diff --git a/lib/handlebars.js b/lib/handlebars.js
index a96df4cf..3d85b22b 100644
--- a/lib/handlebars.js
+++ b/lib/handlebars.js
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ Handlebars.compile = function(string) {
     var helpers, partials;
 
     if(!helpers) {
-      helpers  = this.helpers;
+      helpers  = Handlebars.helpers;
     }
 
     if(!partials) {
-      partials = this.partials;
+      partials = Handlebars.partials;
     }
 
     var runtime = new Handlebars.Runtime(context, helpers, partials);
@@ -45,13 +45,34 @@ Handlebars.compile = function(string) {
 Handlebars.helpers  = {};
 Handlebars.partials = {};
 
-Handlebars.registerHelper = function(name, fn) {
+Handlebars.registerHelper = function(name, fn, inverse) {
+  if(inverse) { fn.not = inverse; }
   this.helpers[name] = fn;
 };
 
 Handlebars.registerPartial = function(name, str) {
   this.partials[name] = str;
 };
+
+Handlebars.registerHelper('helperMissing', function(context, fn) {
+  var ret = "";
+
+  if(context === true) {
+    return fn(this);
+  } else if(context === false) {
+    return "";
+  } else if(Object.prototype.toString.call(context) === "[object Array]") {
+    for(var i=0, j=context.length; i<j; i++) {
+      ret = ret + fn(context[i]);
+    }
+    return ret;
+  } else {
+		return fn(context);
+	}
+}, function(context, fn) {
+  return fn(context)
+});
+
 // END(BROWSER)
 
 exports.Handlebars = Handlebars;
diff --git a/spec/qunit_spec.js b/spec/qunit_spec.js
index 4b652a9f..dee88919 100644
--- a/spec/qunit_spec.js
+++ b/spec/qunit_spec.js
@@ -1,33 +1,17 @@
 module("basic context");
 
-var helperMissing = function(context, fn) {
-  var ret = "";
-
-  if(context === true) {
-    return fn(this);
-  } else if(context === false) {
-    return "";
-  } else if(Object.prototype.toString.call(context) === "[object Array]") {
-    for(var i=0, j=context.length; i<j; i++) {
-      ret = ret + fn(context[i]);
-    }
-    return ret;
-  } else {
-		return fn(context);
-	}
-};
-
-helperMissing.not = function(context, fn) {
-  return fn(context);
-}
-
 var shouldCompileTo = function(string, hash, expected, message) {
   var template = Handlebars.compile(string);
   if(Object.prototype.toString.call(hash) === "[object Array]") {
-    hash[1].helperMissing = helperMissing;
+    if(hash[1]) {
+      for(var prop in Handlebars.helpers) {
+        hash[1][prop] = Handlebars.helpers[prop];
+      }
+    }
   } else {
-    hash = [hash, {helperMissing: helperMissing}];
+    hash = [hash];
   }
+
   result = template.apply(this, hash)
   equal(result, expected, "'" + expected + "' should === '" + result + "': " + message);
 }