diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 324b943af..10ed9ce4d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -99,13 +99,13 @@ Hello ${data.name}!
 The template can then be rendered as shown in the following sample code:
 
 ```javascript
-var raptorTemplates = require('raptor-templates');
 var templatePath = require.resolve('./hello.rhtml');
-
-raptorTemplates.render(templatePath, {
+var template = require('raptor-templates').load(templatePath);
+template.render({
         name: 'World',
         colors: ["red", "green", "blue"]
-    }, function(err, output) {
+    },
+    function(err, output) {
         console.log(output);
     });
 ```
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ npm install raptor-templates --global
 
 ### Callback API
 ```javascript
-var raptorTemplates = require('raptor-templates');
-raptorTemplates.render('template.rhtml', {
+var template = require('raptor-templates').load('template.rhtml');
+template.render({
         name: 'Frank',
         count: 30
     },
@@ -222,12 +222,11 @@ raptorTemplates.render('template.rhtml', {
 
 ### Streaming API
 ```javascript
-var raptorTemplates = require('raptor-templates');
+var template = require('raptor-templates').load('template.rhtml');
 var out = require('fs').createWriteStream('index.html', 'utf8');
 
 // Render the template to 'index.html'
-raptorTemplates
-    .stream('template.rhtml', {
+template.stream({
         name: 'Frank',
         count: 30
     })
@@ -239,6 +238,7 @@ raptorTemplates
 
 ```javascript
 var raptorTemplates = require('raptor-templates');
+var template = raptorTemplates.load('template.rhtml');
 var out = require('fs').createWriteStream('index.html', 'utf8');
 
 var context = raptorTemplates.createContext(out);
@@ -251,10 +251,8 @@ setTimeout(function() {
 }, 1000);
 
 // Render the template to the existing render context:
-raptorTemplates
-    .render(
-        'template.rhtml',
-        {
+template
+    .render({
             name: 'World'
         },
         context);
@@ -280,11 +278,16 @@ Given the following module code that will be used to render a template on the cl
 
 _run.js_:
 ```javascript
-var raptorTemplates = require('raptor-templates');
+
 var templatePath = require.resolve('./hello.rhtml');
-raptorTemplates.render(templatePath, {name: 'John'}, function(err, output) {
-    document.body.innerHTML = output;
-});
+var template = require('raptor-templates').load(templatePath);
+
+templatePath.render({
+        name: 'John'
+    },
+    function(err, output) {
+        document.body.innerHTML = output;
+    });
 ```
 
 You can then bundle up the above program for running in the browser using either [raptor-optimizer](https://github.com/raptorjs3/raptor-optimizer) (recommended) or [browserify](https://github.com/substack/node-browserify).
@@ -1166,7 +1169,8 @@ The complete code for this example is shown below:
 _components/tabs/renderer.js:_
 
 ```javascript
-var raptorTemplates = require('raptor-templates');
+var templatePath = require.resolve('./template.rhtml');
+var template = require('raptor-templates').load(templatePath);
 
 module.exports = function render(input, context) {
     var nestedTabs = [];  
@@ -1180,10 +1184,9 @@ module.exports = function render(input, context) {
     });
     
     // Now render the markup for the tabs:
-    raptorTemplates.render(require.resolve('./template.rhtml'), {
+    template.render({
         tabs: nestedTabs
     }, context);
-    
 };
 ```
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a871acaac..155a1bf29 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,60 +1,61 @@
 {
-    "name": "raptor-templates",
-    "description": "Raptor Templates",
-    "keywords": [
-        "templating",
-        "template",
-        "async",
-        "streaming"
-    ],
-    "repository": {
-        "type": "git",
-        "url": "https://github.com/raptorjs3/raptor-templates.git"
-    },
-    "scripts": {
-        "test": "node_modules/.bin/mocha --ui bdd --reporter spec ./test && node_modules/.bin/jshint compiler/ runtime/ taglibs/ dust/"
-    },
-    "author": "Patrick Steele-Idem <pnidem@gmail.com>",
-    "maintainers": [
-        "Patrick Steele-Idem <pnidem@gmail.com>"
-    ],
-    "dependencies": {
-        "raptor-detect": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-logging": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-strings": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-regexp": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-util": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-arrays": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-json": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-modules": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-render-context": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-data-providers": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-xml": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-objects": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-ecma": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "htmlparser2": "~3.5.1",
-        "char-props": "~0.1.5",
-        "raptor-promises": "^0.2.0-beta",
-        "raptor-args": "^0.1.9-beta",
-        "minimatch": "^0.2.14",
-        "property-handlers": "^0.2.1-beta",
-        "raptor-dust": "^0.3.6-beta"
-    },
-    "devDependencies": {
-        "mocha": "~1.15.1",
-        "chai": "~1.8.1",
-        "jshint": "^2.5.0",
-        "raptor-cache": "^0.2.7-beta",
-        "dustjs-linkedin": "^2.3.4"
-    },
-    "license": "Apache License v2.0",
-    "bin": {
-        "rhtmlc": "bin/rhtmlc"
-    },
-    "main": "runtime/raptor-templates-runtime.js",
-    "publishConfig": {
-        "registry": "https://registry.npmjs.org/"
-    },
-    "ebay": {},
-    "version": "0.2.36-beta"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+  "name": "raptor-templates",
+  "description": "Raptor Templates",
+  "keywords": [
+    "templating",
+    "template",
+    "async",
+    "streaming"
+  ],
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "https://github.com/raptorjs3/raptor-templates.git"
+  },
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "node_modules/.bin/mocha --ui bdd --reporter spec ./test && node_modules/.bin/jshint compiler/ runtime/ taglibs/ dust/"
+  },
+  "author": "Patrick Steele-Idem <pnidem@gmail.com>",
+  "maintainers": [
+    "Patrick Steele-Idem <pnidem@gmail.com>"
+  ],
+  "dependencies": {
+    "raptor-detect": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-logging": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-strings": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-regexp": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-util": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-arrays": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-json": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-modules": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-render-context": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-data-providers": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-xml": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-objects": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-ecma": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "htmlparser2": "~3.5.1",
+    "char-props": "~0.1.5",
+    "raptor-promises": "^0.2.0-beta",
+    "raptor-args": "^0.1.9-beta",
+    "minimatch": "^0.2.14",
+    "property-handlers": "^0.2.1-beta",
+    "raptor-dust": "^0.3.6-beta"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "mocha": "~1.15.1",
+    "chai": "~1.8.1",
+    "jshint": "^2.5.0",
+    "raptor-cache": "^0.2.7-beta",
+    "dustjs-linkedin": "^2.3.4",
+    "through": "^2.3.4"
+  },
+  "license": "Apache License v2.0",
+  "bin": {
+    "rhtmlc": "bin/rhtmlc"
+  },
+  "main": "runtime/raptor-templates-runtime.js",
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "registry": "https://registry.npmjs.org/"
+  },
+  "ebay": {},
+  "version": "0.2.36-beta"
+}
diff --git a/runtime/raptor-templates-runtime.js b/runtime/raptor-templates-runtime.js
index 1988ade83..30aa254ed 100644
--- a/runtime/raptor-templates-runtime.js
+++ b/runtime/raptor-templates-runtime.js
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ Template.prototype = {
             };
         }
 
-        return new Readable(this._, data);
+        return new Readable(this, data);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/test/api-tests.js b/test/api-tests.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6c34c9858
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/api-tests.js
@@ -0,0 +1,192 @@
+'use strict';
+var chai = require('chai');
+chai.Assertion.includeStack = true;
+require('chai').should();
+var expect = require('chai').expect;
+var nodePath = require('path');
+var raptorTemplates = require('../');
+var through = require('through');
+
+describe('raptor-templates/rhtml' , function() {
+
+    beforeEach(function(done) {
+        done();
+    });
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered using a callback', function(done) {
+        raptorTemplates.render(
+            nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'),
+            {
+                name: 'John'
+            },
+            function(err, output) {
+                if (err) {
+                    return done(err);
+                }
+
+                expect(output).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            });
+    });
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered to a context wrapping a string builder', function(done) {
+        var context = raptorTemplates.createContext();
+        context
+            .on('end', function() {
+                expect(context.getOutput()).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            })
+            .on('error', function(e) {
+                done(e);
+            });
+
+        raptorTemplates.render(
+            nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'),
+            {
+                name: 'John'
+            },
+            context);
+
+        context.end();
+    });
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered to a context wrapping a stream', function(done) {
+        var output = '';
+
+        var stream = through(function write(data) {
+            output += data;
+        });
+
+        var context = raptorTemplates.createContext(stream);
+        context
+            .on('end', function() {
+                expect(output).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            })
+            .on('error', function(e) {
+                done(e);
+            });
+
+        raptorTemplates.render(
+            nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'),
+            {
+                name: 'John'
+            },
+            context);
+
+        context.end();
+    });
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered to a stream', function(done) {
+        
+
+        var output = '';
+        var outStream = through(function write(data) {
+                output += data;
+            });
+
+
+        raptorTemplates.stream(
+            nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'),
+            {
+                name: 'John'
+            })
+            .pipe(outStream)
+            .on('end', function() {
+                expect(output).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            })
+            .on('error', function(e) {
+                done(e);
+            });
+    });
+
+
+    /// TEMPLATE LOADING:
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered using a callback', function(done) {
+        var template = raptorTemplates.load(nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'));
+        template.render({
+                name: 'John'
+            },
+            function(err, output) {
+                if (err) {
+                    return done(err);
+                }
+
+                expect(output).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            });
+    });
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered to a context wrapping a string builder', function(done) {
+        var context = raptorTemplates.createContext();
+        context
+            .on('end', function() {
+                expect(context.getOutput()).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            })
+            .on('error', function(e) {
+                done(e);
+            });
+
+        var template = raptorTemplates.load(nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'));
+        template.render({
+                name: 'John'
+            },
+            context);
+
+        context.end();
+    });
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered to a context wrapping a stream', function(done) {
+
+        var output = '';
+
+        var stream = through(function write(data) {
+            output += data;
+        });
+
+        var context = raptorTemplates.createContext(stream);
+        context
+            .on('end', function() {
+                expect(output).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            })
+            .on('error', function(e) {
+                done(e);
+            });
+
+        var template = raptorTemplates.load(nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'));
+        template.render({
+                name: 'John'
+            },
+            context);
+
+        context.end();
+    });
+
+    it('should allow a template to be loaded and rendered to a stream', function(done) {
+        var template = raptorTemplates.load(nodePath.join(__dirname, 'test-project/hello.rhtml'));
+
+        var output = '';
+        var outStream = through(function write(data) {
+                output += data;
+            });
+
+
+        template.stream({
+                name: 'John'
+            })
+            .pipe(outStream)
+            .on('end', function() {
+                expect(output).to.equal('Hello John!');
+                done();
+            })
+            .on('error', function(e) {
+                done(e);
+            });
+    });
+
+});
+
diff --git a/test/test-project/hello.rhtml b/test/test-project/hello.rhtml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1422c71c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-project/hello.rhtml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hello $data.name!
\ No newline at end of file