diff --git a/taglibs/core/core-transformer.js b/taglibs/core/core-transformer.js
index b9e571fee..871557d2d 100644
--- a/taglibs/core/core-transformer.js
+++ b/taglibs/core/core-transformer.js
@@ -164,11 +164,16 @@ var coreAttrHandlers = [
         'include', function(attr, node, el) {
             var context = this.context;
 
-            if (attr.argument) {
-                var includeNode = context.createNodeForEl('include', null, attr.argument);
-                node.appendChild(includeNode);
+            if (typeof attr.argument === 'string') {
+                if (attr.argument) {
+                    var includeNode = context.createNodeForEl('include', null, attr.argument);
+                    node.appendChild(includeNode);                    
+                } else {
+                    context.addError(el, 'The include attribute must have an argument. For example: include("./target.marko") or include(data.renderBody)');
+                }
+
             } else {
-                context.addError(el, 'The include attribute must have an argument. For example: include("./target.marko") or include(data.renderBody)');
+                return false;
             }
         }
     ]
diff --git a/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/expected.html b/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/expected.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84624d6b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/expected.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div include="123"></div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/template.marko b/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/template.marko
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5cf3a6d78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/template.marko
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div include="123"/>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/test.js b/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c4013b344
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/autotests/render/include-attr-no-arg/test.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exports.templateData = {};