diff --git a/src/dsl.lisp b/src/dsl.lisp
index f196866..577ce58 100644
--- a/src/dsl.lisp
+++ b/src/dsl.lisp
@@ -13,27 +13,34 @@
 ;;;; hsx macro
 
 (defmacro hsx (form)
-  "Detect built-in HSX elements and automatically import them."
-  (find-builtin-symbols form))
+  "Detect HSX elements and automatically import them."
+  (detect-elements form))
 
 (defun get-builtin-symbol (sym)
   (multiple-value-bind (builtin-sym kind)
       (find-symbol (string sym) :hsx/builtin)
     (and (eq kind :external) builtin-sym)))
 
-(defun find-builtin-symbols (form)
+(defun start-with-tilde-p (sym)
+  (string= "~" (subseq (string sym) 0 1)))
+
+(defun get-component-symbol (sym)
+  (and (start-with-tilde-p sym) sym))
+
+(defun detect-elements (form)
   (check-type form cons)
   (let* ((head (first form))
          (tail (rest form))
          (well-formed-p (listp tail))
-         (builtin-sym (and (symbolp head)
-                           (not (keywordp head))
-                           (get-builtin-symbol head))))
-    (if (and well-formed-p builtin-sym)
-        (cons builtin-sym
+         (detected-sym (and (symbolp head)
+                            (not (keywordp head))
+                            (or (get-builtin-symbol head)
+                                (get-component-symbol head)))))
+    (if (and well-formed-p detected-sym)
+        (cons detected-sym
               (mapcar (lambda (sub-form)
                         (if (consp sub-form)
-                            (find-builtin-symbols sub-form)
+                            (detect-elements sub-form)
                             sub-form))
                       tail))
         form)))
@@ -67,16 +74,19 @@
   `(eval-when (:compile-toplevel :load-toplevel :execute)
      (defhsx ,name ,(make-keyword name))))
 
-(defmacro defcomp (name props &body body)
-  "Define a function component for use in HSX.
-The props must be declared with either &key or &rest (or both).
+(defmacro defcomp (~name props &body body)
+  "Define a function component for HSX.
+The component name must start with a tilde (~).
+Properties must be declared using &key, &rest, or both.
 The body must return an HSX element."
+  (unless (start-with-tilde-p ~name)
+    (error "The component name must start with a tilde (~~)."))
   (unless (or (null props)
               (member '&key props)
               (member '&rest props))
     (error "Component properties must be declared with either &key, &rest, or both."))
-  (let ((%name (symbolicate '% name)))
+  (let ((%name (symbolicate '% ~name)))
     `(eval-when (:compile-toplevel :load-toplevel :execute)
        (defun ,%name ,props
          ,@body)
-       (defhsx ,name (fdefinition ',%name)))))
+       (defhsx ,~name (fdefinition ',%name)))))
diff --git a/tests/dsl.lisp b/tests/dsl.lisp
index 8bd6408..31abea8 100644
--- a/tests/dsl.lisp
+++ b/tests/dsl.lisp
@@ -8,33 +8,34 @@
                 #:element-children))
 (in-package #:hsx-test/dsl)
 
-(deftest find-builtin-symbols-test
-  (testing "normal-cases"
+(defcomp ~comp1 (&key children)
+  (hsx (div children)))
+
+(deftest detect-elements-test
+  (testing "detect-tags"
     (ok (expands '(hsx (div div div))
                  '(hsx/builtin:div div div)))
     (ok (expands '(hsx (div (div div (div))))
                  '(hsx/builtin:div
                    (hsx/builtin:div
                      div
-                     (hsx/builtin:div)))))
-    (ok (expands '(hsx (div
-                         (labels ((div () "div"))
-                           (hsx (div)))))
-                 '(hsx/builtin:div
-                   (labels ((div () "div"))
-                     (hsx (div)))))))
+                     (hsx/builtin:div))))))
 
-  (testing "ignore-cases"
+  (testing "detect-components"
+    (ok (expands '(hsx (~comp1 (div)))
+                 '(~comp1 (hsx/builtin:div)))))
+
+  (testing "ignore-malformed-form"
     (ok (expands '(hsx (div . div))
                  '(div . div)))
     (ok (expands '(hsx ((div)))
-                 '((div))))
-    (ok (expands '(hsx (div
-                         (labels ((div () "div"))
-                           (div))))
-                 '(hsx/builtin:div
-                   (labels ((div () "div"))
-                     (div)))))))
+                 '((div)))))
+
+  (testing "ignore-cl-form"
+    (ok (expands '(hsx (labels ((div () "div"))
+                         (div)))
+                 '(labels ((div () "div"))
+                   (div))))))
 
 (deftest dsl-test
   (testing "empty-hsx"