diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4d25b40d..ea065097 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,23 @@
 
 ## [unreleased]
 
+- #185:
+
+  - adds a dynamic variable `emmy.calculus.derivative/*mode*` that allows the
+    user to switch between forward and reverse mode automatic differentiation
+
+  - adds a new `emmy.calculus.derivative/gradient` that acts like
+    `emmy.tape/gradient` but is capable of taking multiple variables
+
+  - adds new operators `emmy.calculus.derivative/{D-forward, D-reverse}` and
+    operator-returning-functions `emmy.calculus.derivative/{partial-forward,
+    partial-reverse}` that allow the user to explicitly invoke forward-mode or
+    reverse-mode automatic differentiation. `D` and `partial` still default to
+    forward-mode
+
+  - modifies `emmy.tape/gradient` to correctly error when passed invalid
+    selectors, just like `emmy.dual/derivative`.
+
 - #183:
 
   - adds `emmy.{autodiff, tape}` to `emmy.sci`'s exported namespace set
diff --git a/src/emmy/calculus/derivative.cljc b/src/emmy/calculus/derivative.cljc
index 53c1a742..57868007 100644
--- a/src/emmy/calculus/derivative.cljc
+++ b/src/emmy/calculus/derivative.cljc
@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@
 
 ;; ## Single and Multivariable Calculus
 ;;
-;; These functions put together the pieces laid out
-;; in [[emmy.dual]] and declare an interface for taking
-;; derivatives.
+;; These functions put together the pieces laid out in [[emmy.dual]] and declare
+;; an interface for taking derivatives.
 
 ;; The result of applying the derivative `(D f)` of a multivariable function `f`
 ;; to a sequence of `args` is a structure of the same shape as `args` with all
@@ -37,7 +36,8 @@
 ;; To generate the result:
 ;;
 ;; - For a single non-structural argument, return `(d/derivative f)`
-;; - else, bundle up all arguments into a single [[s/Structure]] instance `xs`
+;; - else, bundle up all arguments into a single [[emmy.structure/Structure]]
+;;   instance `xs`
 ;; - Generate `xs'` by replacing each entry in `xs` with `((d/derivative f')
 ;;   entry)`, where `f'` is a function of ONLY that entry that
 ;;   calls `(f (assoc-in xs path entry))`. In other words, replace each entry
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 ;; above.
 ;;
 ;; [[jacobian]] handles this main logic. [[jacobian]] can only take a structural
-;; input. [[euclidean]] and [[multivariate]] below widen handle, respectively,
+;; input. [[euclidean]] and [[multivariate]] below handle, respectively,
 ;; optionally-structural and multivariable arguments.
 
 (defn- deep-partial
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@
        (u/illegal (str "Bad selectors " selectors " for structure " input))))))
 
 (defn- euclidean
-  "Slightly more general version of [[jacobian]] that can handle a single
-  non-structural input; dispatches to either [[jacobian]] or [[derivative]]
-  depending on the input type.
+  "Slightly more general version of [[jacobian]] that can handle a single input;
+  dispatches to either [[jacobian]] or [[derivative]] depending on whether or
+  not the input is structural.
 
   If you pass non-empty `selectors`, the returned function will throw if it
-  receives a non-structural, non-numerical argument."
+  receives a non-structural, non-scalar argument."
   ([f] (euclidean f []))
   ([f selectors]
    (let [selectors (vec selectors)]
@@ -143,6 +143,28 @@
               (str "Selectors " selectors
                    " not allowed for non-structural input " input)))))))
 
+(defn- multi
+  "Given
+
+    - some higher-order function `op` that transforms a function of a single
+      variable into another function of a single variable
+    - function `f` capable of taking multiple arguments
+
+  returns a new function that acts like `(op f)` but can take multiple
+  arguments.
+
+  When passed multiple arguments, the returned functon packages them into a
+  single `[[emmy.structure/up]]` instance. Any [[emmy.matrix/Matrix]] present in
+  the argument list will be converted into a `down` of `up`s (a row of columns)."
+  [op f]
+  (-> (fn
+        ([] 0)
+        ([x] ((op f) x))
+        ([x & more]
+         ((multi op (fn [xs] (apply f xs)))
+          (matrix/seq-> (cons x more)))))
+      (f/with-arity (f/arity f) {:from ::multi})))
+
 (defn- multivariate
   "Slightly wider version of [[euclidean]]. Accepts:
 
@@ -152,24 +174,39 @@
 
   And returns a new function that computes either the
   full [Jacobian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobian_matrix_and_determinant)
-  or the entry at `selectors`.
+  or the entry at `selectors` using [forward-mode automatic
+  differentiation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_differentiation#Forward_accumulation).
 
   Any multivariable function will have its argument vector coerced into an `up`
-  structure. Any [[matrix/Matrix]] in a multiple-arg function call will be
+  structure. Any [[emmy.matrix/Matrix]] in a multiple-arg function call will be
   converted into a `down` of `up`s (a row of columns).
 
-  Single-argument functions don't transform their arguments."
+  Arguments to single-variable functions are not transformed."
   ([f] (multivariate f []))
   ([f selectors]
-   (let [d #(euclidean % selectors)
-         df (d f)
-         df* (d (fn [args] (apply f args)))]
-     (-> (fn
-           ([] 0)
-           ([x] (df x))
-           ([x & more]
-            (df* (matrix/seq-> (cons x more)))))
-         (f/with-arity (f/arity f) {:from ::multivariate})))))
+   (let [d #(euclidean % selectors)]
+     (multi d f))))
+
+(defn gradient
+  "Accepts:
+
+  - some function `f` of potentially many arguments
+  - optionally, a sequence of selectors meant to index into the structural
+    argument, or argument vector, of `f`
+
+  And returns a new function that computes either the
+  full [Jacobian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobian_matrix_and_determinant)
+  or the entry at `selectors` using [reverse-mode automatic
+  differentiation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_differentiation#Reverse_accumulation).
+
+  Any multivariable function will have its argument vector coerced into an `up`
+  structure. Any [[emmy.matrix/Matrix]] in a multiple-arg function call will be
+  converted into a `down` of `up`s (a row of columns).
+
+  Arguments to single-variable functions are not transformed."
+  ([f] (gradient f []))
+  ([f selectors]
+   (multi #(tape/gradient % selectors) f)))
 
 ;; ## Generic [[g/partial-derivative]] Installation
 ;;
@@ -192,24 +229,66 @@
 ;; passed to the structure of functions, instead of separately for every entry
 ;; in the structure.
 ;;
+;; A dynamic variable controls whether or not this process uses forward-mode or
+;; reverse-mode AD.
+;;
 ;; TODO: I think this is going to cause problems for, say, a Structure of
 ;; PowerSeries, where there is actually a cheap `g/partial-derivative`
 ;; implementation for the components. I vote to back out this `::s/structure`
 ;; installation.
 
+(def ^:dynamic *mode* d/FORWARD-MODE)
+
 (doseq [t [::v/function ::s/structure]]
   (defmethod g/partial-derivative [t v/seqtype] [f selectors]
-    (multivariate f selectors))
+    (if (= *mode* d/FORWARD-MODE)
+      (multivariate f selectors)
+      (gradient f selectors)))
 
   (defmethod g/partial-derivative [t nil] [f _]
-    (multivariate f [])))
+    (if (= *mode* d/FORWARD-MODE)
+      (multivariate f [])
+      (gradient f []))))
 
 ;; ## Operators
 ;;
-;; This section exposes various differential operators as [[o/Operator]]
-;; instances.
+;; This section exposes various differential operators
+;; as [[emmy.operator/Operator]] instances.
+
+(def ^{:arglists '([f])}
+  D-forward
+  "Forward-mode derivative operator. Takes some function `f` and returns a
+  function whose value at some point can multiply an increment in the arguments
+  to produce the best linear estimate of the increment in the function value.
 
-(def D
+  For univariate functions, [[D-forward]] computes a derivative. For vector-valued
+  functions, [[D-forward]] computes
+  the [Jacobian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobian_matrix_and_determinant)
+  of `f`."
+  (o/make-operator
+   (fn [x]
+     (binding [*mode* d/FORWARD-MODE]
+       (g/partial-derivative x [])))
+   g/derivative-symbol))
+
+(def ^{:arglists '([f])}
+  D-reverse
+  "Reverse-mode derivative operator. Takes some function `f` and returns a
+  function whose value at some point can multiply an increment in the arguments
+  to produce the best linear estimate of the increment in the function value.
+
+  For univariate functions, [[D-reverse]] computes a derivative. For vector-valued
+  functions, [[D-reverse]] computes
+  the [Jacobian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobian_matrix_and_determinant)
+  of `f`."
+  (o/make-operator
+   (fn [x]
+     (binding [*mode* d/REVERSE-MODE]
+       (g/partial-derivative x [])))
+   g/derivative-symbol))
+
+(def ^{:arglists '([f])}
+  D
   "Derivative operator. Takes some function `f` and returns a function whose value
   at some point can multiply an increment in the arguments to produce the best
   linear estimate of the increment in the function value.
@@ -222,8 +301,7 @@
   The related [[emmy.env/Grad]] returns a function that produces a structure of
   the opposite orientation as [[D]]. Both of these functions use forward-mode
   automatic differentiation."
-  (o/make-operator #(g/partial-derivative % [])
-                   g/derivative-symbol))
+  D-forward)
 
 (defn D-as-matrix [F]
   (fn [s]
@@ -232,13 +310,34 @@
      ((D F) s)
      s)))
 
-(defn partial
+(defn partial-forward
+  "Returns an operator that, when applied to a function `f`, produces a function
+  that uses forward-mode automatic differentiation to compute the partial
+  derivative of `f` at the (zero-based) slot index provided via `selectors`."
+  [& selectors]
+  (o/make-operator
+   (fn [x]
+     (binding [*mode* d/FORWARD-MODE]
+       (g/partial-derivative x selectors)))
+   `(~'partial ~@selectors)))
+
+(defn partial-reverse
   "Returns an operator that, when applied to a function `f`, produces a function
-  that computes the partial derivative of `f` at the (zero-based) slot index
-  provided via `selectors`."
+  that uses reverse-mode automatic differentiation to compute the partial
+  derivative of `f` at the (zero-based) slot index provided via `selectors`."
   [& selectors]
-  (o/make-operator #(g/partial-derivative % selectors)
-                   `(~'partial ~@selectors)))
+  (o/make-operator
+   (fn [x]
+     (binding [*mode* d/REVERSE-MODE]
+       (g/partial-derivative x selectors)))
+   `(~'partial ~@selectors)))
+
+(def ^{:arglists '([& selectors])}
+  partial
+  "Returns an operator that, when applied to a function `f`, produces a function
+  that uses forward-mode automatic differentiation to compute the partial
+  derivative of `f` at the (zero-based) slot index provided via `selectors`."
+  partial-forward)
 
 ;; ## Derivative Utilities
 ;;
diff --git a/src/emmy/tape.cljc b/src/emmy/tape.cljc
index 8df7e7b6..3f6e281c 100644
--- a/src/emmy/tape.cljc
+++ b/src/emmy/tape.cljc
@@ -512,16 +512,20 @@
         (u/illegal
          (str "Selectors " selectors
               " not allowed for non-structural input " x)))
-
       (let [tag       (d/fresh-tag)
-            inputs    (if (empty? selectors)
-                        (tapify x tag)
-                        (update-in x selectors tapify tag))
-            output    (d/with-active-tag tag f [inputs])
+            input     (if-let [piece (get-in x selectors)]
+                        (if (empty? selectors)
+                          (tapify piece tag)
+                          (assoc-in x selectors (tapify piece tag)))
+                        ;; The call to `get-in` will return nil if the
+                        ;; `selectors` don't index correctly into the supplied
+                        ;; `input`, triggering this exception.
+                        (u/illegal
+                         (str "Bad selectors " selectors " for structure " x)))
+            output    (d/with-active-tag tag f [input])
             completed (d/extract-tangent output tag d/REVERSE-MODE)]
-        (if (empty? selectors)
-          (interpret inputs completed tag)
-          (interpret (get-in inputs selectors) completed tag)))))))
+        (-> (get-in input selectors)
+            (interpret completed tag)))))))
 
 (defmethod g/zero-like [::tape] [_] 0)
 (defmethod g/one-like [::tape] [_] 1)
diff --git a/test/emmy/calculus/derivative_test.cljc b/test/emmy/calculus/derivative_test.cljc
index ceb935e8..c146d809 100644
--- a/test/emmy/calculus/derivative_test.cljc
+++ b/test/emmy/calculus/derivative_test.cljc
@@ -446,13 +446,27 @@
   (testing "space"
     (let [g (af/literal-function 'g [0 0] 0)
           h (af/literal-function 'h [0 0] 0)]
-      (is (= '(+ (((partial 0) g) x y) (((partial 0) h) x y))
-             (simplify (((partial 0) (+ g h)) 'x 'y))))
-      (is (= '(+ (* (((partial 0) g) x y) (h x y)) (* (((partial 0) h) x y) (g x y)))
-             (simplify (((partial 0) (* g h)) 'x 'y))))
-      (is (= '(+ (* (((partial 0) g) x y) (h x y) (expt (g x y) (+ (h x y) -1)))
-                 (* (((partial 0) h) x y) (log (g x y)) (expt (g x y) (h x y))))
-             (simplify (((partial 0) (g/expt g h)) 'x 'y))))))
+      (is (zero?
+           (simplify
+            (g/- (g/+ (((partial 0) g) 'x 'y)
+                      (((partial 0) h) 'x 'y))
+                 (((partial 0) (+ g h)) 'x 'y)))))
+      (is (zero?
+           (simplify
+            (g/-
+             (g/+ (g/* (((partial 0) g) 'x 'y) (h 'x 'y))
+                  (g/* (((partial 0) h) 'x 'y) (g 'x 'y)))
+             (((partial 0) (* g h)) 'x 'y)))))
+      (is (zero?
+           (simplify
+            (g/-
+             (g/+ (g/* (((partial 0) g) 'x 'y)
+                       (h 'x 'y)
+                       (g/expt (g 'x 'y) (+ (h 'x 'y) -1)))
+                  (g/* (((partial 0) h) 'x 'y)
+                       (g/log (g 'x 'y))
+                       (g/expt (g 'x 'y) (h 'x 'y))))
+             (((partial 0) (g/expt g h)) 'x 'y)))))))
 
   (testing "operators"
     (is (= '(down 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1)
@@ -485,9 +499,12 @@
           f3 (fn [x y] (* (tan x) (log y)))
           f4 (fn [x y] (* (tan x) (sin y)))
           f5 (fn [x y] (/ (tan x) (sin y)))]
-      (is (= '(down (* (log y) (cos x))
-                    (/ (sin x) y))
-             (simplify ((D f2) 'x 'y))))
+      (is (= '(down 0 0)
+             (simplify
+              (g/- (s/down
+                    (g/* (g/log 'y) (g/cos 'x))
+                    (g// (g/sin 'x) 'y))
+                   ((D f2) 'x 'y)))))
       (is (= '(down (/ (log y) (expt (cos x) 2))
                     (/ (tan x) y))
              (simplify ((D f3) 'x 'y))))
@@ -1616,9 +1633,6 @@
           "symbolic-taylor-series keeps the arguments symbolic, even when they
           are numbers."))))
 
-;; TODO enable when we add our gradient impl in the next PR.
-
-#_
 (deftest mixed-mode-tests
   (testing "multiple input, vector output"
     (let [f (fn [a b c d e f]
@@ -1686,3 +1700,7 @@
 
 (deftest forward-mode-tests
   (all-tests d/D d/partial))
+
+(deftest reverse-mode-tests
+  (all-tests d/D-reverse
+             d/partial-reverse))