diff --git a/HStringTemplate.cabal b/HStringTemplate.cabal
--- a/HStringTemplate.cabal
+++ b/HStringTemplate.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                HStringTemplate
-version:             0.6.1
+version:             0.6.2
 synopsis:            StringTemplate implementation in Haskell.
 description:         A port of the Java library by Terrence Parr.
 category:            Text
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@
     exposed-modules: Text.StringTemplate.QQ
 
   if flag(smaller-base)
-    build-depends:   syb, base >= 4, base < 5, filepath, parsec < 3, containers, pretty, time, old-time, old-locale, bytestring, directory, array, text, parallel
+    build-depends:   syb, base >= 4, base < 5, filepath, parsec < 3, containers, pretty, time, old-time, old-locale, bytestring, directory, array, text, parallel, utf8-string
   else
-    build-depends:   base > 3, base < 4, filepath, parsec < 3, containers, pretty, time, old-time, old-locale, bytestring, directory, array, text
+    build-depends:   base > 3, base < 4, filepath, parsec < 3, containers, pretty, time, old-time, old-locale, bytestring, directory, array, text, utf8-string
 
   exposed-modules:   Text.StringTemplate
                      Text.StringTemplate.Base
diff --git a/Text/StringTemplate.hs b/Text/StringTemplate.hs
--- a/Text/StringTemplate.hs
+++ b/Text/StringTemplate.hs
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 --
 -- A StringTemplate is a String with \"holes\" in it.
 -- This is a port of the Java StringTemplate library written by Terrence Parr.
--- (<http://www.stringtemplate.org>).
+-- (<http://www.stringtemplate.org>). User-contributed documentation available at
+-- <http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/HStringTemplate>.
 --
 -- This library implements the basic 3.1 grammar, lacking group files
 -- (though not groups themselves), Regions, and Interfaces.
@@ -19,11 +20,6 @@
 -- HughesPJ Pretty Printing library. Calling toPPDoc on a StringTemplate
 -- yields a Doc with appropriate paragraph-fill wrapping that can be
 -- rendered in the usual fashion.
---
--- This library extends the current StringTemplate grammar by allowing the
--- application of alternating attributes to anonymous
--- as well as regular templates, including therefore sets of alternating
--- attributes.
 --
 -- Basic instances are provided of the StringTemplateShows and ToSElem class.
 -- Any type deriving ToSElem can be passed automatically as a StringTemplate
diff --git a/Text/StringTemplate/Base.hs b/Text/StringTemplate/Base.hs
--- a/Text/StringTemplate/Base.hs
+++ b/Text/StringTemplate/Base.hs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
      parseSTMPNames
     ) where
 import Control.Arrow
-import Control.Applicative hiding ((<|>),many)
+import Control.Applicative hiding ((<|>),many,optional)
 import Control.Monad
 import Control.Parallel.Strategies(rnf, NFData(..))
 import qualified Control.Exception as C
@@ -216,8 +216,14 @@
 mergeSEnvs x y = SEnv {smp = M.union (smp x) (smp y), sopts = (sopts y ++ sopts x), sgen = sgen x, senc = senc y}
 
 parseSTMP :: (Stringable a) => (Char, Char) -> String -> Either String (SEnv a -> a)
-parseSTMP x = either (Left . show) Right . runParser (stmpl False) (x,[],[],[]) ""
+parseSTMP x = either (Left . show) Right . runParser (stmpl False) (x,[],[],[]) "" . dropTrailingBr
 
+dropTrailingBr :: String -> String
+dropTrailingBr ('\r':'\n':[]) = []
+dropTrailingBr ('\n':[]) = []
+dropTrailingBr [] = []
+dropTrailingBr (x:xs) = x : dropTrailingBr xs
+
 getSeps :: TmplParser (Char, Char)
 getSeps = (\(x,_,_,_) -> x) <$> getState
 
@@ -328,12 +334,17 @@
     noneOf chs >>= \x -> if x == '\\' then anyChar >>= \y -> return [y] else return [x]
 escapedStr chs = concat <$> many1 (escapedChar chs)
 
+{-
+escapedStr' chs = dropTrailingBr <$> escapedStr chs
+-}
+
 {--------------------------------------------------------------------
   The Grammar
 --------------------------------------------------------------------}
 myConcat :: Stringable a => [SEnv a -> a] -> (SEnv a -> a)
 myConcat xs a = smconcat $ map ($ a) xs
 
+
 -- | if p is true, stmpl can fail gracefully, false it dies hard.
 -- Set to false at the top level, and true within if expressions.
 stmpl :: Stringable a => Bool -> TmplParser (SEnv a -> a)
@@ -389,6 +400,9 @@
   Statements
 --------------------------------------------------------------------}
 
+optLine :: TmplParser ()
+optLine = optional (char '\r') >> optional (char '\n')
+
 --if env then do stuff
 getProp :: Stringable a => [SEnv a -> SElem a] -> SElem a -> SEnv a -> SElem a
 getProp (p:ps) (SM mp) env =
@@ -409,7 +423,7 @@
   n <- option True (char '!' >> return False)
   e <- subexprn
   p <- props
-  char ')' >> char cb
+  char ')' >> char cb >> optLine
   act <- stmpl True
   cont <- (try elseifstat <|> try elsestat <|> endifstat)
   return (ifIsSet act cont n =<< getProp p =<< e)
@@ -421,6 +435,7 @@
 elsestat = do
   (ca, cb) <- getSeps
   around ca (string "else") cb
+  optLine
   act <- stmpl True
   char ca >> string "endif"
   return act
diff --git a/Text/StringTemplate/Group.hs b/Text/StringTemplate/Group.hs
--- a/Text/StringTemplate/Group.hs
+++ b/Text/StringTemplate/Group.hs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import Data.IORef
 import System.IO.Unsafe
 import System.IO.Error
+import System.IO.UTF8 as U
 import qualified Data.Map as M
 
 import Text.StringTemplate.Base
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@
 
 readFile' :: FilePath -> IO String
 readFile' f = do
-  x <- readFile f
+  x <- U.readFile f
   length x `seq` return x
 
 groupFromFiles :: Stringable a => (FilePath -> IO String) -> [(FilePath,String)] -> IO (STGroup a)
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@
 -- these exceptions in unexpected places.
 directoryGroupLazy :: (Stringable a) => FilePath -> IO (STGroup a)
 directoryGroupLazy path =
-    groupFromFiles readFile .
+    groupFromFiles U.readFile .
     map ((</>) path &&& takeBaseName) . filter ((".st" ==) . takeExtension) =<<
     getDirectoryContents path
 
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@
 
 -- | See documentation for 'directoryGroupRecursive'.
 directoryGroupRecursiveLazy :: (Stringable a) => FilePath -> IO (STGroup a)
-directoryGroupRecursiveLazy path = groupFromFiles readFile =<< getTmplsRecursive "" path
+directoryGroupRecursiveLazy path = groupFromFiles U.readFile =<< getTmplsRecursive "" path
 
 -- | Adds a supergroup to any StringTemplate group such that templates from
 -- the original group are now able to call ones from the supergroup as well.
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@
 unsafeVolatileDirectoryGroup path m = return . flip addSubGroup extraTmpls $ cacheSTGroup stfg
     where stfg = StFirst . Just . newSTMP . unsafePerformIO . flip catch
                        (return . (\e -> "IO Error: " ++ show (ioeGetFileName e) ++ " -- " ++ ioeGetErrorString e))
-                 . readFile . (path </>) . (++".st")
+                 . U.readFile . (path </>) . (++".st")
           extraTmpls = addSubGroup (groupStringTemplates [("dumpAttribs", dumpAttribs)]) nullGroup
           cacheSTGroup :: STGroup a -> STGroup a
           cacheSTGroup g = unsafePerformIO $ do