diff --git a/src/components/select/select_motion.vue b/src/components/select/select_motion.vue
index 57ffd7c3..b08d2088 100644
--- a/src/components/select/select_motion.vue
+++ b/src/components/select/select_motion.vue
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   >
     <button
       class="btn button-default"
-      :disabled="disabled || shadowsAreNull"
+      :disabled="disabled"
       @click="add"
     >
       <FAIcon
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.js b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.js
index b82e7267..d31a9603 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.js
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {
   getScopedVersion
 } from 'src/services/theme_data/css_utils.js'
 import { serializeShadow, serialize } from 'src/services/theme_data/iss_serializer.js'
-import { parseShadow, deserialize } from 'src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js'
+import { deserializeShadow, deserialize } from 'src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js'
 import {
   rgb2hex,
   hex2rgb,
@@ -371,7 +371,11 @@ export default {
           return shadow
         }
         if (typeof shadow === 'string') {
-          return parseShadow(shadow)
+          try {
+            return deserializeShadow(shadow)
+          } catch (e) {
+            console.warn(e)
+          }
         }
         return null
       })
@@ -580,6 +584,7 @@ export default {
 
     const selectedVirtualDirectiveId = ref(0)
     exports.selectedVirtualDirectiveId = selectedVirtualDirectiveId
+
     const selectedVirtualDirective = computed({
       get () {
         return virtualDirectives[selectedVirtualDirectiveId.value]
@@ -589,6 +594,7 @@ export default {
       }
     })
     exports.selectedVirtualDirective = selectedVirtualDirective
+
     exports.selectedVirtualDirectiveValType = computed({
       get () {
         return virtualDirectives[selectedVirtualDirectiveId.value].valType
@@ -607,35 +613,56 @@ export default {
         }
       }
     })
-    exports.selectedVirtualDirectiveParsed = computed({
-      get () {
-        switch (selectedVirtualDirective.value.valType) {
+
+    const draftVirtualDirectiveValid = ref(true)
+    const draftVirtualDirective = ref({})
+    exports.draftVirtualDirective = draftVirtualDirective
+
+    watch(
+      selectedVirtualDirective,
+      (directive) => {
+        switch (directive.valType) {
           case 'shadow': {
-            const directiveValue = selectedVirtualDirective.value.value
-            if (Array.isArray(directiveValue)) {
-              return normalizeShadows(directiveValue)
+            if (Array.isArray(directive.value)) {
+              draftVirtualDirective.value = normalizeShadows(directive.value)
             } else {
-              const splitShadow = directiveValue.split(/,/g).map(x => x.trim())
-              return normalizeShadows(splitShadow)
+              const splitShadow = directive.value.split(/,/g).map(x => x.trim())
+              draftVirtualDirective.value = normalizeShadows(splitShadow)
             }
-          }
-          case 'color':
-            return selectedVirtualDirective.value.value
-          default:
-            return selectedVirtualDirective.value.value
-        }
-      },
-      set (value) {
-        switch (selectedVirtualDirective.value.valType) {
-          case 'shadow': {
-            virtualDirectives[selectedVirtualDirectiveId.value].value = value.map(x => serializeShadow(x)).join(', ')
             break
           }
+          case 'color':
+            draftVirtualDirective.value = directive.value
+            break
           default:
-            virtualDirectives[selectedVirtualDirectiveId.value].value = value
+            draftVirtualDirective.value = directive.value
+            break
         }
-      }
-    })
+      },
+      { immediate: true }
+    )
+
+    watch(
+      draftVirtualDirective,
+      (directive) => {
+        try {
+          switch (selectedVirtualDirective.value.valType) {
+            case 'shadow': {
+              virtualDirectives[selectedVirtualDirectiveId.value].value =
+                directive.map(x => serializeShadow(x)).join(', ')
+              break
+            }
+            default:
+              virtualDirectives[selectedVirtualDirectiveId.value].value = directive
+          }
+          draftVirtualDirectiveValid.value = true
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error('Invalid virtual directive value', e)
+          draftVirtualDirectiveValid.value = false
+        }
+      },
+      { immediate: true }
+    )
 
     exports.getNewVirtualDirective = () => ({
       name: 'newDirective',
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue
index 4d066337..af5e9ea2 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@
               :disabled="!isShadowPresent"
               :no-preview="true"
               :compact="true"
-              :separate-inset="shadowSelected === 'avatar' || shadowSelected === 'avatarStatus'"
+              :compute-color="computeColor"
               @subShadowSelected="onSubShadow"
             />
           </div>
@@ -408,14 +408,14 @@
           </div>
           <ShadowControl
             v-if="selectedVirtualDirectiveValType === 'shadow'"
-            v-model="selectedVirtualDirectiveParsed"
-            :computeColor="computeColor"
+            v-model="draftVirtualDirective"
+            :compute-color="computeColor"
             :compact="true"
           />
           <ColorInput
             v-if="selectedVirtualDirectiveValType === 'color'"
-            v-model="selectedVirtualDirectiveParsed"
-            :fallback="computeColor(selectedVirtualDirectiveParsed)"
+            v-model="draftVirtualDirective"
+            :fallback="computeColor(draftVirtualDirective)"
             :label="$t('settings.style.themes3.editor.variables.virtual_color')"
           />
         </div>
diff --git a/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js b/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js
index cdde6b14..2244540b 100644
--- a/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js
+++ b/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import { flattenDeep } from 'lodash'
 
-export const parseShadow = string => {
-  const modes = ['_full', 'inset', 'x', 'y', 'blur', 'spread', 'color', 'alpha']
+export const deserializeShadow = string => {
+  const modes = ['_full', 'inset', 'x', 'y', 'blur', 'spread', 'color', 'alpha', 'name']
   const regexPrep = [
     // inset keyword (optional)
-    '^(?:(inset)\\s+)?',
+    '^',
+    '(?:(inset)\\s+)?',
     // x
     '(?:(-?[0-9]+(?:\\.[0-9]+)?)\\s+)',
     // y
@@ -16,7 +17,10 @@ export const parseShadow = string => {
     // either hex, variable or function
     '(#[0-9a-f]{6}|--[a-z\\-_]+|\\$[a-z\\-()_]+)',
     // opacity (optional)
-    '(?:\\s+\\/\\s+([0-9]+(?:\\.[0-9]+)?)\\s*)?$'
+    '(?:\\s+\\/\\s+([0-9]+(?:\\.[0-9]+)?)\\s*)?',
+    // name
+    '(?:\\s+#(\\w+)\\s*)?',
+    '$'
   ].join('')
   const regex = new RegExp(regexPrep, 'gis') // global, (stable) indices, single-string
   const result = regex.exec(string)
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ export const parseShadow = string => {
     }
   } else {
     const numeric = new Set(['x', 'y', 'blur', 'spread', 'alpha'])
-    const { x, y, blur, spread, alpha, inset, color } = Object.fromEntries(modes.map((mode, i) => {
+    const { x, y, blur, spread, alpha, inset, color, name } = Object.fromEntries(modes.map((mode, i) => {
       if (numeric.has(mode)) {
         const number = Number(result[i])
         if (Number.isNaN(number)) {
@@ -43,7 +47,7 @@ export const parseShadow = string => {
       }
     }).filter(([k, v]) => v !== false).slice(1))
 
-    return { x, y, blur, spread, color, alpha, inset }
+    return { x, y, blur, spread, color, alpha, inset, name }
   }
 }
 // this works nearly the same as HTML tree converter
@@ -150,7 +154,7 @@ export const deserialize = (input) => {
           if (realValue === 'none') {
             realValue = []
           } else {
-            realValue = value.split(',').map(v => parseShadow(v.trim()))
+            realValue = value.split(',').map(v => deserializeShadow(v.trim()))
           }
         } if (!Number.isNaN(Number(value))) {
           realValue = Number(value)
diff --git a/src/services/theme_data/iss_serializer.js b/src/services/theme_data/iss_serializer.js
index e4df416e..9e553eab 100644
--- a/src/services/theme_data/iss_serializer.js
+++ b/src/services/theme_data/iss_serializer.js
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 import { unroll } from './iss_utils.js'
+import { deserializeShadow } from './iss_deserializer.js'
 
 export const serializeShadow = (s, throwOnInvalid) => {
   if (typeof s === 'object') {
-    return `${s.inset ? 'inset ' : ''}${s.x} ${s.y} ${s.blur} ${s.spread} ${s.color} / ${s.alpha}`
+    const inset = s.inset ? 'inset ' : ''
+    const name = s.name ? ` #${s.name} ` : ''
+    const result = `${inset}${s.x} ${s.y} ${s.blur} ${s.spread} ${s.color} / ${s.alpha}${name}`
+    deserializeShadow(result) // Verify that output is valid and parseable
+    return result
   } else {
     return s
   }
diff --git a/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js b/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
index aaa25328..48ff6ec8 100644
--- a/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
+++ b/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
   normalizeCombination,
   findRules
 } from './iss_utils.js'
-import { parseShadow } from './iss_deserializer.js'
+import { deserializeShadow } from './iss_deserializer.js'
 
 // Ensuring the order of components
 const components = {
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ const findShadow = (shadows, { dynamicVars, staticVars }) => {
         const variableSlot = shadow.substring(2)
         return findShadow(staticVars[variableSlot], { dynamicVars, staticVars })
       } else {
-        targetShadow = parseShadow(shadow)
+        targetShadow = deserializeShadow(shadow)
       }
     } else {
       targetShadow = shadow