diff --git a/src/app_model/expressions/_expressions.py b/src/app_model/expressions/_expressions.py
index fdb8d7d0..af898a59 100644
--- a/src/app_model/expressions/_expressions.py
+++ b/src/app_model/expressions/_expressions.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ def safe_eval(expr: str | bool | Expr, context: Mapping | None = None) -> Any:
     """
     if isinstance(expr, bool):
         return expr
-    return parse_expression(expr).eval(context or {})
+    return parse_expression(expr).eval(context)
 
 
 class Expr(ast.AST, Generic[T]):
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ class Expr(ast.AST, Generic[T]):
     >>> new_expr.eval(dict(v2="hello!", myvar=8))
     'hello!'
 
+    you can also use keyword arguments.  This is *slightly* slower
+    >>> new_expr.eval(v2="hello!", myvar=4)
+
     serialize
     >>> str(new_expr)
     'myvar > 5 and v2'
@@ -177,16 +180,21 @@ def __init__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
             raise RuntimeError("Don't instantiate Expr. Use `Expr.parse`")
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         ast.fix_missing_locations(self)
+        self._code = compile(ast.Expression(body=self), "<Expr>", "eval")
+        self._names = set(_iter_names(self))
 
-    def eval(self, context: Mapping[str, object] | None = None) -> T:
+    def eval(
+        self, context: Mapping[str, object] | None = None, **ctx_kwargs: object
+    ) -> T:
         """Evaluate this expression with names in `context`."""
         if context is None:
-            context = {}
-        code = compile(ast.Expression(body=self), "<Expr>", "eval")
+            context = ctx_kwargs
+        elif ctx_kwargs:
+            context = {**context, **ctx_kwargs}
         try:
-            return cast(T, eval(code, {}, context))
+            return eval(self._code, {}, context)  # type: ignore
         except NameError as e:
-            miss = {k for k in _iter_names(self) if k not in context}
+            miss = {k for k in self._names if k not in context}
             raise NameError(
                 f"Names required to eval this expression are missing: {miss}"
             ) from e
@@ -359,12 +367,6 @@ def __init__(self, id: str, ctx: ast.expr_context = LOAD, **kwargs: Any) -> None
         kwargs["ctx"] = LOAD
         super().__init__(id, **kwargs)
 
-    def eval(self, context: Mapping | None = None) -> T:
-        """Evaluate this expression with names in `context`."""
-        if context is None:
-            context = {}
-        return super().eval(context=context)
-
 
 class Constant(Expr[V], ast.Constant):
     """A constant value.
diff --git a/tests/test_context/test_expressions.py b/tests/test_context/test_expressions.py
index a45d0587..a62d69fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_context/test_expressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_context/test_expressions.py
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def test_iter_names():
 for k, v in _OPS.items():
     if issubclass(k, ast.unaryop):
         GOOD_EXPRESSIONS.append(f"{v} 1" if v == "not" else f"{v}1")
-    else:
+    elif v not in {"is", "is not"}:
         GOOD_EXPRESSIONS.append(f"1 {v} 2")
 
 # these are not supported
@@ -236,6 +236,12 @@ def test_safe_eval():
         safe_eval("{1,2,3}")
 
 
+def test_eval_kwargs():
+    expr = parse_expression("a + b")
+    assert expr.eval(a=1, b=2) == 3
+    assert expr.eval({"a": 2}, b=2) == 4
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("expr", GOOD_EXPRESSIONS)
 def test_hash(expr):
     assert isinstance(hash(parse_expression(expr)), int)