diff --git a/src/text/template/parse/parse.go b/src/text/template/parse/parse.go
index af33880c15..d0efcbf609 100644
--- a/src/text/template/parse/parse.go
+++ b/src/text/template/parse/parse.go
@@ -288,11 +288,12 @@ func (t *Tree) parse(treeSet map[string]*Tree) (next Node) {
 			}
 			t.backup2(delim)
 		}
-		n := t.textOrAction()
-		if n.Type() == nodeEnd {
+		switch n := t.textOrAction(); n.Type() {
+		case nodeEnd, nodeElse:
 			t.errorf("unexpected %s", n)
+		default:
+			t.Root.append(n)
 		}
-		t.Root.append(n)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/src/text/template/parse/parse_test.go b/src/text/template/parse/parse_test.go
index 4a504fa7c8..faac06fe5a 100644
--- a/src/text/template/parse/parse_test.go
+++ b/src/text/template/parse/parse_test.go
@@ -230,6 +230,9 @@ var parseTests = []parseTest{
 	// Errors.
 	{"unclosed action", "hello{{range", hasError, ""},
 	{"unmatched end", "{{end}}", hasError, ""},
+	{"unmatched else", "{{else}}", hasError, ""},
+	{"unmatched else after if", "{{if .X}}hello{{end}}{{else}}", hasError, ""},
+	{"multiple else", "{{if .X}}1{{else}}2{{else}}3{{end}}", hasError, ""},
 	{"missing end", "hello{{range .x}}", hasError, ""},
 	{"missing end after else", "hello{{range .x}}{{else}}", hasError, ""},
 	{"undefined function", "hello{{undefined}}", hasError, ""},