diff --git a/template_nest.go b/template_nest.go
index 8f6083d..6238585 100644
--- a/template_nest.go
+++ b/template_nest.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package templatenest
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"html"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -25,12 +26,13 @@ type Option struct {
 	TokenEscapeChar       string    // Escapes a token delimiter, i.e. if set to '\' then variables that have '\' prefix won't be replaced
 	DefaultsNamespaceChar string
 	Defaults              Hash // Provide a hash of default values that are substituted if template hash does not provide a value
-	defaultsFlat          Hash
+	NoEscapeInput         bool // By default all template values are html escaped
 }
 
 type TemplateNest struct {
-	option Option
-	cache  map[string]TemplateFileIndex
+	option       Option
+	defaultsFlat Hash
+	cache        map[string]TemplateFileIndex
 }
 
 // TemplateFileIndex represents an indexed template file.
@@ -83,12 +85,11 @@ func New(opts Option) (*TemplateNest, error) {
 		opts.Defaults = make(map[string]interface{})
 	}
 
-	opts.defaultsFlat = FlattenMap(opts.Defaults, "", opts.DefaultsNamespaceChar)
-
 	// Initialize TemplateNest with the final options.
 	nest := &TemplateNest{
-		option: opts,
-		cache:  make(map[string]TemplateFileIndex),
+		option:       opts,
+		cache:        make(map[string]TemplateFileIndex),
+		defaultsFlat: FlattenMap(opts.Defaults, "", opts.DefaultsNamespaceChar),
 	}
 
 	// Walk through the template directory and index the templates.
@@ -263,7 +264,10 @@ func (nest *TemplateNest) Render(toRender interface{}) (string, error) {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%t", v), nil
 
 	case string:
-		return v, nil
+		if nest.option.NoEscapeInput {
+			return v, nil
+		}
+		return html.EscapeString(v), nil
 
 	case float64, int, int64:
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%v", v), nil
@@ -337,7 +341,7 @@ func (nest *TemplateNest) Render(toRender interface{}) (string, error) {
 			replacement := ""
 
 			value, exists := v[variable.Name]
-			defaultValue, defaultExists := nest.option.defaultsFlat[variable.Name]
+			defaultValue, defaultExists := nest.defaultsFlat[variable.Name]
 
 			if exists || defaultExists {
 				if !exists {