diff --git a/compiler/marko-compiler.js b/compiler/marko-compiler.js
index 7ff5dc44b..593d03a9f 100644
--- a/compiler/marko-compiler.js
+++ b/compiler/marko-compiler.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 var extend = require('raptor-util/extend');
 var req = require; // Fool code inspectors used by client-side bundles
 var nodePath = require('path');
+var NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV;
 
 var defaultOptions = {
         /**
@@ -62,7 +63,12 @@ var defaultOptions = {
          * compiled templates will not be written to disk (i.e., no `.marko.js` file will
          * be generated)
          */
-        writeToDisk: true
+        writeToDisk: true,
+
+        /**
+         * If true, then the compiled template on disk will assumed to be up-to-date if it exists.
+         */
+        assumeUpToDate: NODE_ENV == null ? false : (NODE_ENV !== 'development' && NODE_ENV !== 'dev')
     };
 
 if (process.env.MARKO_CLEAN === '' || process.env.MARKO_CLEAN === 'true') {
diff --git a/runtime/loader.js b/runtime/loader.js
index 98b0b95e5..22656945a 100644
--- a/runtime/loader.js
+++ b/runtime/loader.js
@@ -45,12 +45,36 @@ function loadSource(templatePath, compiledSrc) {
 }
 
 function loadFile(templatePath, options) {
+    var targetFile = templatePath + '.js';
+
+    // Short-circuit loading if the template has already been cached in the Node.js require cache
+    var cached = require.cache[targetFile];
+    if (cached) {
+        return cached.exports;
+    }
+
     templatePath = nodePath.resolve(cwd, templatePath);
     var targetDir = nodePath.dirname(templatePath);
 
-    var targetFile = templatePath + '.js';
+    targetFile = templatePath + '.js';
+
+    // Check the require cache again after fully resolving the path
+    cached = require.cache[targetFile];
+    if (cached) {
+        return cached.exports;
+    }
+
+    // If the `assumeUpToDate` option is true then we just assume that the compiled template on disk is up-to-date
+    // if it exists
+    if (markoCompiler.defaultOptions.assumeUpToDate) {
+        if (fs.existsSync(targetFile)) {
+            return require(targetFile);
+        }
+    }
+
     var compiler = markoCompiler.createCompiler(templatePath, options);
     var isUpToDate = compiler.checkUpToDate(targetFile);
+
     if (isUpToDate) {
         return require(targetFile);
     }