diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2d78b9b3c1de..20964900e158 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
   generates Markdown documentation from `.prql` files. (@vanillajonathan,
   #4152).
 - Add `prqlc lex` command to the CLI (@max-sixty)
+- Join `side` parameter can take a reference that resolves to a literal (note:
+  this is an experimental feature which may change in the future) (@kgutwin,
+  #4499)
 
 **Fixes**:
 
diff --git a/prqlc/prqlc/src/semantic/resolver/transforms.rs b/prqlc/prqlc/src/semantic/resolver/transforms.rs
index f59dd01ee81d..69aa8ad64b6d 100644
--- a/prqlc/prqlc/src/semantic/resolver/transforms.rs
+++ b/prqlc/prqlc/src/semantic/resolver/transforms.rs
@@ -101,20 +101,42 @@ impl Resolver<'_> {
 
                 let side = {
                     let span = side.span;
-                    let ident = side.try_cast(ExprKind::into_ident, Some("side"), "ident")?;
+                    let ident =
+                        side.clone()
+                            .try_cast(ExprKind::into_ident, Some("side"), "ident")?;
+
+                    // first try to match the raw ident string as a bare word
                     match ident.to_string().as_str() {
                         "inner" => JoinSide::Inner,
                         "left" => JoinSide::Left,
                         "right" => JoinSide::Right,
                         "full" => JoinSide::Full,
 
-                        found => {
-                            return Err(Error::new(Reason::Expected {
-                                who: Some("`side`".to_string()),
-                                expected: "inner, left, right or full".to_string(),
-                                found: found.to_string(),
-                            })
-                            .with_span(span))
+                        _ => {
+                            // if that fails, fold the ident and try treating the result as a literal
+                            // this allows the join side to be passed as a function parameter
+                            // NOTE: this is temporary, pending discussions and implementation, tracked in #4501
+                            let folded = self.fold_expr(side)?.try_cast(
+                                ExprKind::into_literal,
+                                Some("side"),
+                                "string literal",
+                            )?;
+
+                            match folded.to_string().as_str() {
+                                "\"inner\"" => JoinSide::Inner,
+                                "\"left\"" => JoinSide::Left,
+                                "\"right\"" => JoinSide::Right,
+                                "\"full\"" => JoinSide::Full,
+
+                                _ => {
+                                    return Err(Error::new(Reason::Expected {
+                                        who: Some("`side`".to_string()),
+                                        expected: "inner, left, right or full".to_string(),
+                                        found: folded.to_string(),
+                                    })
+                                    .with_span(span))
+                                }
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 };
diff --git a/prqlc/prqlc/tests/integration/sql.rs b/prqlc/prqlc/tests/integration/sql.rs
index 2e25d8a028e1..f89a9ce6e179 100644
--- a/prqlc/prqlc/tests/integration/sql.rs
+++ b/prqlc/prqlc/tests/integration/sql.rs
@@ -2385,6 +2385,80 @@ fn test_join() {
     compile("from x | join y {==x.id}").unwrap_err();
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_join_side_literal() {
+    assert_snapshot!((compile(r###"
+    let my_side = "right"
+
+    from x
+    join y (==id) side:my_side
+    "###).unwrap()), @r###"
+    SELECT
+      x.*,
+      y.*
+    FROM
+      x
+      RIGHT JOIN y ON x.id = y.id
+    "###);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_join_side_literal_err() {
+    assert_snapshot!((compile(r###"
+    let my_side = 42
+
+    from x
+    join y (==id) side:my_side
+    "###).unwrap_err()), @r###"
+    Error:
+       ╭─[:5:24]
+       │
+     5 │     join y (==id) side:my_side
+       │                        ───┬───
+       │                           ╰───── `side` expected inner, left, right or full, but found 42
+    ───╯
+    "###);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_join_side_literal_via_func() {
+    assert_snapshot!((compile(r###"
+    let my_join = func m <relation> c <scalar> s <text>:"right" tbl <relation> -> (
+        join side:_param.s m (c == that.k) tbl
+    )
+
+    from x
+    my_join default_db.y this.id s:"left"
+    "###).unwrap()), @r###"
+    SELECT
+      x.*,
+      y.*
+    FROM
+      x
+      LEFT JOIN y ON x.id = y.k
+    "###);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_join_side_literal_via_func_err() {
+    assert_snapshot!((compile(r###"
+    let my_join = func m <relation> c <scalar> s <text>:"right" tbl <relation> -> (
+        join side:_param.s m (c == that.k) tbl
+    )
+
+    from x
+    my_join default_db.y this.id s:"four"
+    "###).unwrap_err()), @r###"
+    Error:
+       ╭─[:3:25]
+       │
+     3 │         join side:_param.s m (c == that.k) tbl
+       │                         ─┬
+       │                          ╰── `side` expected inner, left, right or full, but found "four"
+    ───╯
+    "###);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_from_json() {
     // Test that the SQL generated from the JSON of the PRQL is the same as the raw PRQL