diff --git a/mwparserfromhell/nodes/html_entity.py b/mwparserfromhell/nodes/html_entity.py
index 7aa5034..b849fee 100644
--- a/mwparserfromhell/nodes/html_entity.py
+++ b/mwparserfromhell/nodes/html_entity.py
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ from mwparserfromhell.nodes import Node
 __all__ = ["HTMLEntity"]
 
 class HTMLEntity(Node):
-    def __init__(self, value, named, hexadecimal=False):
+    def __init__(self, value, named=None, hexadecimal=False):
         self._value = value
+        if named is None:  # Try to guess whether or not the entity is named
+            named = False if isinstance(value, int) else True
         self._named = named
         self._hexadecimal = hexadecimal
 
diff --git a/mwparserfromhell/nodes/template.py b/mwparserfromhell/nodes/template.py
index 1880680..6a439e2 100644
--- a/mwparserfromhell/nodes/template.py
+++ b/mwparserfromhell/nodes/template.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 # OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
 # SOFTWARE.
 
-from mwparserfromhell.nodes import Node
+from mwparserfromhell.nodes import HTMLEntity, Node
 from mwparserfromhell.nodes.extras import Parameter
 from mwparserfromhell.utils import parse_anything
 
@@ -41,8 +41,14 @@ class Template(Node):
         else:
             return "{{" + unicode(self.name) + "}}"
 
+    def _surface_escape(self, code, char):
+        replacement = HTMLEntity(value=ord(char))
+        for node in code.filter_text(recursive=False):
+            if char in node:
+                code.replace(node, node.replace(char, replacement))
+
     def _blank_param_value(self, value):                                            # TODO
-        pass
+        pass  # MAKE VALUE CONTAIN ABSOLUTELY TWO TEXT NODES: FIRST IS SPACING BEFORE CHUNK AND SECOND IS SPACING AFTER CHUNK
 
     @property
     def name(self):
@@ -68,30 +74,31 @@ class Template(Node):
 
     def add(self, name, value, showkey=None):
         name, value = parse_anything(name), parse_anything(value)
-        surface_text = value.filter_text(recursive=False)
-        for node in surface_text:
-            value.replace(node, node.replace("|", "|"))
+        self._surface_escape(value, "|")
+
+        if self.has_param(name):
+            self.remove(name, keep_field=True)
+            existing = self.get(name)
+            if showkey is None:  # Infer showkey from current value
+                showkey = existing.showkey
+            if not showkey:
+                self._surface_escape(value, "=")
+            nodes = existing.value.nodes
+            existing.value = parse_anything([nodes[0], value, nodes[1]])
+            return existing
 
         if showkey is None:
-            if any(["=" in node for node in surface_text]):
-                showkey = True
+            try:
+                int(name)
+            except ValueError:
+                showkey = False
             else:
-                try:
-                    int(name)
-                except ValueError:
-                    showkey = False
-                else:
-                    showkey = True
-        elif not showkey:
-            for node in surface_text:
-                value.replace(node, node.replace("=", "|"))
-
-        if self.has_param(name):
-            self.remove_param(name, keep_field=True)
-            existing = self.get_param(name).value
-            self.get_param(name).value = value                                      # CONFORM TO FORMATTING?
-        else:
-            self.params.append(Parameter(name, value, showkey))                     # CONFORM TO FORMATTING CONVENTIONS?
+                showkey = True
+        if not showkey:
+            self._surface_escape(value, "=")
+        param = Parameter(name, value, showkey)                                     # CONFORM TO FORMATTING CONVENTIONS?
+        self.params.append(param)
+        return param
 
     def remove(self, name, keep_field=False):                                       # DON'T MESS UP NUMBERING WITH show_key = False AND keep_field = False
         name = name.strip() if isinstance(name, basestring) else unicode(name)
diff --git a/mwparserfromhell/utils.py b/mwparserfromhell/utils.py
index 52878cc..9357d45 100644
--- a/mwparserfromhell/utils.py
+++ b/mwparserfromhell/utils.py
@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@ import mwparserfromhell
 from mwparserfromhell.nodes import Node
 
 def parse_anything(value):
-    Wikicode = mwparserfromhell.wikicode.Wikicode
-    if isinstance(value, Wikicode):
+    wikicode = mwparserfromhell.wikicode.Wikicode
+    if isinstance(value, wikicode):
         return value
     if isinstance(value, Node):
-        return Wikicode([value])
+        return wikicode([value])
     if isinstance(value, basestring):
         return mwparserfromhell.parse(value)
     if isinstance(value, int):
         return mwparserfromhell.parse(unicode(value))
     if value is None:
-        return Wikicode([])
+        return wikicode([])
     try:
         nodelist = []
         for item in value:
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ def parse_anything(value):
     except TypeError:
         error = "Needs string, Node, Wikicode, int, None, or iterable of these, but got {0}: {1}"
         raise ValueError(error.format(type(value), value))
-    return Wikicode(nodelist)
+    return wikicode(nodelist)
diff --git a/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py b/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py
index 5f81e23..e133fec 100644
--- a/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py
+++ b/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class Wikicode(StringMixIn):
             raise ValueError("Cannot coerce multiple nodes into one index")
         if index >= len(self.nodes) or -1 * index > len(self.nodes):
             raise IndexError("List assignment index out of range")
-        self.nodex.pop(index)
+        self.nodes.pop(index)
         if nodes:
             self.nodes[index] = nodes[0]