diff --git a/src/Attr.h b/src/Attr.h
index 6c835dc61c..471acfe4ba 100644
--- a/src/Attr.h
+++ b/src/Attr.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	ATTR_GROUP,
 	ATTR_LOG,
 	ATTR_ERROR_HANDLER,
+	ATTR_TYPE_COLUMN, // for input framework
 	ATTR_TRACKED,	// hidden attribute, tracked by NotifierRegistry
 #define NUM_ATTRS (int(ATTR_TRACKED) + 1)
 } attr_tag;
diff --git a/src/InputMgr.cc b/src/InputMgr.cc
index 7ec5974199..0cfb59ee90 100644
--- a/src/InputMgr.cc
+++ b/src/InputMgr.cc
@@ -561,6 +561,16 @@ bool InputMgr::UnrollRecordType(vector<LogField*> *fields, const RecordType *rec
 				field->subtype = rec->FieldType(i)->AsSetType()->Indices()->PureType()->Tag();
 			} else if ( field->type == TYPE_VECTOR ) {
 				field->subtype = rec->FieldType(i)->AsVectorType()->YieldType()->Tag();
+			} else if ( field->type == TYPE_PORT &&
+					rec->FieldDecl(i)->FindAttr(ATTR_TYPE_COLUMN) ) {
+				// we have an annotation for the second column
+				
+				Val* c = rec->FieldDecl(i)->FindAttr(ATTR_TYPE_COLUMN)->AttrExpr()->Eval(0);
+
+				assert(c);
+				assert(c->Type()->Tag() == TYPE_STRING);
+
+				field->secondary_name = c->AsStringVal()->AsString()->CheckString();
 			}
 
 			fields->push_back(field);
diff --git a/src/InputReaderAscii.h b/src/InputReaderAscii.h
index 01169a3cfc..c174248454 100644
--- a/src/InputReaderAscii.h
+++ b/src/InputReaderAscii.h
@@ -12,8 +12,11 @@
 struct FieldMapping {
 	string name;
 	TypeTag type;
+	// internal type for sets and vectors
 	TypeTag subtype;
 	int position;
+	// for ports: pos of the second field
+	int secondary_position;
 
 	FieldMapping(const string& arg_name, const TypeTag& arg_type, int arg_position); 
 	FieldMapping(const string& arg_name, const TypeTag& arg_type, const TypeTag& arg_subtype, int arg_position); 
diff --git a/src/LogMgr.cc b/src/LogMgr.cc
index 7fc8d4ef86..dd4f9c8e5a 100644
--- a/src/LogMgr.cc
+++ b/src/LogMgr.cc
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ bool LogField::Read(SerializationFormat* fmt)
 	int t;
 	int it;
 
-	bool success = (fmt->Read(&name, "name") && fmt->Read(&t, "type") && fmt->Read(&it, "subtype") );
+	bool success = (fmt->Read(&name, "name") && fmt->Read(&secondary_name, "secondary_name") && 
+			fmt->Read(&t, "type") && fmt->Read(&it, "subtype") );
 	type = (TypeTag) t;
 	subtype = (TypeTag) it;
 
@@ -92,7 +93,8 @@ bool LogField::Read(SerializationFormat* fmt)
 
 bool LogField::Write(SerializationFormat* fmt) const
 	{
-	return (fmt->Write(name, "name") && fmt->Write((int)type, "type") && fmt->Write((int)subtype, "subtype"));
+	return (fmt->Write(name, "name") && fmt->Write(secondary_name, "secondary_name") && fmt->Write((int)type, "type") && 
+			fmt->Write((int)subtype, "subtype"));
 	}
 
 LogVal::~LogVal()
@@ -151,7 +153,7 @@ bool LogVal::IsCompatibleType(BroType* t, bool atomic_only)
 		if ( ! t->IsSet() )
 			return false;
 
-		return IsCompatibleType(t->AsSetType()->Indices()->PureType(), true);
+		return IsCompatibleType(t->AsSetType()->Indices()->PureType());
 		}
 
 	case TYPE_VECTOR:
diff --git a/src/LogMgr.h b/src/LogMgr.h
index b8530d29ab..4ccdeb793c 100644
--- a/src/LogMgr.h
+++ b/src/LogMgr.h
@@ -14,13 +14,15 @@ class SerializationFormat;
 // Description of a log field.
 struct LogField {
 	string name;
+	// needed by input framework. port fields have two names (one for the port, one for the type) - this specifies the secondary name.
+	string secondary_name;
 	TypeTag type;
-	// needed by input framework. otherwise it cannot determine the inner type of a set or vector.
+	// needed by input framework. otherwise it cannot determine the inner type of a set.
 	TypeTag subtype;
 
 	LogField()	{ }
 	LogField(const LogField& other)
-		: name(other.name), type(other.type), subtype(other.subtype) { }
+		: name(other.name), secondary_name(other.secondary_name), type(other.type), subtype(other.subtype) { }
 
 	// (Un-)serialize.
 	bool Read(SerializationFormat* fmt);
diff --git a/src/parse.y b/src/parse.y
index 495931aae0..988a19714b 100644
--- a/src/parse.y
+++ b/src/parse.y
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // See the file "COPYING" in the main distribution directory for copyright.
 %}
 
-%expect 88
+%expect 91
 
 %token TOK_ADD TOK_ADD_TO TOK_ADDR TOK_ANY
 %token TOK_ATENDIF TOK_ATELSE TOK_ATIF TOK_ATIFDEF TOK_ATIFNDEF
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 %token TOK_ATTR_PERSISTENT TOK_ATTR_SYNCHRONIZED
 %token TOK_ATTR_DISABLE_PRINT_HOOK TOK_ATTR_RAW_OUTPUT TOK_ATTR_MERGEABLE
 %token TOK_ATTR_PRIORITY TOK_ATTR_GROUP TOK_ATTR_LOG TOK_ATTR_ERROR_HANDLER
+%token TOK_ATTR_TYPE_COLUMN
 
 %token TOK_DEBUG
 
@@ -1313,6 +1314,8 @@ attr:
 			{ $$ = new Attr(ATTR_PRIORITY, $3); }
 	|	TOK_ATTR_GROUP '=' expr
 			{ $$ = new Attr(ATTR_GROUP, $3); }
+	|	TOK_ATTR_TYPE_COLUMN '=' expr
+			{ $$ = new Attr(ATTR_TYPE_COLUMN, $3); }
 	|	TOK_ATTR_LOG
 			{ $$ = new Attr(ATTR_LOG); }
 	|	TOK_ATTR_ERROR_HANDLER
diff --git a/src/scan.l b/src/scan.l
index 7ebd7894e1..6a85e89780 100644
--- a/src/scan.l
+++ b/src/scan.l
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ when	return TOK_WHEN;
 &optional	return TOK_ATTR_OPTIONAL;
 &persistent	return TOK_ATTR_PERSISTENT;
 &priority	return TOK_ATTR_PRIORITY;
+&type_column	return TOK_ATTR_TYPE_COLUMN;
 &read_expire	return TOK_ATTR_EXPIRE_READ;
 &redef		return TOK_ATTR_REDEF;
 &rotate_interval	return TOK_ATTR_ROTATE_INTERVAL;