diff --git a/mustache.js b/mustache.js
index 90a66d3..641cebd 100644
--- a/mustache.js
+++ b/mustache.js
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ var Mustache = (typeof module !== "undefined" && module.exports) || {};
         localStack.push(context);
       }
 
-      if (context && target in context) {
+      if (context && typeof context === "object" && target in context) {
         value = context[target];
         break;
       }
diff --git a/spec/_files/string_as_context.js b/spec/_files/string_as_context.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..784368b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/_files/string_as_context.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+var string_as_context = {
+    a_string: 'aa',
+    a_list: ['a','b','c']
+};
diff --git a/spec/_files/string_as_context.mustache b/spec/_files/string_as_context.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6aa11a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/_files/string_as_context.mustache
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<ul>
+{{#a_list}}
+    <li><a href="#{{a_string}}/{{.}}">{{.}}</a></li>
+{{/a_list}}
+</ul>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/_files/string_as_context.txt b/spec/_files/string_as_context.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35e6306
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/_files/string_as_context.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<ul>
+    <li><a href="#aa/a">a</a></li>
+    <li><a href="#aa/b">b</a></li>
+    <li><a href="#aa/c">c</a></li>
+</ul>
\ No newline at end of file