diff --git a/lib/sass/engine.rb b/lib/sass/engine.rb
index 64deb530..d4e73e92 100644
--- a/lib/sass/engine.rb
+++ b/lib/sass/engine.rb
@@ -331,7 +331,6 @@ module Sass
     def find_file_to_import(filename)
       was_sass = false
       original_filename = filename
-      new_filename = nil
 
       if filename[-5..-1] == ".sass"
         filename = filename[0...-5]
@@ -340,14 +339,7 @@ module Sass
         return filename
       end
 
-      @options[:load_paths].each do |path|
-        full_path = File.join(path, filename) + '.sass'
-
-        if File.readable?(full_path)
-          new_filename = full_path
-          break
-        end
-      end
+      new_filename = find_full_path("#{filename}.sass")
 
       if new_filename.nil?
         if was_sass
@@ -359,5 +351,17 @@ module Sass
         new_filename
       end
     end
+
+    def find_full_path(filename)
+      @options[:load_paths].each do |path|
+        ["_#{filename}", filename].each do |name|
+          full_path = File.join(path, name)
+          if File.readable?(full_path)
+            return full_path
+          end
+        end
+      end
+      nil
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/sass/plugin.rb b/lib/sass/plugin.rb
index 7165fc87..d8b29edd 100644
--- a/lib/sass/plugin.rb
+++ b/lib/sass/plugin.rb
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ module Sass
           # Get the relative path to the file with no extension
           name = file.sub(options[:template_location] + "/", "")[0...-5]
 
-          if options[:always_update] || stylesheet_needs_update?(name)
+          if !forbid_update?(name) && (options[:always_update] || stylesheet_needs_update?(name))
             css = css_filename(name)
             File.delete(css) if File.exists?(css)
 
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ module Sass
         "#{@@options[:css_location]}/#{name}.css"
       end
 
+      def forbid_update?(name)
+        name[0] == ?_
+      end
+
       def stylesheet_needs_update?(name)
         !File.exists?(css_filename(name)) || (File.mtime(template_filename(name)) - 2) > File.mtime(css_filename(name))
       end
diff --git a/test/sass/plugin_test.rb b/test/sass/plugin_test.rb
index 00c10be3..2030524a 100644
--- a/test/sass/plugin_test.rb
+++ b/test/sass/plugin_test.rb
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ class SassPluginTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       :load_paths => [File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/results'],
     }
     Sass::Plugin.options[:always_update] = true
-    
+
     Sass::Plugin.update_stylesheets
   end
-  
+
   def teardown
     FileUtils.rm_r File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/tmp'
   end
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ class SassPluginTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def test_templates_should_render_correctly
     @@templates.each { |name| assert_renders_correctly(name) }
   end
-  
+
   def test_no_update
     File.delete(tempfile_loc('basic'))
     assert Sass::Plugin.stylesheet_needs_update?('basic')
     Sass::Plugin.update_stylesheets
     assert !Sass::Plugin.stylesheet_needs_update?('basic')
   end
-  
+
   def test_exception_handling
     File.delete(tempfile_loc('bork'))
     Sass::Plugin.update_stylesheets
@@ -59,29 +59,33 @@ class SassPluginTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
     Sass::Plugin.const_set('RAILS_ENV', 'testing')
   end
-  
+
   def test_controller_process
     File.delete(tempfile_loc('basic'))
     assert Sass::Plugin.stylesheet_needs_update?('basic')
-    
+
     ActionController::Base.new.process
-    
+
     assert !Sass::Plugin.stylesheet_needs_update?('basic')
   end
 
+  def test_doesnt_render_partials
+    assert !File.exists?(tempfile_loc('_partial'))
+  end
+
  private
- 
+
   def assert_renders_correctly(name)
     File.read(result_loc(name)).split("\n").zip(File.read(tempfile_loc(name)).split("\n")).each_with_index do |pair, line|
       message = "template: #{name}\nline:     #{line + 1}"
       assert_equal(pair.first, pair.last, message)
     end
   end
-  
+
   def tempfile_loc(name)
     File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/tmp/#{name}.css"
   end
-  
+
   def result_loc(name)
     File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/results/#{name}.css"
   end
@@ -95,7 +99,7 @@ end
 
 class Sass::Engine
   alias_method :old_render, :render
-  
+
   def render
     raise "bork bork bork!" if @template[0] == "{bork now!}"
     old_render
diff --git a/test/sass/results/import.css b/test/sass/results/import.css
index bd285caf..61aaf7ea 100644
--- a/test/sass/results/import.css
+++ b/test/sass/results/import.css
@@ -24,4 +24,6 @@ body { font: Arial; background: blue; }
 
 @import basic.css
 @import ../results/complex.css
+#foo { background-color: #baf; }
+
 nonimported { myconst: hello; otherconst: goodbye; }
diff --git a/test/sass/templates/_partial.sass b/test/sass/templates/_partial.sass
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bef627d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sass/templates/_partial.sass
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#foo
+  :background-color #baf
diff --git a/test/sass/templates/import.sass b/test/sass/templates/import.sass
index d286c1d6..6115c6b3 100644
--- a/test/sass/templates/import.sass
+++ b/test/sass/templates/import.sass
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 !preconst = hello
 
-@import importee, basic, basic.css, ../results/complex.css
+@import importee, basic, basic.css, ../results/complex.css, partial
 
 nonimported
   :myconst = !preconst