diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b5db320..cd67ffd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ template evaluation.
 
 The EJS tag syntax is as follows:
 
-* `<% ... %>` silently evaluates the statement inside the tags.
-* `<%= ... %>` evaluates the expression inside the tags and inserts
-  its string value into the template output.
-* `<%- ... %>` behaves like `<%= ... %>` but HTML-escapes its output.
+* Unescaped buffering with `<%- code %>`
+* Escapes html by default with `<%= code %>`
+* Unbuffered code for conditionals etc `<% code %>`
 
 If you have the [ExecJS](https://github.com/sstephenson/execjs/)
 library and a suitable JavaScript runtime installed, you can pass a
diff --git a/lib/ejs.rb b/lib/ejs.rb
index 686649a..4648f5f 100644
--- a/lib/ejs.rb
+++ b/lib/ejs.rb
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ module EJS
     'u2029' => "\u2029"
   }
   JS_ESCAPES = JS_UNESCAPES.invert
-  JS_UNESCAPE_PATTERN = /\\(#{Regexp.union(JS_UNESCAPES.keys)})/
   JS_ESCAPE_PATTERN = Regexp.union(JS_ESCAPES.keys)
+  JS_UNESCAPE_PATTERN = /\\(#{Regexp.union(JS_UNESCAPES.keys)})/
 
   class << self
+    attr_accessor :escape_pattern
     attr_accessor :evaluation_pattern
     attr_accessor :interpolation_pattern
-    attr_accessor :escape_pattern
 
     # Compiles an EJS template to a JavaScript function. The compiled
     # function takes an optional argument, an object specifying local
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def escape_function
       end
   end
 
+  self.escape_pattern = /<%=([\s\S]+?)%>/
   self.evaluation_pattern = /<%([\s\S]+?)%>/
-  self.interpolation_pattern = /<%=([\s\S]+?)%>/
-  self.escape_pattern = /<%-([\s\S]+?)%>/
+  self.interpolation_pattern = /<%-([\s\S]+?)%>/
 end
diff --git a/test/test_ejs.rb b/test/test_ejs.rb
index ed760da..56d572e 100644
--- a/test/test_ejs.rb
+++ b/test/test_ejs.rb
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ class EJSCompilationTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   extend TestHelper
 
   test "compile" do
-    result = EJS.compile("Hello <%= name %>")
+    result = EJS.compile("Hello <%- name %>")
     assert_match FUNCTION_PATTERN, result
-    assert_no_match(/Hello \<%= name %\>/, result)
+    assert_no_match(/Hello \<%- name %\>/, result)
   end
 
   test "compile with custom syntax" do
-    standard_result = EJS.compile("Hello <%= name %>")
+    standard_result = EJS.compile("Hello <%- name %>")
     braced_result   = EJS.compile("Hello {{= name }}", BRACE_SYNTAX)
 
     assert_match FUNCTION_PATTERN, braced_result
@@ -73,17 +73,17 @@ class EJSEvaluationTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   extend TestHelper
 
   test "quotes" do
-    template = "<%= thing %> is gettin' on my noives!"
+    template = "<%- thing %> is gettin' on my noives!"
     assert_equal "This is gettin' on my noives!", EJS.evaluate(template, :thing => "This")
   end
 
   test "backslashes" do
-    template = "<%= thing %> is \\ridanculous"
+    template = "<%- thing %> is \\ridanculous"
     assert_equal "This is \\ridanculous", EJS.evaluate(template, :thing => "This")
   end
 
   test "backslashes into interpolation" do
-    template = %q{<%= "Hello \"World\"" %>}
+    template = %q{<%- "Hello \"World\"" %>}
     assert_equal 'Hello "World"', EJS.evaluate(template)
   end
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class EJSEvaluationTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   test "iteration" do
     template = "<ul><%
       for (var i = 0; i < people.length; i++) {
-    %><li><%= people[i] %></li><% } %></ul>"
+    %><li><%- people[i] %></li><% } %></ul>"
     result = EJS.evaluate(template, :people => ["Moe", "Larry", "Curly"])
     assert_equal "<ul><li>Moe</li><li>Larry</li><li>Curly</li></ul>", result
   end
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class EJSEvaluationTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   test "newlines and tabs" do
-    template = "This\n\t\tis: <%= x %>.\n\tok.\nend."
+    template = "This\n\t\tis: <%- x %>.\n\tok.\nend."
     assert_equal "This\n\t\tis: that.\n\tok.\nend.", EJS.evaluate(template, :x => "that")
   end
 
@@ -157,16 +157,16 @@ class EJSEvaluationTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   test "escaping" do
-    template = "<%- foobar %>"
+    template = "<%= foobar %>"
     assert_equal "&lt;b&gt;Foo Bar&lt;&#x2F;b&gt;", EJS.evaluate(template, { :foobar => "<b>Foo Bar</b>" })
 
-    template = "<%- foobar %>"
+    template = "<%= foobar %>"
     assert_equal "Foo &amp; Bar", EJS.evaluate(template, { :foobar => "Foo & Bar" })
 
-    template = "<%- foobar %>"
+    template = "<%= foobar %>"
     assert_equal "&quot;Foo Bar&quot;", EJS.evaluate(template, { :foobar => '"Foo Bar"' })
 
-    template = "<%- foobar %>"
+    template = "<%= foobar %>"
     assert_equal "&#x27;Foo Bar&#x27;", EJS.evaluate(template, { :foobar => "'Foo Bar'" })
   end