-    }
-
-    /** For $x.y, is x an arg, retval, predefined prop, token/rule/label ref?
-     *  If so, make sure y resolves within that perspective.
-	 *  For $x::y, is x this rule or another? If so, is y in that scope?
-     */
-    public boolean resolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
-        Rule r = resolveRefToRule(x, node);
-        if ( r!=null ) return r.resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(y);
-        return getParent().resolves(x,y,node);
-    }
-
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
-		return x.equals(this.name);
-	}
-
-	public boolean dynScopeResolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
-		return x.equals(this.name) && scope.get(y)!=null;
-	}
-
-	public Rule resolveRefToRule(String x, ActionAST node) {
-        if ( x.equals(this.name) ) return this;
-        if ( node.resolver == this ) { // action not in alt (attr space is this rule)
-            List<LabelElementPair> labels = getLabelDefs().get(x);
-            if ( labels!=null ) {  // it's a label ref. is it a rule label?
-                LabelElementPair anyLabelDef = labels.get(0);
-                if ( anyLabelDef.type==LabelType.RULE_LABEL ) {
-                    return g.getRule(anyLabelDef.element.getText());
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        return null; // don't look for general rule (not one ref'd in this rule)
-    }
+//    public boolean resolves(String x, ActionAST node) {
+//        if ( resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(x) ) return true;
+//        if ( args.get(x)!=null ) return true;
+//        // resolve outside of an alt?
+//        if ( node.resolver instanceof Alternative ) return getParent().resolves(x, node);
+//        if ( getLabelNames().contains(x) ) return true; // can see all labels if not in alt
+//        return getParent().resolves(x, node);
+//    }
+//
+//    /** For $x.y, is x an arg, retval, predefined prop, token/rule/label ref?
+//     *  If so, make sure y resolves within that perspective.
+//	 *  For $x::y, is x this rule or another? If so, is y in that scope?
+//     */
+//    public boolean resolves(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
+//        Rule r = resolveRule(x, node);
+//        if ( r!=null ) return r.resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(y);
+//        return getParent().resolves(x,y,node);
+//    }
 
     public boolean resolvesAsRetvalOrProperty(String y) {
         if ( retvals.get(y)!=null ) return true;
@@ -156,7 +132,56 @@ public class Rule implements AttributeResolver {
         return defs;
     }
 
-    /** Look up name from context of this rule and an alternative.
+	public AttributeResolver getParent() { return g; }
+
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, ActionAST node) {
+        Attribute a = args.get(name);   if ( a!=null ) return a;
+        a = retvals.get(name);          if ( a!=null ) return a;
+        AttributeScope properties = getPredefinedScope(LabelType.RULE_LABEL);
+        a = properties.get(name);
+        if ( a!=null ) return a;
+		// not here? look in grammar for global scope
+		return getParent().resolveToAttribute(x, node);
+	}
+
+	public Attribute resolveToAttribute(String x, String y, ActionAST node) {
+		AttributeScope s = resolveToScope(x, node);
+		return s.get(y);
+	}
+
+	/** $r ref in rule r? if not, look for x in grammar's perspective
+     */
+	public AttributeScope resolveToScope(String x, ActionAST node) {
+        if ( this.name.equals(x) ) {
+			return getPredefinedScope(LabelType.RULE_LABEL);
+		}
+		if ( node.resolver == this ) { // action not in alt (attr space is this rule)
+			List<LabelElementPair> labels = getLabelDefs().get(x);
+			if ( labels!=null ) {  // it's a label ref. is it a rule label?
+				LabelElementPair anyLabelDef = labels.get(0);
+				if ( anyLabelDef.type==LabelType.RULE_LABEL ) {
+					return getPredefinedScope(LabelType.RULE_LABEL);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return getParent().resolveToScope(x, node);
+	}
+
+	public Rule resolveToRule(String x, ActionAST node) {
+        if ( x.equals(this.name) ) return this;
+        if ( node.resolver == this ) { // action not in alt (attr space is this rule)
+            List<LabelElementPair> labels = getLabelDefs().get(x);
+            if ( labels!=null ) {  // it's a label ref. is it a rule label?
+                LabelElementPair anyLabelDef = labels.get(0);
+                if ( anyLabelDef.type==LabelType.RULE_LABEL ) {
+                    return g.getRule(anyLabelDef.element.getText());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return null; // don't look for general rule (not one ref'd in this rule)
+    }
+	
+	/** Look up name from context of this rule and an alternative.
      *  Find an arg, retval, predefined property, or label/rule/token ref.
      */
 //    public Attribute resolve(String name) {