diff --git a/all_test.go b/all_test.go
index dd8ae18..12a9830 100644
--- a/all_test.go
+++ b/all_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ var trivialXml = []byte(`<root>a<foo>b</foo>c<bar>d</bar>e<bar>f</bar>g</root>`)
 func (s *BasicSuite) TestRootText(c *C) {
 	node, err := xmlpath.Parse(bytes.NewBuffer(trivialXml))
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
-	path := xmlpath.MustCompile("/")
+	path, _ := xmlpath.MustCompile("/")
 	result, ok := path.String(node)
 	c.Assert(ok, Equals, true)
 	c.Assert(result, Equals, "abcdefg")
diff --git a/path.go b/path.go
index db38ed5..ec378e0 100644
--- a/path.go
+++ b/path.go
@@ -422,12 +422,12 @@ func (step *pathStep) match(node *Node) bool {
 
 // MustCompile returns the compiled path, and panics if
 // there are any errors.
-func MustCompile(path string) *Path {
+func MustCompile(path string) (*Path, error) {
 	e, err := Compile(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return e
+	return e, nil
 }
 
 // Compile returns the compiled path.