diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 7208204..01d3044 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 * Added more robust type detection.
 * Parse pragmas only once.
 * Throw exception when encountering an unknown pragma.
+* Ignore undefined partial contexts. Returns verbatim partials.
 
 
 ## 0.2.2 (11-02-2010)
diff --git a/examples/empty_partial.2.html b/examples/empty_partial.2.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b920295
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/empty_partial.2.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+yo
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/empty_partial.html b/examples/empty_partial.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a710047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/empty_partial.html
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+hey {{foo}}
+{{>partial}}
diff --git a/examples/empty_partial.js b/examples/empty_partial.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cc53c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/empty_partial.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+var partial_context = {
+  foo: 1
+};
diff --git a/examples/empty_partial.txt b/examples/empty_partial.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90d2b9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/empty_partial.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+hey 1
+yo
diff --git a/mustache.js b/mustache.js
index 25d8390..eab1a9f 100644
--- a/mustache.js
+++ b/mustache.js
@@ -85,12 +85,12 @@ var Mustache = function() {
       Tries to find a partial in the global scope and render it
     */
     render_partial: function(name, context, partials) {
-      if(typeof(context[name]) != "object") {
-        throw({message: "subcontext for '" + name + "' is not an object"});
-      }
       if(!partials || !partials[name]) {
         throw({message: "unknown_partial '" + name + "'"});
       }
+      if(typeof(context[name]) != "object") {
+        return partials[name];
+      }
       return this.render(partials[name], context[name], partials, true);
     },