diff --git a/ltm/src/ltm_template_compile.c b/ltm/src/ltm_template_compile.c
index 85145e3..e985790 100644
--- a/ltm/src/ltm_template_compile.c
+++ b/ltm/src/ltm_template_compile.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "ltm/common.h"
@@ -19,6 +20,10 @@ ltm_err ltm_template_init(ltm_template **out) {
 
 bool ltm_template_next_placeholder(ltm_placeholder *ph, const char *s,
                                    size_t len) {
+  if (len == 0) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   ph->start = memchr(s, '{', len - 1);
 
   if ((ph->start != NULL) && (ph->start[1] == '{')) {
@@ -97,19 +102,59 @@ ltm_err ltm_template_compile_n(ltm_template **out, const char *s, size_t len) {
   bool in_loop = false;
   const char *loop_start = NULL;
   size_t loop_depth = 0;
+
   size_t cur_loop_depth = 0;
 
-  // TODO to ensure the loops are balanced, we should count how many loop starts
-  // we have seen and only match a loop end if the number matches; this way, we
-  // can allow arbitrarily nested loops
-
   while (ltm_template_next_placeholder(&ph, s, len)) {
+    // Add part before placeholder as literal
+    if (!in_loop && (ph.start != s)) {
+      ltm_template_block *blocks =
+          realloc(template->blocks.arr,
+                  (template->blocks.len + 1) * sizeof(ltm_template_block));
+
+      if (blocks == NULL) {
+        return ltm_err_failed_alloc;
+      }
+
+      blocks[template->blocks.len].type = ltm_template_block_type_literal;
+      blocks[template->blocks.len].data.s = s;
+      blocks[template->blocks.len].len = ph.start - s;
+
+      template->blocks.arr = blocks;
+      template->blocks.len++;
+    }
+
     switch (ph.type) {
     case ltm_placeholder_type_invalid:
       return ltm_err_invalid_template;
-    case ltm_placeholder_type_var:
-      // TODO add var block
-      break;
+    case ltm_placeholder_type_var: {
+      ltm_template_block *blocks =
+          realloc(template->blocks.arr,
+                  (template->blocks.len + 1) * sizeof(ltm_template_block));
+
+      if (blocks == NULL) {
+        return ltm_err_failed_alloc;
+      }
+
+      blocks[template->blocks.len].type = ltm_template_block_type_var;
+      template->blocks.arr = blocks;
+
+      ltm_template_block_name *names =
+          realloc(template->names.arr,
+                  (template->names.len + 1) * sizeof(ltm_template_block_name));
+
+      if (names == NULL) {
+        return ltm_err_failed_alloc;
+      }
+
+      names[template->names.len].name.s = ph.name.s;
+      names[template->names.len].name.len = ph.name.len;
+      names[template->names.len].index = template->blocks.len;
+      template->names.arr = names;
+
+      template->blocks.len++;
+      template->names.len++;
+    } break;
     case ltm_placeholder_type_loop_start:
       if (!in_loop) {
         loop_start = ph.end + 1;
@@ -119,6 +164,10 @@ ltm_err ltm_template_compile_n(ltm_template **out, const char *s, size_t len) {
       cur_loop_depth++;
       break;
     case ltm_placeholder_type_loop_end:
+      if (cur_loop_depth == 0) {
+        return ltm_err_invalid_template;
+      }
+
       cur_loop_depth--;
 
       if (in_loop && (cur_loop_depth == loop_depth)) {
@@ -134,7 +183,7 @@ ltm_err ltm_template_compile_n(ltm_template **out, const char *s, size_t len) {
       break;
     }
 
-    len -= ph.end + 1 - ph.start;
+    len -= ph.end + 1 - s;
     s = ph.end + 1;
   }
 
@@ -143,6 +192,26 @@ ltm_err ltm_template_compile_n(ltm_template **out, const char *s, size_t len) {
     return ltm_err_invalid_template;
   }
 
+  // Add remaining trailing literal
+  if (len > 0) {
+    ltm_template_block *blocks =
+        realloc(template->blocks.arr,
+                (template->blocks.len + 1) * sizeof(ltm_template_block));
+
+    if (blocks == NULL) {
+      return ltm_err_failed_alloc;
+    }
+
+    blocks[template->blocks.len].type = ltm_template_block_type_literal;
+    blocks[template->blocks.len].data.s = s;
+    blocks[template->blocks.len].len = len;
+
+    template->blocks.arr = blocks;
+    template->blocks.len++;
+  }
+
+  *out = template;
+
   return ltm_err_ok;
 }
 
diff --git a/ltm/test/compile.c b/ltm/test/compile.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06a5355
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ltm/test/compile.c
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#include "test.h"
+
+#include "ltm/template.h"
+#include "ltm/template_internal.h"
+
+void test_single_placeholder() {
+  const char *s = "Hello, {{ world }}";
+
+  ltm_template *template;
+  TEST_CHECK(ltm_template_compile(&template, s) == ltm_err_ok);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.len == 2);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[0].type == ltm_template_block_type_literal);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[0].data.s == s);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[0].len == 7);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[1].type == ltm_template_block_type_var);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.len == 1);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.arr[0].name.s == s + 10);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.arr[0].name.len == 5);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.arr[0].index == 1);
+}
+
+void test_single_placeholder_trailing() {
+  const char *s = "Hello, {{ world }}!";
+
+  ltm_template *template;
+  TEST_CHECK(ltm_template_compile(&template, s) == ltm_err_ok);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.len == 3);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[0].type == ltm_template_block_type_literal);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[0].data.s == s);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[0].len == 7);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[1].type == ltm_template_block_type_var);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[2].type == ltm_template_block_type_literal);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[2].data.s == s + 18);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->blocks.arr[2].len == 1);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.len == 1);
+
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.arr[0].name.s == s + 10);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.arr[0].name.len == 5);
+  TEST_CHECK(template->names.arr[0].index == 1);
+}
+
+TEST_LIST = {
+  { "template single placeholder", test_single_placeholder },
+  { "template single placeholder trailing", test_single_placeholder_trailing },
+  { NULL, NULL }
+};