diff --git a/lib/normal-template.js b/lib/normal-template.js
index a8b38db..81df00f 100644
--- a/lib/normal-template.js
+++ b/lib/normal-template.js
@@ -42,9 +42,10 @@ exports.compile = function(src, options) {
     // v = curent value, d = cursor, a = reduced array, df = default filter, res = result
     var code = ['var v,a,d = data,res = [];'],
         stack = ["data"],
+        nesting = [],
         tokens = src.split(TOKEN_RE);
 
-    var filters;
+    var filters, tag;
 
     if (options && options.filters) {
         filters = {};
@@ -72,12 +73,14 @@ exports.compile = function(src, options) {
               
                 switch (cmd) {
                 case "if":
+                    nesting.push("if");
                     val = xpath(arg);
                     code.push('if (' + val + ' != undefined) {');
                     continue;                    
 
                 case "select":
                 case "s":
+                    nesting.push("select");
                     val = xpath(arg);
                     code.push('d = ' + val + ';if (d != undefined) {');
                     stack.unshift(val.replace(/^d\./, stack[0] + "."));
@@ -85,6 +88,7 @@ exports.compile = function(src, options) {
                 
                 case "reduce":
                 case "r":
+                    nesting.push("reduce");
                     val = xpath(arg);
                     var depth = stack.length;
                     code.push('var a' + depth + ' = ' + val + ';if ((a' + depth + ' != undefined) && (a' + depth + '.length > 0)) ');
@@ -94,16 +98,20 @@ exports.compile = function(src, options) {
                     
                 case "else":
                 case "e":
-                    code.push('} else {');
+                    tag = nesting.pop();
+                    if (tag) {
+                        code.push('} else {');
+                        nesting.push(tag);
+                    } else {
+                        throw new Error("Unbalanced 'else' tag");
+                    }
                     continue;
 
                 case "lb": // output left curly bracket '{'
-                case "lcb":
                     code.push('res.push("{");');
                     continue;
 
                 case "rb": // output right curly bracket '}'
-                case "rcb": 
                     code.push('res.push("}");');
                     continue;
 
@@ -113,23 +121,37 @@ exports.compile = function(src, options) {
             } else if (token[1] == "/") { // close tag
                 if (token[2] == ":") {
                     var cmd = token.substring(3, token.length-1).split(" ")[0];
-                  
+
                     switch (cmd) {
                     case "if":
-                        code.push('};');
+                        tag = nesting.pop();
+                        if (tag == "if") {
+                            code.push('};');
+                        } else {
+                            throw new Error("Unbalanced 'if' close tag" + (tag ? ", expecting '" + tag + "' close tag" : ""));
+                        }
                         continue;
 
                     case "select":
                     case "s":
-                        stack.shift();
-                        code.push('};d = ' + stack[0] + ';');
+                        tag = nesting.pop();
+                        if (tag == "select") {
+                            stack.shift();
+                            code.push('};d = ' + stack[0] + ';');
+                        } else {
+                            throw new Error("Unbalanced 'select' close tag" + (tag ? ", expecting '" + tag + "' close tag" : ""));
+                        }
                         continue;
 
                     case "reduce":
                     case "r":
-                        var depth = stack.length;
-                        stack.shift();
-                        code.push('};d = ' + stack[0] + ';');
+                        tag = nesting.pop();
+                        if (tag == "reduce") {
+                            stack.shift();
+                            code.push('};d = ' + stack[0] + ';');
+                        } else {
+                            throw new Error("Unbalanced 'reduce' close tag" + (tag ? ", expecting '" + tag + "' close tag" : ""));
+                        }
                         continue;
                     }
                 }
@@ -153,6 +175,11 @@ exports.compile = function(src, options) {
         code.push('res.push("' + token.replace(/\n/g, "\\n").replace(/"/g, '\\"') + '");');
     }    
 
+    tag = nesting.pop();
+    if (tag) {
+        throw new Error("Unbalanced '" + tag + "' tag, is not closed");
+    }
+
     code.push('return res.join("");');    
 
     var func = new Function("data", "filters", code.join(""));
diff --git a/tests/all-tests.js b/tests/all-tests.js
index c3e3965..685b7b7 100644
--- a/tests/all-tests.js
+++ b/tests/all-tests.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 exports.testNormalTemplate = require("./normal-template-tests");
 exports.testNormalTPP = require("./normal-template/tpp-tests");
 
-if (require.main === module.id)
+if (require.main == module.id)
     require("os").exit(require("test/runner").run(exports));
diff --git a/tests/normal-template-tests.js b/tests/normal-template-tests.js
index e003061..7ac8601 100644
--- a/tests/normal-template-tests.js
+++ b/tests/normal-template-tests.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ exports.testComments = function() {
     assert.isEqual("Hello Stella", t(data));
 }
 
-exports.testWith = function() {
+exports.testSelect = function() {
     var t = compile("Hello {:select user}{=name}, {=age}{/:select}");
     var data = {user: {name: "George", age: "34"}};
     assert.isEqual("Hello George, 34", t(data));
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ exports.testIfElse = function() {
     assert.isEqual("cool this is outer", t(data));
 }
 
-exports.testWithOr = function() {
+exports.testSelectElse = function() {
     var t = compile("{:s cool}cool{:e}not cool{/:s}");
     var data = {};
     assert.isEqual("not cool", t(data));
@@ -76,13 +76,13 @@ exports.testInterpolateNone = function() {
 }
 
 exports.testDot = function() {
-    var t = compile("{:s cool}{=.}{:s}not cool{/:s}");
+    var t = compile("{:s cool}{=.}{:e}not cool{/:s}");
     var data = {cool: 34};
     assert.isEqual("34", t(data));
 }
 
-exports.testReduceOr = function() {
-    var t = compile('{:r articles}<li>{=title}: {=content}</li>{:or}no articles{/:r}');
+exports.testReduceElse = function() {
+    var t = compile('{:r articles}<li>{=title}: {=content}</li>{:e}no articles{/:r}');
     var data = {articles: [
         {title: "Hello1", content: "World1"},
         {title: "Hello2", content: "World2"},
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ exports.testReduceOr = function() {
 }
 
 // stupid, but lets test this.
-exports.testWithReduceOr = function() {
+exports.testSelectReduceElse = function() {
     var t = compile("{:s articles}{:r .}<li>{=title}: {=content}</li>{/:r}{:e}no articles{/:s}");
     var data = {articles: [
         {title: "Hello1", content: "World1"},
@@ -153,7 +153,27 @@ exports.testQuotesEscaping = function() {
 }
 
 exports.testCurlyBrackets = function() {
-    var t = compile('enclose in {:lcb}brackets{:rcb}');
+    var t = compile('enclose in {:lb}brackets{:rb}');
     var data = {};
     assert.isEqual('enclose in {brackets}', t(data));
 }
+
+exports.testSyntaxErrors = function() {
+    try {
+        compile("{/:s articles}articles")
+    } catch (e) {
+        assert.isEqual("Error: Unbalanced 'select' close tag", e.toString());
+    }
+
+    try {
+        compile("{:if user}{:s articles}articles{/:if}")    
+    } catch (e) {
+        assert.isEqual("Error: Unbalanced 'if' close tag, expecting 'select' close tag", e.toString());
+    }
+    
+    try {
+        compile("{:if user}{:s articles}articles")    
+    } catch (e) {
+        assert.isEqual("Error: Unbalanced 'select' tag, is not closed", e.toString());
+    }    
+}