diff --git a/examples/error_not_found.txt b/examples/error_not_found.txt
index fc8d6b7..8b13789 100644
--- a/examples/error_not_found.txt
+++ b/examples/error_not_found.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-ERROR: 'foo' not found in context
+
diff --git a/mustache.js b/mustache.js
index 5050936..e52b378 100644
--- a/mustache.js
+++ b/mustache.js
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@ var Mustache = function() {
       if(context[name] !== undefined) {
         return context[name];
       }
-      throw({message: "'" + name + "' not found in context"});
+      // silently ignore unkown variables
+      return "";
     },
 
     // Utility methods
diff --git a/test/mustache_spec.rb b/test/mustache_spec.rb
index f4bbb22..6f8a1bf 100644
--- a/test/mustache_spec.rb
+++ b/test/mustache_spec.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ describe "mustache" do
         print('ERROR: ' + e.message);
       }
     JS
-    run_js(js).should == "ERROR: 'x' not found in context\n"
+    run_js(js).should == "\n"
   end
   
   non_partials.each do |testname|