diff --git a/sailfish-compiler/src/parser.rs b/sailfish-compiler/src/parser.rs
index 63a0c4b..debeec3 100644
--- a/sailfish-compiler/src/parser.rs
+++ b/sailfish-compiler/src/parser.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ impl Default for Parser {
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum TokenKind {
+    NestedTemplateOnce,
     BufferedCode { escape: bool },
     Code,
     Comment,
@@ -161,6 +162,10 @@ impl<'a> ParseStream<'a> {
                 token_kind = TokenKind::BufferedCode { escape: false };
                 start += 1;
             }
+            Some(b'^') => {
+                token_kind = TokenKind::NestedTemplateOnce;
+                start += 1;
+            }
             _ => {}
         }
 
@@ -402,6 +407,33 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn nested_render_once() {
+        let src = r#"outer <%^ inner|upper %> outer"#;
+        let parser = Parser::default();
+        let tokens = parser.parse(src).into_vec().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            &tokens,
+            &[
+                Token {
+                    content: "outer ",
+                    offset: 0,
+                    kind: TokenKind::Text,
+                },
+                Token {
+                    content: "inner|upper",
+                    offset: 10,
+                    kind: TokenKind::NestedTemplateOnce,
+                },
+                Token {
+                    content: " outer",
+                    offset: 24,
+                    kind: TokenKind::Text,
+                },
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn non_ascii_delimiter() {
         let src = r##"foo <🍣# This is a comment 🍣> bar <🍣= r"🍣>" 🍣> baz <🍣🍣"##;
diff --git a/sailfish-compiler/src/translator.rs b/sailfish-compiler/src/translator.rs
index 527a1da..60ae027 100644
--- a/sailfish-compiler/src/translator.rs
+++ b/sailfish-compiler/src/translator.rs
@@ -135,6 +135,15 @@ impl SourceBuilder {
         &mut self,
         token: &Token<'a>,
         escape: bool,
+    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        self.write_buffered_code_with_suffix(token, escape, "")
+    }
+
+    fn write_buffered_code_with_suffix<'a>(
+        &mut self,
+        token: &Token<'a>,
+        escape: bool,
+        suffix: &str,
     ) -> Result<(), Error> {
         // parse and split off filter
         let code_block = syn::parse_str::<CodeBlock>(token.as_str()).map_err(|e| {
@@ -154,7 +163,7 @@ impl SourceBuilder {
         self.source.push_str("!(__sf_buf, ");
 
         if let Some(filter) = code_block.filter {
-            let expr_str = code_block.expr.into_token_stream().to_string();
+            let expr_str = format!("{}{}", code_block.expr.into_token_stream(), suffix);
             let (name, extra_args) = match filter {
                 Filter::Ident(i) => (i.to_string(), None),
                 Filter::Call(c) => (
@@ -188,6 +197,7 @@ impl SourceBuilder {
             self.source.push(')');
         } else {
             self.write_token(token);
+            self.source.push_str(suffix);
         }
 
         self.source.push_str(");\n");
@@ -205,6 +215,11 @@ impl SourceBuilder {
                 TokenKind::BufferedCode { escape } => {
                     self.write_buffered_code(&token, escape)?
                 }
+                TokenKind::NestedTemplateOnce => self.write_buffered_code_with_suffix(
+                    &token,
+                    false,
+                    ".render_once()?",
+                )?,
                 TokenKind::Text => {
                     // concatenate repeated text token
                     let offset = token.offset();
@@ -367,4 +382,48 @@ mod tests {
         ps.feed_tokens(token_iter.clone()).unwrap();
         Translator::new().translate(token_iter).unwrap();
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn translate_nested_render_once() {
+        let src = r#"outer <%^ inner %> outer"#;
+        let lexer = Parser::new();
+        let token_iter = lexer.parse(src);
+        let mut ps = SourceBuilder {
+            escape: true,
+            source: String::with_capacity(token_iter.original_source.len()),
+            source_map: SourceMap::default(),
+        };
+        ps.feed_tokens(token_iter.clone()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            &Translator::new()
+                .translate(token_iter)
+                .unwrap()
+                .ast
+                .into_token_stream()
+                .to_string(),
+            r#"{ __sf_rt :: render_text ! (__sf_buf , "outer ") ; __sf_rt :: render ! (__sf_buf , inner . render_once () ?) ; __sf_rt :: render_text ! (__sf_buf , " outer") ; }"#
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn translate_nested_render_once_with_filter() {
+        let src = r#"outer <%^ inner|upper %> outer"#;
+        let lexer = Parser::new();
+        let token_iter = lexer.parse(src);
+        let mut ps = SourceBuilder {
+            escape: true,
+            source: String::with_capacity(token_iter.original_source.len()),
+            source_map: SourceMap::default(),
+        };
+        ps.feed_tokens(token_iter.clone()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            &Translator::new()
+                .translate(token_iter)
+                .unwrap()
+                .ast
+                .into_token_stream()
+                .to_string(),
+            r#"{ __sf_rt :: render_text ! (__sf_buf , "outer ") ; __sf_rt :: render ! (__sf_buf , sailfish :: runtime :: filter :: upper (& (inner . render_once () ?))) ; __sf_rt :: render_text ! (__sf_buf , " outer") ; }"#
+        );
+    }
 }