diff --git a/runner/lua/sandbox.lua b/runner/lua/sandbox.lua
index c7fae30..f09e249 100644
--- a/runner/lua/sandbox.lua
+++ b/runner/lua/sandbox.lua
@@ -421,31 +421,13 @@ local csrf = {
 -- TEMPLATE RENDER FUNCTIONS
 -- ======================================================================
 
--- Shared utilities
-local __template_util = {
-	escape_html = function(s)
-		local entities = {['&']='&amp;', ['<']='&lt;', ['>']='&gt;', ['"']='&quot;', ["'"]='&#039;'}
-		return (s:gsub([=[["><'&]]=], entities))
-	end,
-
-	build_output = function(chunks)
-		return table.concat(chunks)
-	end,
-
-	add_text = function(output, text)
-		if text and #text > 0 then
-			table.insert(output, text)
-		end
-	end,
-
-	add_value = function(output, value, escaped)
-		local str = tostring(value or "")
-		table.insert(output, escaped and __template_util.escape_html(str) or str)
-	end
-}
-
 -- Template processing with code execution
 _G.render = function(template_str, env)
+	local function escape_html(s)
+		local entities = {['&']='&amp;', ['<']='&lt;', ['>']='&gt;', ['"']='&quot;', ["'"]='&#039;'}
+		return (s:gsub([=[["><'&]]=], entities))
+	end
+
 	local function get_line(s, ln)
 		for line in s:gmatch("([^\n]*)\n?") do
 			if ln == 1 then return line end
@@ -534,7 +516,7 @@ _G.render = function(template_str, env)
 	setfenv(fn, runtime_env)
 
 	local output_buffer = {}
-	fn(tostring, __template_util.escape_html, output_buffer, 0)
+	fn(tostring, escape_html, output_buffer, 0)
 	return table.concat(output_buffer)
 end
 
@@ -553,16 +535,30 @@ _G.parse = function(template_str, env)
 		elseif unescaped_start then
 			next_pos, placeholder_end, name, escaped = unescaped_start, unescaped_end, unescaped_name, false
 		else
-			__template_util.add_text(output, template_str:sub(pos))
+			local text = template_str:sub(pos)
+			if text and #text > 0 then
+				table.insert(output, text)
+			end
 			break
 		end
 
-		__template_util.add_text(output, template_str:sub(pos, next_pos - 1))
-		__template_util.add_value(output, env[name], escaped)
+		local text = template_str:sub(pos, next_pos - 1)
+		if text and #text > 0 then
+			table.insert(output, text)
+		end
+
+		local value = env[name]
+		local str = tostring(value or "")
+		if escaped then
+			local entities = {['&']='&amp;', ['<']='&lt;', ['>']='&gt;', ['"']='&quot;', ["'"]='&#039;'}
+			str = str:gsub([=[["><'&]]=], entities)
+		end
+		table.insert(output, str)
+
 		pos = placeholder_end + 1
 	end
 
-	return __template_util.build_output(output)
+	return table.concat(output)
 end
 
 -- Indexed placeholder processing
@@ -580,17 +576,31 @@ _G.iparse = function(template_str, values)
 		elseif unescaped_start then
 			next_pos, placeholder_end, escaped = unescaped_start, unescaped_end, false
 		else
-			__template_util.add_text(output, template_str:sub(pos))
+			local text = template_str:sub(pos)
+			if text and #text > 0 then
+				table.insert(output, text)
+			end
 			break
 		end
 
-		__template_util.add_text(output, template_str:sub(pos, next_pos - 1))
-		__template_util.add_value(output, values[value_index], escaped)
+		local text = template_str:sub(pos, next_pos - 1)
+		if text and #text > 0 then
+			table.insert(output, text)
+		end
+
+		local value = values[value_index]
+		local str = tostring(value or "")
+		if escaped then
+			local entities = {['&']='&amp;', ['<']='&lt;', ['>']='&gt;', ['"']='&quot;', ["'"]='&#039;'}
+			str = str:gsub([=[["><'&]]=], entities)
+		end
+		table.insert(output, str)
+
 		pos = placeholder_end + 1
 		value_index = value_index + 1
 	end
 
-	return __template_util.build_output(output)
+	return table.concat(output)
 end
 
 -- ======================================================================