diff --git a/test/liquid/error_handling_test.rb b/test/liquid/error_handling_test.rb
index b92660a..550cade 100644
--- a/test/liquid/error_handling_test.rb
+++ b/test/liquid/error_handling_test.rb
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class ErrorHandlingTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
   def test_missing_endtag_parse_time_error
     assert_raise(Liquid::SyntaxError) do
-      template = Liquid::Template.parse(' {% for a in b %} ... ')
+      Liquid::Template.parse(' {% for a in b %} ... ')
     end
   end
 
@@ -68,6 +68,17 @@ class ErrorHandlingTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       Liquid::Template.parse(' {% if 1 =! 2 %}ok{% endif %} ')
     end
   end
+  
+  def test_lax_unrecognized_operator
+    with_lax_parsing do
+      assert_nothing_raised do
+        template = Liquid::Template.parse(' {% if 1 =! 2 %}ok{% endif %} ')
+        assert_equal ' Liquid error: Unknown operator =! ', template.render
+        assert_equal 1, template.errors.size
+        assert_equal Liquid::ArgumentError, template.errors.first.class
+      end
+    end
+  end
 
   # Liquid should not catch Exceptions that are not subclasses of StandardError, like Interrupt and NoMemoryError
   def test_exceptions_propagate
diff --git a/test/liquid/parsing_quirks_test.rb b/test/liquid/parsing_quirks_test.rb
index cbe8c50..458b05a 100644
--- a/test/liquid/parsing_quirks_test.rb
+++ b/test/liquid/parsing_quirks_test.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class ParsingQuirksTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
   end
 
-  def test_meaningless_parens
+  def test_meaningless_parens_error
     Template.error_mode = :strict
     assert_raise(SyntaxError) do
       markup = "a == 'foo' or (b == 'bar' and c == 'baz') or false"
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class ParsingQuirksTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
   end
 
-  def test_unexpected_characters_silently_eat_logic
+  def test_unexpected_characters_syntax_error
     Template.error_mode = :strict
     assert_raise(SyntaxError) do
       markup = "true && false"
@@ -59,4 +59,31 @@ class ParsingQuirksTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       Template.parse("{% if #{markup} %} YES {% endif %}")
     end
   end
+
+  def test_no_error_on_lax_empty_filter
+    with_lax_parsing do
+      assert_nothing_raised do
+        Template.parse("{{test |a|b|}}")
+        Template.parse("{{test}}")
+        Template.parse("{{|test|}}")
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_meaningless_parens_lax
+    with_lax_parsing do
+      assigns = {'b' => 'bar', 'c' => 'baz'}
+      markup = "a == 'foo' or (b == 'bar' and c == 'baz') or false"
+      assert_template_result(' YES ',"{% if #{markup} %} YES {% endif %}", assigns)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_unexpected_characters_silently_eat_logic_lax
+    with_lax_parsing do
+      markup = "true && false"
+      assert_template_result(' YES ',"{% if #{markup} %} YES {% endif %}")
+      markup = "false || true"
+      assert_template_result('',"{% if #{markup} %} YES {% endif %}")
+    end
+  end
 end # ParsingQuirksTest
diff --git a/test/liquid/variable_test.rb b/test/liquid/variable_test.rb
index 882c157..ee3ef08 100644
--- a/test/liquid/variable_test.rb
+++ b/test/liquid/variable_test.rb
@@ -73,6 +73,14 @@ class VariableTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_symbol
+    with_lax_parsing do
+      var = Variable.new("http://disney.com/logo.gif | image: 'med' ")
+      assert_equal "http://disney.com/logo.gif", var.name
+      assert_equal [["image",["'med'"]]], var.filters
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_string_to_filter
     var = Variable.new("'http://disney.com/logo.gif' | image: 'med' ")
     assert_equal "'http://disney.com/logo.gif'", var.name
     assert_equal [["image",["'med'"]]], var.filters
@@ -114,6 +122,14 @@ class VariableTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal [['things',["greeting: \"world\"","farewell: 'goodbye'"]]], var.filters
   end
 
+  def test_lax_filter_argument_parsing
+    with_lax_parsing do
+      var = Variable.new(%! number_of_comments | pluralize: 'comment': 'comments' !)
+      assert_equal 'number_of_comments', var.name
+      assert_equal [['pluralize',["'comment'","'comments'"]]], var.filters
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_strict_filter_argument_parsing
     assert_raises(SyntaxError) do
       Variable.new(%! number_of_comments | pluralize: 'comment': 'comments' !)
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 30dd9a1..c0c4ffa 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ rescue LoadError
 end
 require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'lib', 'liquid')
 
+Liquid::Template.error_mode = :strict
+
 
 module Test
   module Unit
@@ -24,6 +26,12 @@ module Test
 
         assert_match expected, Template.parse(template).render(assigns)
       end
+
+      def with_lax_parsing
+        Liquid::Template.error_mode = :lax
+        yield
+        Liquid::Template.error_mode = :strict
+      end
     end # Assertions
   end # Unit
 end # Test