diff --git a/change_log.txt b/change_log.txt
index fd0d581c..bf807747 100644
--- a/change_log.txt
+++ b/change_log.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+19/10/2010
+- change Smarty does no longer mask out E_NOTICE by default during template processing
+
 13/10/2010
 - bugfix removed ambiguity between ternary and stream variable in template syntax
 - bugfix use caching properties of template instead of smarty object when compiling child {block}
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index dc422d0f..6186dc1e 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -310,8 +310,9 @@ class Smarty extends Smarty_Internal_Data {
         // create template object if necessary
         ($template instanceof $this->template_class)? $_template = $template :
         $_template = $this->createTemplate ($template, $cache_id, $compile_id, $parent);
-        $_smarty_old_error_level = $this->debugging ? error_reporting() : error_reporting(isset($this->error_reporting)
-            ? $this->error_reporting : error_reporting() &~E_NOTICE); 
+        if (isset($this->error_reporting)) {
+        	$_smarty_old_error_level = error_reporting($this->error_reporting);
+    	}
         // obtain data for cache modified check
         if ($this->cache_modified_check && $this->caching && $display) {
             $_isCached = $_template->isCached() && !$_template->has_nocache_code;
@@ -328,7 +329,9 @@ class Smarty extends Smarty_Internal_Data {
             $_output = $_template->getRenderedTemplate();
         } 
         $_template->rendered_content = null;
-        error_reporting($_smarty_old_error_level); 
+        if (isset($this->error_reporting)) {
+        	error_reporting($_smarty_old_error_level);
+        } 
         // display or fetch
         if ($display) {
             if ($this->caching && $this->cache_modified_check) {
diff --git a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_compile_private_special_variable.php b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_compile_private_special_variable.php
index ec628b05..886d345f 100644
--- a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_compile_private_special_variable.php
+++ b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_compile_private_special_variable.php
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class Smarty_Internal_Compile_Private_Special_Variable extends Smarty_Internal_C
                 $compiled_ref = $compiled_ref . "[$_ind]";
             } 
         } 
-        return $compiled_ref;
+        return "(isset($compiled_ref)? $compiled_ref : null)";
     } 
 }