diff --git a/django/template/defaulttags.py b/django/template/defaulttags.py
index 9dd5fb766f..96efa32c0f 100644
--- a/django/template/defaulttags.py
+++ b/django/template/defaulttags.py
@@ -243,7 +243,12 @@ class IfNode(Node):
             yield node
 
     def render(self, context):
-        if self.var.eval(context):
+        try:
+            var = self.var.eval(context)
+        except VariableDoesNotExist:
+            var = None
+
+        if var:
             return self.nodelist_true.render(context)
         else:
             return self.nodelist_false.render(context)
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
index 93ffb4da67..372d2ab1c2 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
@@ -782,6 +782,12 @@ class Templates(unittest.TestCase):
             'if-tag-error11': ("{% if 1 == %}yes{% endif %}", {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
             'if-tag-error12': ("{% if a not b %}yes{% endif %}", {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
 
+            # Non-existent args
+            'if-tag-badarg01':("{% if x|default_if_none:y %}yes{% endif %}", {}, ''),
+            'if-tag-badarg02':("{% if x|default_if_none:y %}yes{% endif %}", {'y': 0}, ''),
+            'if-tag-badarg03':("{% if x|default_if_none:y %}yes{% endif %}", {'y': 1}, 'yes'),
+            'if-tag-badarg04':("{% if x|default_if_none:y %}yes{% else %}no{% endif %}", {}, 'no'),
+
             # Additional, more precise parsing tests are in SmartIfTests
 
             ### IFCHANGED TAG #########################################################