diff --git a/src/stencil/merger.clj b/src/stencil/merger.clj
index 68e2baa4..4d7fd6ad 100644
--- a/src/stencil/merger.clj
+++ b/src/stencil/merger.clj
@@ -35,35 +35,28 @@
 (defn- ->action-inside-parser [chars-and-tokens-to-append]
   (let [expected-close-tag-chars   (volatile! (seq close-tag))
         buffer-nonclose-chars-only (new java.util.ArrayList)
-        buffer-all-chars           (new java.util.ArrayList)
-        buffer-tokens-only         (new java.util.ArrayList)
         buffer-all-read            (new java.util.ArrayList)] 
     (fn self
       ([]
-       (when (or (seq buffer-all-chars) (seq buffer-nonclose-chars-only) (seq buffer-tokens-only))
+       (when (seq buffer-all-read)
          (assert false "Not-empty buffer!"))
        ) ;; TODO: throw exception if any of the buffers is not empty.
       ([token]
        (.add buffer-all-read token)
        (if (= token (first @expected-close-tag-chars))
-         (if (= 1 (count @expected-close-tag-chars))
+         (when-not (vswap! expected-close-tag-chars next)
            ;; we have read the whole close token 
            (let [action (map-action-token {:action (apply str buffer-nonclose-chars-only)})]
              (if (:action action)
-               (->action-parser (concat [action] (remove char? chars-and-tokens-to-append) (vec buffer-tokens-only)))
-               (->action-parser (concat (vec chars-and-tokens-to-append) (vec buffer-all-read)))))
-           ;; we have read one char of the close
-           (do (vswap! expected-close-tag-chars next)
-               (.add buffer-all-chars token)
-               self))
-         (if (char? token)
-           (do (.add buffer-all-chars token)
-               (doto buffer-nonclose-chars-only
-                 (.clear) (.addAll buffer-all-chars))
-               (vreset! expected-close-tag-chars (seq close-tag))
-               self)
-           (do (.add buffer-tokens-only token)
-               self)))))))
+               (->action-parser (concat [action]
+                                        (remove char? chars-and-tokens-to-append)
+                                        (remove char? buffer-all-read)))
+               (->action-parser (concat (vec chars-and-tokens-to-append) (vec buffer-all-read))))))
+         (when (char? token)
+           (doto buffer-nonclose-chars-only
+             (.clear) (.addAll (filter char? buffer-all-read)))
+           (vreset! expected-close-tag-chars (seq close-tag))
+           self))))))
 
 ;; returns either a collection of elements or nil
 (defn ->action-parser [prepend]
diff --git a/src/stencil/util.clj b/src/stencil/util.clj
index 4d5634d9..8ea25404 100644
--- a/src/stencil/util.clj
+++ b/src/stencil/util.clj
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@
 (defn assoc-if-val [m k v]
   (if (some? v) (assoc m k v) m))
 
-(defn suffixes [xs] (take-while seq (iterate next xs)))
-(defn prefixes [xs] (take-while seq (iterate butlast xs)))
-
 (defmacro fail [msg obj]
   (assert (string? msg))
   (assert (map? obj))
@@ -66,8 +63,6 @@
         (number? x) (int x)
         :else       (fail "Unexpected type of input" {:type (:type x) :input x})))
 
-(defn subs-last [^String s ^long n] (.substring s (- (.length s) n)))
-
 (defn parsing-exception [expression message]
   (ParsingException/fromMessage (str expression) (str message)))
 
diff --git a/test/stencil/util_test.clj b/test/stencil/util_test.clj
index 853b59af..c95d910a 100644
--- a/test/stencil/util_test.clj
+++ b/test/stencil/util_test.clj
@@ -55,18 +55,6 @@
       (testing "Difference clojure core"
         (is (not (zip/branch? (xml-zip 42))))))))
 
-(deftest test-suffixes
-  (is (= [] (suffixes nil)))
-  (is (= [] (suffixes [])))
-  (is (= [[1]] (suffixes [1])))
-  (is (= [[1 2 3] [2 3] [3]] (suffixes [1 2 3]))))
-
-(deftest test-prefixes
-  (is (= [] (prefixes nil)))
-  (is (= [] (prefixes [])))
-  (is (= [[1]] (prefixes [1])))
-  (is (= [[1 2 3] [1 2] [1]] (prefixes [1 2 3]))))
-
 (deftest test-->int
   (is (= nil (->int nil)))
   (is (= 23 (->int 23)))
@@ -97,14 +85,6 @@
 (deftest fail-test
   (is (thrown? clojure.lang.ExceptionInfo (fail "test error" {}))))
 
-(deftest prefixes-test
-  (is (= [] (prefixes []) (prefixes nil)))
-  (is (= [[1 2 3] [1 2] [1]] (prefixes [1 2 3]))))
-
-(deftest suffixes-test
-  (is (= [] (suffixes []) (suffixes nil)))
-  (is (= [[1 2 3] [2 3] [3]] (suffixes [1 2 3]))))
-
 (deftest whitespace?-test
   (is (= true (whitespace? \space)))
   (is (= true (whitespace? \tab)))