diff --git a/change_log.txt b/change_log.txt
index 97e740ac..7e14bc27 100644
--- a/change_log.txt
+++ b/change_log.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 ===== trunk  =====
+28.12.2011
+- bugfix Smarty's internal header code must be excluded from postfilters (issue 71)
+
 22.12.2011
 - bugfix the new lexer of 17.12.2011 did fail if mbstring.func_overload != 0 (issue 70) (Forum Topic 20680)
 - bugfix template inheritace did fail if mbstring.func_overload != 0 (issue 70) (Forum Topic 20680)
diff --git a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatecompilerbase.php b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatecompilerbase.php
index 1f50be75..a8f4eace 100644
--- a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatecompilerbase.php
+++ b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatecompilerbase.php
@@ -176,20 +176,24 @@ abstract class Smarty_Internal_TemplateCompilerBase {
         self::$_tag_objects = array();
         // return compiled code to template object
         $merged_code = '';
-        if (!$this->suppressMergedTemplates) {
+        if (!$this->suppressMergedTemplates && !empty($this->merged_templates)) {
             foreach ($this->merged_templates as $code) {
                 $merged_code .= $code;
             }
+            // run postfilter if required on merged code
+            if (isset($this->smarty->autoload_filters['post']) || isset($this->smarty->registered_filters['post'])) {
+                $merged_code = Smarty_Internal_Filter_Handler::runFilter('post', $merged_code, $template);
+            }
+        }
+        // run postfilter if required on compiled template code
+        if (isset($this->smarty->autoload_filters['post']) || isset($this->smarty->registered_filters['post'])) {
+            $_compiled_code = Smarty_Internal_Filter_Handler::runFilter('post', $_compiled_code, $template);
         }
         if ($this->suppressTemplatePropertyHeader) {
             $code = $_compiled_code . $merged_code;
         } else {
             $code = $template_header . $template->createTemplateCodeFrame($_compiled_code) . $merged_code;
         }
-        // run postfilter if required
-        if (isset($this->smarty->autoload_filters['post']) || isset($this->smarty->registered_filters['post'])) {
-            $code = Smarty_Internal_Filter_Handler::runFilter('post', $code, $template);
-        }
         return $code;
     }