diff --git a/bhl.inc.php b/bhl.inc.php
index 882930c..148c7d7 100644
--- a/bhl.inc.php
+++ b/bhl.inc.php
@@ -272,16 +272,26 @@ function bhl_validate_func_ref(string $module_file, string $func_full_name, arra
   if(sizeof($signature) == 0)
     throw new Exception("Signature is invalid");
 
-  //NOTE: we can't validate if the function is actually in a namespace
-  //      but was passed without a namespace prefix
   $name_items = explode('.', $func_full_name);
-  $func = end($name_items);
+  $func = array_pop($name_items);
+  $namespace = implode('.', $name_items);
 
   $module_src = file_get_contents($module_file);
 
   if(!$module_src)
     throw new Exception("Bad module file '{$module_file}'");
 
+  $module_chunks = array();
+  if($namespace)
+  {
+    $module_chunks = preg_split('~namespace\s+'.preg_quote($namespace).'\s*{~', $module_src);
+    if(count($module_chunks) < 2)
+      throw new Exception("Namespace '$namespace' not found in '$module_file'");
+    $module_chunks = array_filter($module_chunks, function($item) { return strlen($item) > 0;});
+  }
+  else
+    $module_chunks[] = $module_src;
+
   $signature_pattern = '';
   $signature_pattern .= '~func\s+';
   if($signature[0] !== 'void')
@@ -303,8 +313,13 @@ function bhl_validate_func_ref(string $module_file, string $func_full_name, arra
   $signature_pattern .= '\s*\)';
   $signature_pattern .= '~';
 
-  if(!preg_match($signature_pattern, $module_src))
-    throw new Exception("Func '$func' signature '".implode(',', $signature)."' not found in module '$module_file'");
+  foreach($module_chunks as $module_chunk_src)
+  {
+    if(preg_match($signature_pattern, $module_chunk_src))
+      return;
+  }
+
+  throw new Exception("Func '$func' signature '".implode(',', $signature)."' not found in module '$module_file'");
 }
 
 function bhl_upm_path() : string