diff --git a/cmd/ansible/ansible.go b/cmd/ansible/ansible.go
index 1c23aac..2f57da8 100644
--- a/cmd/ansible/ansible.go
+++ b/cmd/ansible/ansible.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package anscmd
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"dappco.re/go/core/ansible"
 	coreio "dappco.re/go/core/io"
 	coreerr "dappco.re/go/core/log"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
 // args extracts all positional arguments from Options.
@@ -77,8 +79,8 @@ func verbosityLevel(opts core.Options, rawArgs []string) int {
 }
 
 // extraVars collects all repeated extra-vars values from Options.
-func extraVars(opts core.Options) map[string]string {
-	vars := make(map[string]string)
+func extraVars(opts core.Options) (map[string]any, error) {
+	vars := make(map[string]any)
 
 	for _, o := range opts.Items() {
 		if o.Key != "extra-vars" && o.Key != "e" {
@@ -100,22 +102,83 @@ func extraVars(opts core.Options) map[string]string {
 		}
 
 		for _, value := range values {
-			for _, pair := range split(value, ",") {
-				parts := splitN(pair, "=", 2)
-				if len(parts) != 2 {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				key := trimSpace(parts[0])
-				if key == "" {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				vars[key] = parts[1]
+			parsed, err := parseExtraVarsValue(value)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			for key, parsedValue := range parsed {
+				vars[key] = parsedValue
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
+	return vars, nil
+}
+
+func parseExtraVarsValue(value string) (map[string]any, error) {
+	trimmed := trimSpace(value)
+	if trimmed == "" {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	if strings.HasPrefix(trimmed, "@") {
+		path := trimSpace(strings.TrimPrefix(trimmed, "@"))
+		if path == "" {
+			return nil, coreerr.E("parseExtraVarsValue", "extra vars file path required", nil)
+		}
+
+		data, err := coreio.Local.Read(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, coreerr.E("parseExtraVarsValue", "read extra vars file", err)
+		}
+
+		return parseExtraVarsValue(string(data))
+	}
+
+	if structured, ok := parseStructuredExtraVars(trimmed); ok {
+		return structured, nil
+	}
+
+	if strings.Contains(trimmed, "=") {
+		return parseKeyValueExtraVars(trimmed), nil
+	}
+
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
+func parseStructuredExtraVars(value string) (map[string]any, bool) {
+	var parsed map[string]any
+	if json.Valid([]byte(value)) {
+		if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &parsed); err == nil && len(parsed) > 0 {
+			return parsed, true
+		}
+	}
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &parsed); err != nil {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	if len(parsed) == 0 {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	return parsed, true
+}
+
+func parseKeyValueExtraVars(value string) map[string]any {
+	vars := make(map[string]any)
+
+	for _, pair := range split(value, ",") {
+		parts := splitN(pair, "=", 2)
+		if len(parts) != 2 {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		key := trimSpace(parts[0])
+		if key == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		vars[key] = parts[1]
+	}
+
 	return vars
 }
 
@@ -162,7 +225,11 @@ func runAnsible(opts core.Options) core.Result {
 	}
 
 	// Parse extra vars
-	for key, value := range extraVars(opts) {
+	vars, err := extraVars(opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return core.Result{Value: coreerr.E("runAnsible", "parse extra vars", err)}
+	}
+	for key, value := range vars {
 		executor.SetVar(key, value)
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/ansible/ansible_test.go b/cmd/ansible/ansible_test.go
index ceedd7e..4a4a194 100644
--- a/cmd/ansible/ansible_test.go
+++ b/cmd/ansible/ansible_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package anscmd
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
 	"dappco.re/go/core"
@@ -15,9 +17,10 @@ func TestExtraVars_Good_RepeatableAndCommaSeparated(t *testing.T) {
 		core.Option{Key: "extra-vars", Value: []string{"build=42"}},
 	)
 
-	vars := extraVars(opts)
+	vars, err := extraVars(opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{
 		"version": "1.2.3",
 		"env":     "prod",
 		"region":  "us-east-1",
@@ -30,9 +33,10 @@ func TestExtraVars_Good_UsesShortAlias(t *testing.T) {
 		core.Option{Key: "e", Value: "version=1.2.3,env=prod"},
 	)
 
-	vars := extraVars(opts)
+	vars, err := extraVars(opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{
 		"version": "1.2.3",
 		"env":     "prod",
 	}, vars)
@@ -44,14 +48,62 @@ func TestExtraVars_Good_IgnoresMalformedPairs(t *testing.T) {
 		core.Option{Key: "extra-vars", Value: "also_bad="},
 	)
 
-	vars := extraVars(opts)
+	vars, err := extraVars(opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{
 		"keep":     "this",
 		"also_bad": "",
 	}, vars)
 }
 
+func TestExtraVars_Good_SupportsStructuredYAMLAndJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	opts := core.NewOptions(
+		core.Option{Key: "extra-vars", Value: "app:\n  port: 8080\n  debug: true"},
+		core.Option{Key: "extra-vars", Value: `{"image":"nginx:latest","replicas":3}`},
+	)
+
+	vars, err := extraVars(opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{
+		"app": map[string]any{
+			"port":  int(8080),
+			"debug": true,
+		},
+		"image":    "nginx:latest",
+		"replicas": int(3),
+	}, vars)
+}
+
+func TestExtraVars_Good_LoadsFileReferences(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "vars.yml")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path, []byte("deploy_env: prod\nrelease: 42\n"), 0644))
+
+	opts := core.NewOptions(
+		core.Option{Key: "extra-vars", Value: "@" + path},
+	)
+
+	vars, err := extraVars(opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{
+		"deploy_env": "prod",
+		"release":    int(42),
+	}, vars)
+}
+
+func TestExtraVars_Bad_MissingFile(t *testing.T) {
+	opts := core.NewOptions(
+		core.Option{Key: "extra-vars", Value: "@/definitely/missing/vars.yml"},
+	)
+
+	_, err := extraVars(opts)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "read extra vars file")
+}
+
 func TestFirstString_Good_PrefersFirstNonEmptyKey(t *testing.T) {
 	opts := core.NewOptions(
 		core.Option{Key: "inventory", Value: ""},