2 files changed, 14 insertions, 10 deletions
diff --git a/lib/handlebars/compiler/base.js b/lib/handlebars/compiler/base.js
index 6919d38..df8ced0 100644
--- a/lib/handlebars/compiler/base.js
+++ b/lib/handlebars/compiler/base.js
@@ -4,9 +4,13 @@ var Handlebars = require("../base");
 // BEGIN(BROWSER)
 Handlebars.Parser = handlebars;
 
-Handlebars.parse = function(string) {
+Handlebars.parse = function(input) {
+
+  // Just return if an already-compile AST was passed in.
+  if(input.constructor === Handlebars.AST.ProgramNode) { return input; }
+
   Handlebars.Parser.yy = Handlebars.AST;
-  return Handlebars.Parser.parse(string);
+  return Handlebars.Parser.parse(input);
 };
 
 Handlebars.print = function(ast) {
diff --git a/lib/handlebars/compiler/compiler.js b/lib/handlebars/compiler/compiler.js
index e38f157..dd62b2c 100644
--- a/lib/handlebars/compiler/compiler.js
+++ b/lib/handlebars/compiler/compiler.js
@@ -1221,23 +1221,23 @@ Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler = function() {};
 
 })(Handlebars.Compiler, Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler);
 
-Handlebars.precompile = function(string, options) {
-  if (typeof string !== 'string') {
-    throw new Handlebars.Exception("You must pass a string to Handlebars.compile. You passed " + string);
+Handlebars.precompile = function(input, options) {
+  if (!input || (typeof input !== 'string' && input.constructor !== Handlebars.AST.ProgramNode)) {
+    throw new Handlebars.Exception("You must pass a string or Handlebars AST to Handlebars.compile. You passed " + input);
   }
 
   options = options || {};
   if (!('data' in options)) {
     options.data = true;
   }
-  var ast = Handlebars.parse(string);
+  var ast = Handlebars.parse(input);
   var environment = new Handlebars.Compiler().compile(ast, options);
   return new Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler().compile(environment, options);
 };
 
-Handlebars.compile = function(string, options) {
-  if (typeof string !== 'string') {
-    throw new Handlebars.Exception("You must pass a string to Handlebars.compile. You passed " + string);
+Handlebars.compile = function(input, options) {
+  if (!input || (typeof input !== 'string' && input.constructor !== Handlebars.AST.ProgramNode)) {
+    throw new Handlebars.Exception("You must pass a string or Handlebars AST to Handlebars.compile. You passed " + input);
   }
 
   options = options || {};
@@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ Handlebars.compile = function(string, options) {
   }
   var compiled;
   function compile() {
-    var ast = Handlebars.parse(string);
+    var ast = Handlebars.parse(input);
     var environment = new Handlebars.Compiler().compile(ast, options);
     var templateSpec = new Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler().compile(environment, options, undefined, true);
     return Handlebars.template(templateSpec);