diff --git a/src/wireviz/wireviz.py b/src/wireviz/wireviz.py
index 2b7f77d3..2956a061 100755
--- a/src/wireviz/wireviz.py
+++ b/src/wireviz/wireviz.py
@@ -75,9 +75,13 @@ def parse(yaml_input: str, file_out: (str, Path) = None, return_types: (None, st
 
     # go through connection sets, generate and connect components ==============
 
-    def resolve_designator(inp):
-        if '.' in inp:  # generate a new instance of an item
-            template, designator = inp.split('.')  # TODO: handle more than one `.`
+    template_separator_char = '.'  # TODO: make user-configurable (in case user wants to use `.` as part of their template/component names)
+
+    def resolve_designator(inp, separator):
+        if separator in inp:  # generate a new instance of an item
+            if inp.count(separator) > 1:
+                raise Exception(f'{inp} - Found more than one separator ({separator})')
+            template, designator = inp.split(separator)
             if designator == '':
                 autogenerated_designators[template] = autogenerated_designators.get(template, 0) + 1
                 designator = f'__{template}_{autogenerated_designators[template]}'
@@ -148,11 +152,11 @@ def alternate_type():  # flip between connector and cable/arrow
         for index, entry in enumerate(connection_set):
             if isinstance(entry, list):
                 for subindex, item in enumerate(entry):
-                    template, designator = resolve_designator(item)
+                    template, designator = resolve_designator(item, template_separator_char)
                     connection_set[index][subindex] = designator
             elif isinstance(entry, dict):
                 key = list(entry.keys())[0]
-                template, designator = resolve_designator(key)
+                template, designator = resolve_designator(key, template_separator_char)
                 value = entry[key]
                 connection_set[index] = {designator: value}
             else: