diff --git a/lib/compat/filter.nix b/lib/compat/filter.nix
index b6f1f99..1b1cb2f 100644
--- a/lib/compat/filter.nix
+++ b/lib/compat/filter.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,57 @@
 {l}: let
   filter = pred: t: p: let
     multiplePaths = l.isList (l.elemAt p 0);
+
+    # function to expand wildcards in a path
+    expandPath = path:
+      if !(l.elem "*" path)
+      then [path]
+      else let
+        availableCells = t.__ren.cells or [];
+
+        # get the first valid system
+        sampleSystem = l.head (l.filter (n: l.elem n l.systems.doubles.all) (l.attrNames t));
+
+        # handle different wildcard positions
+        expandWildcardAt = pos:
+          if pos >= l.length path
+          then [path]
+          else if (l.elemAt path pos) != "*"
+          then expandWildcardAt (pos + 1)
+          else let
+            prefix = l.take pos path;
+            suffix = l.drop (pos + 1) path;
+
+            choices =
+              if pos == 0 # cell names
+              then availableCells
+              else if pos == 1 # cell block names
+              then let
+                cellName = l.elemAt path 0;
+                cellAttrs = t.${sampleSystem}.${cellName} or {};
+              in
+                l.attrNames cellAttrs
+              else # target names (pos >= 2)
+                let
+                  cellName = l.elemAt path 0;
+                  blockName = l.elemAt path 1;
+                  blockAttrs = t.${sampleSystem}.${cellName}.${blockName} or {};
+                in
+                  l.attrNames blockAttrs;
+
+            expandedPaths = l.map (choice: prefix ++ [choice] ++ suffix) choices;
+          in
+            # recursively expand any remaining wildcards in each expanded path
+            l.concatMap expandPath expandedPaths;
+      in
+        expandWildcardAt 0;
+
+    # expand all paths that contain wildcards
+    expandedPaths =
+      if multiplePaths
+      then l.concatMap expandPath p
+      else expandPath p;
+
     hoist = path: let
       result =
         l.filterAttrs (
@@ -11,7 +62,7 @@
         t;
     in
       if result == {}
-      then builtins.abort "[ren] filter: Path ${toString path} not found in any targets."
+      then null # return null for non-matching paths
       else
         l.mapAttrs (
           _: v: let
@@ -22,9 +73,13 @@
             else l.filterAttrs pred attr
         )
         result;
+
+    # process all expanded paths and merge results
+    results = l.map hoist expandedPaths;
+    validResults = l.filter (r: r != null) results;
   in
-    if multiplePaths
-    then l.foldl' l.recursiveUpdate {} (map (path: hoist path) p)
-    else hoist p;
+    if validResults == []
+    then builtins.abort "[ren] filter: No matching paths found for ${toString p}. Expanded to: ${toString expandedPaths}"
+    else l.foldl' l.recursiveUpdate {} validResults;
 in
   filter
diff --git a/lib/core/builder.nix b/lib/core/builder.nix
index f52ff2a..86c2a65 100644
--- a/lib/core/builder.nix
+++ b/lib/core/builder.nix
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
     // {
       __ren = {
         __schema = "v0";
+        cells = builtins.attrNames (l.readDir cellsFrom);
         init = l.listToAttrs res.init;
         actions = res.actions;
         cellsFrom = l.baseNameOf cellsFrom;