diff --git a/lib/tabulatr/data/data.rb b/lib/tabulatr/data/data.rb
index 1763f06..8a46526 100644
--- a/lib/tabulatr/data/data.rb
+++ b/lib/tabulatr/data/data.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def initialize(relation)
     @base       ||= relation.respond_to?(:klass) ? relation.klass : relation
     @table_name = @base.table_name
     @search     = self.class.instance_variable_get('@search')     || HashWithIndifferentAccess.new
-    @includes   = Set.new()
+    @includes   = Hash.new(Set.new())
     @cname      = @base.name.downcase
     @batch_actions = nil
     @row = self.class.instance_variable_get('@row')
@@ -128,14 +128,29 @@ def check_params(params)
 
   def join_required_tables(params)
     if params[:arguments].present?
-      tt = (params[:arguments].split(",").select{|s| s[':']}.map do |s|
-            s.split(':').first
-          end.uniq.map(&:to_sym))
-      tt.delete(@table_name.to_sym)
-      @includes = @includes + tt
+      tt = params[:arguments].split(",").select{|s| s[':']}.map do |s|
+            a = s.split(':')
+            a.shift if a[0].eql?(@table_name)
+            a.pop
+            a.map(&:to_sym)
+          end.uniq
+      @includes = tt.reject(&:empty?).inject(@includes) do |h1, arr|
+        h2 = arr.reverse.inject { |a, n| { n => a } }
+        if h2.is_a?(Hash)
+          h1.merge(h2) do |key, oldval, newval|
+            [oldval, newval]
+          end
+        else
+          if not h1.keys.include?(h2)
+            s = h1.default
+            h1.default = s.add(h2)
+          end
+          h1
+        end
+      end
     end
     # @relation = @relation.includes(@includes.map(&:to_sym)).references(@includes.map(&:to_sym))
-    @relation = @relation.eager_load(@includes.map(&:to_sym))
+    @relation = @relation.eager_load(@includes, @includes.default.map(&:to_sym))
     # @relation = @relation.group("#{@table_name}.#{@base.primary_key}")
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/tabulatr/data/dsl.rb b/lib/tabulatr/data/dsl.rb
index de7073f..c5187c8 100644
--- a/lib/tabulatr/data/dsl.rb
+++ b/lib/tabulatr/data/dsl.rb
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ def column(name, opts = {}, &block)
 
   def association(assoc, name, opts = {}, &block)
     @table_columns ||= []
-    assoc_klass = main_class.reflect_on_association(assoc.to_sym)
+    assoc = Array(assoc)
+    assoc_klass = assoc.reduce(main_class) { |c,a| c.reflect_on_association(a.to_sym).klass }
     sql_options = determine_sql(opts, assoc_klass.try(:quoted_table_name), name)
     opts = {
         sort_sql: sql_options[:sort_sql],
@@ -59,7 +60,10 @@ def association(assoc, name, opts = {}, &block)
         proxy: self,
         col_options: Tabulatr::ParamsBuilder.new(opts),
         table_name: assoc,
-        output: block_given? ? block : ->(record){a=record.send(assoc); a.try(:read_attribute, name) || a.try(name)})
+        output: block_given? ? block : lambda do |record|
+          a = assoc.inject(record) {|cur,nxt| cur.send(nxt)}
+          a.try(:read_attribute, name) || a.try(name)
+        end)
     @table_columns << table_column
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/tabulatr/data/filtering.rb b/lib/tabulatr/data/filtering.rb
index c151e62..7407a96 100644
--- a/lib/tabulatr/data/filtering.rb
+++ b/lib/tabulatr/data/filtering.rb
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def date_in_between(from, to, column)
   end
 
   def find_column(name)
-    table_name, method_name = name.split(':').map(&:to_sym)
+    *table_name, method_name = name.split(':').map(&:to_sym)
     table_columns.find { |c| c.table_name == table_name && c.name == method_name } ||
       filters.find { |f| f.name.to_sym == name.to_sym }
   end
diff --git a/lib/tabulatr/data/formatting.rb b/lib/tabulatr/data/formatting.rb
index 3207bbc..b8f52f6 100644
--- a/lib/tabulatr/data/formatting.rb
+++ b/lib/tabulatr/data/formatting.rb
@@ -29,8 +29,10 @@ def apply_formats(locals: {}, controller: nil)
       view.record = record
       h = HashWithIndifferentAccess.new
       table_columns.each do |tc|
-        h[tc.table_name] ||= HashWithIndifferentAccess.new
-        h[tc.table_name][tc.name] = tc.value_for(record, view)
+        n = tc.table_name
+        n = n.join(':') if n.is_a?(Array)
+        h[n] ||= HashWithIndifferentAccess.new
+        h[n][tc.name] = tc.value_for(record, view)
       end
       h[:_row_config] = format_row(view, @row)
       h[:id] = record.id
diff --git a/lib/tabulatr/data/sorting.rb b/lib/tabulatr/data/sorting.rb
index 23b0012..907f760 100644
--- a/lib/tabulatr/data/sorting.rb
+++ b/lib/tabulatr/data/sorting.rb
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ def apply_sorting(sortparam)
       else
         splitted = clname.split('.')
       end
-      if splitted.count == 2
-        assoc_name = splitted[0].to_sym
-        name = splitted[1].to_sym
+      if splitted.count >= 2
+        *assoc_name, name = splitted.map(&:to_sym)
         column = table_columns.find{|c| c.table_name == assoc_name && c.name == name}
       else
         name = splitted[0].to_sym
diff --git a/lib/tabulatr/json_builder.rb b/lib/tabulatr/json_builder.rb
index 2b0835f..ccb5646 100644
--- a/lib/tabulatr/json_builder.rb
+++ b/lib/tabulatr/json_builder.rb
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ def self.build_hash_from requested_attributes, id
     requested_attributes ||= ''
     requested_attributes.split(',').each do |par|
       if par.include? ':'
-        relation, action = par.split(':')
-        attrs << {action: action, relation: relation}
+        *relation, action = par.split(':')
+        attrs << {action: action, relation: relation.join(':')}
       else
         id_included = true if par == id
         attrs << {action: par}