diff --git a/django/template/base.py b/django/template/base.py
index 78da99813b..b96e446404 100644
--- a/django/template/base.py
+++ b/django/template/base.py
@@ -987,7 +987,9 @@ class Library(object):
 
                     if not getattr(self, 'nodelist', False):
                         from django.template.loader import get_template, select_template
-                        if not isinstance(file_name, basestring) and is_iterable(file_name):
+                        if isinstance(file_name, Template):
+                            t = file_name
+                        elif not isinstance(file_name, basestring) and is_iterable(file_name):
                             t = select_template(file_name)
                         else:
                             t = get_template(file_name)
diff --git a/docs/howto/custom-template-tags.txt b/docs/howto/custom-template-tags.txt
index 97f1e9a53b..1e226840d6 100644
--- a/docs/howto/custom-template-tags.txt
+++ b/docs/howto/custom-template-tags.txt
@@ -822,6 +822,15 @@ loader, we'd register the tag like this::
     # Here, register is a django.template.Library instance, as before
     register.inclusion_tag('results.html')(show_results)
 
+.. versionchanged:: 1.4
+
+    Alternatively it is possible to register the inclusion tag using a
+    :class:`django.template.Template` instance::
+
+        from django.template.loader import get_template
+        t = get_template('results.html')
+        register.inclusion_tag(t)(show_results)
+
 As always, decorator syntax works as well, so we could have written::
 
     @register.inclusion_tag('results.html')
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/custom.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/custom.py
index ec3e9dc179..74c39ab7e0 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/custom.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/custom.py
@@ -73,6 +73,24 @@ class CustomTagTests(TestCase):
         t = template.Template('{% load custom %}{% inclusion_params_and_context 37 %}')
         self.assertEqual(t.render(c), u'inclusion_params_and_context - Expected result (context value: 42): 37\n')
 
+    def test_inclusion_tags_from_template(self):
+        c = template.Context({'value': 42})
+
+        t = template.Template('{% load custom %}{% inclusion_no_params_from_template %}')
+        self.assertEqual(t.render(c), u'inclusion_no_params_from_template - Expected result\n')
+
+        t = template.Template('{% load custom %}{% inclusion_one_param_from_template 37 %}')
+        self.assertEqual(t.render(c), u'inclusion_one_param_from_template - Expected result: 37\n')
+
+        t = template.Template('{% load custom %}{% inclusion_explicit_no_context_from_template 37 %}')
+        self.assertEqual(t.render(c), u'inclusion_explicit_no_context_from_template - Expected result: 37\n')
+
+        t = template.Template('{% load custom %}{% inclusion_no_params_with_context_from_template %}')
+        self.assertEqual(t.render(c), u'inclusion_no_params_with_context_from_template - Expected result (context value: 42)\n')
+
+        t = template.Template('{% load custom %}{% inclusion_params_and_context_from_template 37 %}')
+        self.assertEqual(t.render(c), u'inclusion_params_and_context_from_template - Expected result (context value: 42): 37\n')
+
     def test_inclusion_tag_registration(self):
         # Test that the decorators preserve the decorated function's docstring, name and attributes.
         self.verify_tag(custom.inclusion_no_params, 'inclusion_no_params')
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/templatetags/custom.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/templatetags/custom.py
index 97f2674953..dfa4171eb0 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/templatetags/custom.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/templatetags/custom.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from django import template
 from django.template.defaultfilters import stringfilter
+from django.template.loader import get_template
 
 register = template.Library()
 
@@ -45,30 +46,60 @@ def inclusion_no_params():
     return {"result" : "inclusion_no_params - Expected result"}
 inclusion_no_params.anything = "Expected inclusion_no_params __dict__"
 
+@register.inclusion_tag(get_template('inclusion.html'))
+def inclusion_no_params_from_template():
+    """Expected inclusion_no_params_from_template __doc__"""
+    return {"result" : "inclusion_no_params_from_template - Expected result"}
+inclusion_no_params_from_template.anything = "Expected inclusion_no_params_from_template __dict__"
+
 @register.inclusion_tag('inclusion.html')
 def inclusion_one_param(arg):
     """Expected inclusion_one_param __doc__"""
     return {"result" : "inclusion_one_param - Expected result: %s" % arg}
 inclusion_one_param.anything = "Expected inclusion_one_param __dict__"
 
+@register.inclusion_tag(get_template('inclusion.html'))
+def inclusion_one_param_from_template(arg):
+    """Expected inclusion_one_param_from_template __doc__"""
+    return {"result" : "inclusion_one_param_from_template - Expected result: %s" % arg}
+inclusion_one_param_from_template.anything = "Expected inclusion_one_param_from_template __dict__"
+
 @register.inclusion_tag('inclusion.html', takes_context=False)
 def inclusion_explicit_no_context(arg):
     """Expected inclusion_explicit_no_context __doc__"""
     return {"result" : "inclusion_explicit_no_context - Expected result: %s" % arg}
 inclusion_explicit_no_context.anything = "Expected inclusion_explicit_no_context __dict__"
 
+@register.inclusion_tag(get_template('inclusion.html'), takes_context=False)
+def inclusion_explicit_no_context_from_template(arg):
+    """Expected inclusion_explicit_no_context_from_template __doc__"""
+    return {"result" : "inclusion_explicit_no_context_from_template - Expected result: %s" % arg}
+inclusion_explicit_no_context_from_template.anything = "Expected inclusion_explicit_no_context_from_template __dict__"
+
 @register.inclusion_tag('inclusion.html', takes_context=True)
 def inclusion_no_params_with_context(context):
     """Expected inclusion_no_params_with_context __doc__"""
     return {"result" : "inclusion_no_params_with_context - Expected result (context value: %s)" % context['value']}
 inclusion_no_params_with_context.anything = "Expected inclusion_no_params_with_context __dict__"
 
+@register.inclusion_tag(get_template('inclusion.html'), takes_context=True)
+def inclusion_no_params_with_context_from_template(context):
+    """Expected inclusion_no_params_with_context_from_template __doc__"""
+    return {"result" : "inclusion_no_params_with_context_from_template - Expected result (context value: %s)" % context['value']}
+inclusion_no_params_with_context_from_template.anything = "Expected inclusion_no_params_with_context_from_template __dict__"
+
 @register.inclusion_tag('inclusion.html', takes_context=True)
 def inclusion_params_and_context(context, arg):
     """Expected inclusion_params_and_context __doc__"""
     return {"result" : "inclusion_params_and_context - Expected result (context value: %s): %s" % (context['value'], arg)}
 inclusion_params_and_context.anything = "Expected inclusion_params_and_context __dict__"
 
+@register.inclusion_tag(get_template('inclusion.html'), takes_context=True)
+def inclusion_params_and_context_from_template(context, arg):
+    """Expected inclusion_params_and_context_from_template __doc__"""
+    return {"result" : "inclusion_params_and_context_from_template - Expected result (context value: %s): %s" % (context['value'], arg)}
+inclusion_params_and_context_from_template.anything = "Expected inclusion_params_and_context_from_template __dict__"
+
 @register.simple_tag(takes_context=True)
 def current_app(context):
     return "%s" % context.current_app