diff --git a/bin/README.md b/bin/README.md
index 33b393e..da29603 100644
--- a/bin/README.md
+++ b/bin/README.md
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ go build -o xtemplate
 
 # build from repo root
 go build -o xtemplate ./bin
+
+# build with sqlite3 driver and json extensions
+GOFLAGS='-tags="sqlite_json"' CGO_ENABLED=1 go build -o xtemplate
 ```
 
 ### Usage
diff --git a/serve.go b/serve.go
index 59bb58d..5a4a3a0 100644
--- a/serve.go
+++ b/serve.go
@@ -75,8 +75,10 @@ func (t *XTemplate) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 		log.Info("error executing template", "error", err)
-		if dberr := tx.Rollback(); dberr != nil {
-			log.Info("failed to roll back transaction", "error", err)
+		if tx != nil {
+			if dberr := tx.Rollback(); dberr != nil {
+				log.Info("failed to roll back transaction", "error", dberr)
+			}
 		}
 		http.Error(w, "failed to render response", http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
diff --git a/templates.go b/templates.go
index bb016ad..44ef41f 100644
--- a/templates.go
+++ b/templates.go
@@ -92,12 +92,12 @@ func (t *XTemplate) Reload() error {
 		}
 		// add the route handler template
 		if !strings.HasPrefix(filepath.Base(path_), "_") {
-			path_ = strings.TrimSuffix(path_, filepath.Ext(path_))
-			if path.Base(path_) == "index" {
-				path_ = path.Dir(path_)
+			routePath := strings.TrimSuffix(path_, filepath.Ext(path_))
+			if path.Base(routePath) == "index" {
+				routePath = path.Dir(routePath)
 			}
-			route := "GET " + path_
-			log.Debug("adding filename route template", "route", route, "path", path_)
+			route := "GET " + routePath
+			log.Debug("adding filename route template", "route", route, "routePath", routePath, "path", path_)
 			_, err = templates.AddParseTree(route, newtemplates[path_])
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("could not add parse tree from '%s': %v", path_, err)