diff --git a/etlua.lua b/etlua.lua
index f384d65..6bf604a 100644
--- a/etlua.lua
+++ b/etlua.lua
@@ -316,15 +316,18 @@ do
       setfenv(fn, combined_env)
       return fn(buffer, #buffer, tostring, concat, html_escape)
     end,
-    compile_to_lua = function(self, str)
+    compile_to_lua = function(self, str, ...)
       local success, err = self:parse(str)
       if not (success) then
         return nil, err
       end
-      return self:chunks_to_lua()
+      return self:chunks_to_lua(...)
     end,
-    chunks_to_lua = function(self)
-      local r = Renderer()
+    chunks_to_lua = function(self, renderer_cls)
+      if renderer_cls == nil then
+        renderer_cls = Renderer
+      end
+      local r = renderer_cls()
       r:header()
       local _list_0 = self.chunks
       for _index_0 = 1, #_list_0 do
diff --git a/etlua.moon b/etlua.moon
index cd9ad70..757d6dd 100644
--- a/etlua.moon
+++ b/etlua.moon
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ class Renderer
     @push "_b[_b_i] = ", ...
     @push "\n" if ...
 
-
 class Parser
   open_tag: "<%"
   close_tag: "%>"
@@ -230,14 +229,14 @@ class Parser
     setfenv fn, combined_env
     fn buffer, #buffer, tostring, concat, html_escape
 
-  compile_to_lua: (str) =>
+  compile_to_lua: (str, ...) =>
     success, err = @parse str
     return nil, err unless success
-    @chunks_to_lua!
+    @chunks_to_lua ...
 
   -- generates the code of the template
-  chunks_to_lua: =>
-    r = Renderer!
+  chunks_to_lua: (renderer_cls=Renderer) =>
+    r = renderer_cls!
     r\header!
 
     for chunk in *@chunks