diff --git a/src/template/lib.zig b/src/template/lib.zig
index 7d1eebe..649b30e 100644
--- a/src/template/lib.zig
+++ b/src/template/lib.zig
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ fn parseTemplate(comptime tokens: TokenIter, comptime template_type: TemplateTyp
                 .pipe => current_text = current_text ++ "|",
                 .dollar => current_text = current_text ++ "$",
                 .slash => current_text = current_text ++ "/",
+                .equals => current_text = current_text ++ "=",
             }
         }
 
@@ -182,78 +183,98 @@ fn parseExpressionOrStatement(
 ) ParseResult(if (as_statement) Statement else Expression) {
     comptime {
         var iter = tokens;
-        var stmt: ExecutableStatement = while (iter.next()) |token| switch (token) {
-            .whitespace => {},
-            .pound => {
-                if (!as_statement) @compileError("Unexpected Token");
-                const next = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
-                if (next != .text) @compileError("Expected keyword following '#' character");
-                const text = next.text;
-                const keyword = std.meta.stringToEnum(Keyword, text) orelse @compileError("Unknown keyword: " ++ text);
+        var first_token: bool = true;
+        var strip_before: bool = false;
+        var stmt: ExecutableStatement = while (iter.next()) |token| {
+            defer first_token = false;
+            switch (token) {
+                .equals => {
+                    if (as_statement and first_token) {
+                        strip_before = true;
+                    } else @compileError("Unexpected '='");
+                },
+                .whitespace => {},
+                .pound => {
+                    if (!as_statement) @compileError("Unexpected Token");
+                    const next = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+                    if (next != .text) @compileError("Expected keyword following '#' character");
+                    const text = next.text;
+                    const keyword = std.meta.stringToEnum(Keyword, text) orelse @compileError("Unknown keyword: " ++ text);
 
-                switch (keyword) {
-                    .@"for" => {
-                        const result = parseForLoop(iter);
-                        // statemnt already finished so just return
-                        return .{
-                            .new_iter = result.new_iter,
-                            .item = .{
-                                .executable = .{ .for_loop = result.item },
-                                .strip_before = false,
-                                .strip_after = false,
-                            },
-                        };
-                    },
-                    .@"if" => {
-                        const result = parseIfStatement(iter);
-                        return .{
-                            .new_iter = result.new_iter,
-                            .item = .{
-                                .executable = .{ .if_statement = result.item },
-                                .strip_before = false,
-                                .strip_after = false,
-                            },
-                        };
-                    },
+                    switch (keyword) {
+                        .@"for" => {
+                            const result = parseForLoop(iter);
+                            // statemnt already finished so just return
+                            return .{
+                                .new_iter = result.new_iter,
+                                .item = .{
+                                    .executable = .{ .for_loop = result.item },
+                                    .strip_before = false,
+                                    .strip_after = false,
+                                },
+                            };
+                        },
+                        .@"if" => {
+                            const result = parseIfStatement(iter);
+                            return .{
+                                .new_iter = result.new_iter,
+                                .item = .{
+                                    .executable = .{ .if_statement = result.item },
+                                    .strip_before = false,
+                                    .strip_after = false,
+                                },
+                            };
+                        },
 
-                    //else => @compileError("TODO"),
-                }
-            },
-            .slash => {
-                if (!as_statement) !@compileError("Unexpected Token");
-                const next = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
-                if (next != .text) @compileError("Expected keyword following '/' character");
-                const text = next.text;
-                const keyword = std.meta.stringToEnum(EndKeyword, text) orelse @compileError("Unknown keyword: " ++ text);
+                        //else => @compileError("TODO"),
+                    }
+                },
+                .slash => {
+                    if (!as_statement) !@compileError("Unexpected Token");
+                    const next = iter.next() orelse @compileError("Unexpected end of template");
+                    if (next != .text) @compileError("Expected keyword following '/' character");
+                    const text = next.text;
+                    const keyword = std.meta.stringToEnum(EndKeyword, text) orelse @compileError("Unknown keyword: " ++ text);
 
-                switch (keyword) {
-                    .@"for" => break .{ .end_for = {} },
-                    .@"if" => break .{ .end_if = {} },
-                }
-            },
-            .period => {
-                const names = parseDeref(iter);
-                iter = names.new_iter;
-                break .{ .expression = .{ .arg_deref = names.item } };
-            },
-            .dollar => {
-                const names = parseDeref(iter);
-                iter = names.new_iter;
-                break .{ .expression = .{ .capture_deref = names.item } };
-            },
-            else => if (as_statement) @compileError("TODO") else break,
+                    switch (keyword) {
+                        .@"for" => break .{ .end_for = {} },
+                        .@"if" => break .{ .end_if = {} },
+                    }
+                },
+                .period => {
+                    const names = parseDeref(iter);
+                    iter = names.new_iter;
+                    break .{ .expression = .{ .arg_deref = names.item } };
+                },
+                .dollar => {
+                    const names = parseDeref(iter);
+                    iter = names.new_iter;
+                    break .{ .expression = .{ .capture_deref = names.item } };
+                },
+                else => if (as_statement) @compileError("TODO") else break,
+            }
         };
 
         if (as_statement) {
             // search for end of statement
+            var strip_after: bool = false;
             while (iter.next()) |token| switch (token) {
                 .whitespace => {},
+                .equals => {
+                    if (iter.peek()) |t| {
+                        if (t == .close_bracket) {
+                            strip_after = true;
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    @compileError("Unexpected '='");
+                },
                 .close_bracket => return .{
                     .new_iter = iter,
                     .item = .{
                         .executable = stmt,
-                        .strip_before = true,
-                        .strip_after = true,
+                        .strip_before = strip_before,
+                        .strip_after = strip_after,
                     },
                 },
                 else => {
@@ -425,6 +446,7 @@ const Token = union(enum) {
     pipe: void,
     dollar: void,
     slash: void,
+    equals: void,
 };
 
 const TokenIter = struct {
@@ -453,6 +475,7 @@ const TokenIter = struct {
             '|' => return .{ .pipe = {} },
             '$' => return .{ .dollar = {} },
             '/' => return .{ .slash = {} },
+            '=' => return .{ .equals = {} },
             ' ', '\t', '\n', '\r' => {
                 var idx: usize = 0;
                 while (idx < remaining.len and std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, " \t\n\r", remaining[idx]) != null) : (idx += 1) {}
@@ -464,7 +487,7 @@ const TokenIter = struct {
             },
             else => {
                 var idx: usize = 0;
-                while (idx < remaining.len and std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, "{}.#|$/ \t\n\r", remaining[idx]) == null) : (idx += 1) {}
+                while (idx < remaining.len and std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, "{}.#|$/= \t\n\r", remaining[idx]) == null) : (idx += 1) {}
 
                 self.start += idx - 1;
                 return .{ .text = remaining[0..idx] };
diff --git a/src/template/test.tmp.html b/src/template/test.tmp.html
index 862b080..bbfb3ad 100644
--- a/src/template/test.tmp.html
+++ b/src/template/test.tmp.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE html>
 <html>
   <head>
-    <title>{.community.name}</title>
+    <title>   {= .community.name =}    </title>
   </head>
 
   <body>
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     <h2> {{ REAL BRACKETS }} </h2>
 
     <section>
-      {#for .baz |$f|}{#for $f |$b|}{$b}:{/for}
+      {= #for .baz |$f|}{#for $f |$b|}{$b}:{/for}
       {/for}
       {#if .qux}qux!{/if}
       {#if .quxx}quxx!{/if}