diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Mustache.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Mustache.java
index 37d9963..71fc13e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Mustache.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Mustache.java
@@ -571,13 +571,11 @@ public class Mustache
                 value = ((Iterable<?>)value).iterator();
             }
             if (value instanceof Iterator<?>) {
-                Template.Mode mode = null;
                 int index = 0;
                 for (Iterator<?> iter = (Iterator<?>)value; iter.hasNext(); ) {
                     Object elem = iter.next();
-                    mode = (mode == null) ? Template.Mode.FIRST :
-                        (iter.hasNext() ? Template.Mode.OTHER : Template.Mode.LAST);
-                    executeSegs(tmpl, ctx.nest(elem, ++index, mode), out);
+                    boolean onFirst = (index == 0), onLast = !iter.hasNext();
+                    executeSegs(tmpl, ctx.nest(elem, ++index, onFirst, onLast), out);
                 }
             } else if (value instanceof Boolean) {
                 if ((Boolean)value) {
@@ -585,12 +583,11 @@ public class Mustache
                 }
             } else if (value.getClass().isArray()) {
                 for (int ii = 0, ll = Array.getLength(value); ii < ll; ii++) {
-                    Template.Mode mode = (ii == 0) ? Template.Mode.FIRST :
-                        ((ii == ll-1) ? Template.Mode.LAST : Template.Mode.OTHER);
-                    executeSegs(tmpl, ctx.nest(Array.get(value, ii), ii+1, mode), out);
+                    boolean onFirst = (ii == 0), onLast = (ii == ll-1);
+                    executeSegs(tmpl, ctx.nest(Array.get(value, ii), ii+1, onFirst, onLast), out);
                 }
             } else {
-                executeSegs(tmpl, ctx.nest(value, 0, Template.Mode.OTHER), out);
+                executeSegs(tmpl, ctx.nest(value, 0, false, false), out);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Template.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Template.java
index 0d4e624..7995250 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Template.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/Template.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class Template
      */
     public void execute (Object context, Writer out) throws MustacheException
     {
-        executeSegs(new Context(context, null, 0, Mode.OTHER), out);
+        executeSegs(new Context(context, null, 0, false, false), out);
     }
 
     protected Template (Segment[] segs, Mustache.Compiler compiler)
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ public class Template
 
         // handle our special variables
         if (name == FIRST_NAME) {
-            return ctx.mode == Mode.FIRST;
+            return ctx.onFirst;
         } else if (name == LAST_NAME) {
-            return ctx.mode == Mode.LAST;
+            return ctx.onLast;
         } else if (name == INDEX_NAME) {
             return ctx.index;
         }
@@ -313,24 +313,24 @@ public class Template
         return null;
     }
 
-    protected static enum Mode { FIRST, OTHER, LAST };
-
     protected static class Context
     {
         public final Object data;
         public final Context parent;
         public final int index;
-        public final Mode mode;
+        public final boolean onFirst;
+        public final boolean onLast;
 
-        public Context (Object data, Context parent, int index, Mode mode) {
+        public Context (Object data, Context parent, int index, boolean onFirst, boolean onLast) {
             this.data = data;
             this.parent = parent;
             this.index = index;
-            this.mode = mode;
+            this.onFirst = onFirst;
+            this.onLast = onLast;
         }
 
-        public Context nest (Object data, int index, Mode mode) {
-            return new Context(data, this, index, mode);
+        public Context nest (Object data, int index, boolean onFirst, boolean onLast) {
+            return new Context(data, this, index, onFirst, onLast);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java b/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java
index b29ec0c..5361b5b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java
@@ -329,6 +329,13 @@ public class MustacheTest
              context("things", Arrays.asList("foo", "bar", "baz")));
     }
 
+    @Test public void testFirstLast () {
+        test("[foo]", "{{#things}}{{#-first}}[{{/-first}}{{this}}{{#-last}}]{{/-last}}{{/things}}",
+             context("things", Arrays.asList("foo")));
+        test("foo", "{{#things}}{{this}}{{^-last}}|{{/-last}}{{/things}}",
+             context("things", Arrays.asList("foo")));
+    }
+
     @Test public void testIndex () {
         test("123", "{{#things}}{{-index}}{{/things}}",
              context("things", Arrays.asList("foo", "bar", "baz")));