diff --git a/spec/bookmarks.js b/spec/bookmarks.js
index 9b88d1aa9..3c115afd5 100644
--- a/spec/bookmarks.js
+++ b/spec/bookmarks.js
@@ -309,11 +309,14 @@
                 if (!(stanza instanceof Element) || stanza.nodeName !== 'iq') {
                     return;
                 }
-                if (stanza.outerHTML ===
+                // XXX: Wrapping in a div is a workaround for PhantomJS
+                var div = document.createElement('div');
+                div.appendChild(stanza);
+                if (div.innerHTML ===
                     '<iq from="dummy@localhost/resource" type="get" '+
                          'xmlns="jabber:client" id="'+stanza.getAttribute('id')+'">'+
                     '<pubsub xmlns="http://jabber.org/protocol/pubsub">'+
-                        '<items node="storage:bookmarks"/>'+
+                        '<items node="storage:bookmarks"></items>'+
                     '</pubsub>'+
                     '</iq>') {
                     IQ_id = stanza.getAttribute('id');
@@ -366,14 +369,29 @@
 
         describe("The rooms panel", function () {
 
-            it("shows a list of bookmarks", mock.initConverse(function (_converse) {
+            it("shows a list of bookmarks", mock.initConverseWithConnectionSpies(['send'], function (_converse) {
                 var IQ_id;
-                var sendIQ = _converse.connection.sendIQ;
-                spyOn(_converse.connection, 'sendIQ').and.callFake(function (iq, callback, errback) {
-                    IQ_id = sendIQ.bind(this)(iq, callback, errback);
-                });
+                expect(_.filter(_converse.connection.send.calls.all(), function (call) {
+                    var stanza = call.args[0]
+                    if (!(stanza instanceof Element) || stanza.nodeName !== 'iq') {
+                        return;
+                    }
+                    // XXX: Wrapping in a div is a workaround for PhantomJS
+                    var div = document.createElement('div');
+                    div.appendChild(stanza);
+                    if (div.innerHTML ===
+                        '<iq from="dummy@localhost/resource" type="get" '+
+                            'xmlns="jabber:client" id="'+stanza.getAttribute('id')+'">'+
+                        '<pubsub xmlns="http://jabber.org/protocol/pubsub">'+
+                            '<items node="storage:bookmarks"></items>'+
+                        '</pubsub>'+
+                        '</iq>') {
+                        IQ_id = stanza.getAttribute('id');
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }).length).toBe(1);
+
                 _converse.chatboxviews.get('controlbox').$('#chatrooms dl.bookmarks').html('');
-                _converse.emit('chatBoxesFetched');
                 var stanza = $iq({'to': _converse.connection.jid, 'type':'result', 'id':IQ_id})
                     .c('pubsub', {'xmlns': Strophe.NS.PUBSUB})
                         .c('items', {'node': 'storage:bookmarks'})
@@ -398,14 +416,42 @@
                 expect($('#chatrooms dl.bookmarks dd').length).toBe(3);
             }));
 
-            it("remembers the toggle state of the bookmarks list", mock.initConverse(function (_converse) {
+            it("remembers the toggle state of the bookmarks list",
+                    mock.initConverseWithConnectionSpies(['send'], function (_converse) {
+                var IQ_id;
+                expect(_.filter(_converse.connection.send.calls.all(), function (call) {
+                    var stanza = call.args[0]
+                    if (!(stanza instanceof Element) || stanza.nodeName !== 'iq') {
+                        return;
+                    }
+                    // XXX: Wrapping in a div is a workaround for PhantomJS
+                    var div = document.createElement('div');
+                    div.appendChild(stanza);
+                    if (div.innerHTML ===
+                        '<iq from="dummy@localhost/resource" type="get" '+
+                            'xmlns="jabber:client" id="'+stanza.getAttribute('id')+'">'+
+                        '<pubsub xmlns="http://jabber.org/protocol/pubsub">'+
+                            '<items node="storage:bookmarks"></items>'+
+                        '</pubsub>'+
+                        '</iq>') {
+                        IQ_id = stanza.getAttribute('id');
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }).length).toBe(1);
+                _converse.chatboxviews.get('controlbox').$('#chatrooms dl.bookmarks').html('');
+                var stanza = $iq({'to': _converse.connection.jid, 'type':'result', 'id':IQ_id})
+                    .c('pubsub', {'xmlns': Strophe.NS.PUBSUB})
+                        .c('items', {'node': 'storage:bookmarks'})
+                            .c('item', {'id': 'current'})
+                                .c('storage', {'xmlns': 'storage:bookmarks'});
+                _converse.connection._dataRecv(test_utils.createRequest(stanza));
+
                 _converse.bookmarks.create({
                     'jid': 'theplay@conference.shakespeare.lit',
                     'autojoin': false,
                     'name':  'The Play',
                     'nick': ''
                 });
-                _converse.emit('chatBoxesFetched');
                 test_utils.openControlBox().openRoomsPanel(_converse);
                 expect($('#chatrooms dl.bookmarks dd:visible').length).toBe(1);
                 expect(_converse.bookmarksview.list_model.get('toggle-state')).toBe(_converse.OPENED);
diff --git a/src/converse-core.js b/src/converse-core.js
index 9693f24c9..66694f571 100755
--- a/src/converse-core.js
+++ b/src/converse-core.js
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@
      * config of requirejs-tpl in main.js). This one is for normal inline templates.
      */
     _.templateSettings = {
-        evaluate : /\{\[([\s\S]+?)\]\}/g,
-        interpolate : /\{\{([\s\S]+?)\}\}/g
+        'escape': /\{\{\{([\s\S]+?)\}\}\}/g,
+        'evaluate': /\{\[([\s\S]+?)\]\}/g,
+        'interpolate': /\{\{([\s\S]+?)\}\}/g
     };
 
     var _converse = {};