diff --git a/django/template/backends/jinja2.py b/django/template/backends/jinja2.py
index cfdb86f0a4..cc99a745cf 100644
--- a/django/template/backends/jinja2.py
+++ b/django/template/backends/jinja2.py
@@ -4,12 +4,11 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 import sys
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist, TemplateSyntaxError
 from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.module_loading import import_string
 
-from jinja2 import (
-    DebugUndefined, FileSystemLoader, TemplateNotFound, Undefined)
+import jinja2
 
 from .base import BaseEngine
 from .utils import csrf_input_lazy, csrf_token_lazy
@@ -28,10 +27,10 @@ class Jinja2(BaseEngine):
         environment_cls = import_string(environment)
 
         options.setdefault('autoescape', True)
-        options.setdefault('loader', FileSystemLoader(self.template_dirs))
+        options.setdefault('loader', jinja2.FileSystemLoader(self.template_dirs))
         options.setdefault('auto_reload', settings.DEBUG)
         options.setdefault('undefined',
-                           DebugUndefined if settings.DEBUG else Undefined)
+                           jinja2.DebugUndefined if settings.DEBUG else jinja2.Undefined)
 
         self.env = environment_cls(**options)
 
@@ -41,9 +40,12 @@ class Jinja2(BaseEngine):
     def get_template(self, template_name):
         try:
             return Template(self.env.get_template(template_name))
-        except TemplateNotFound as exc:
+        except jinja2.TemplateNotFound as exc:
             six.reraise(TemplateDoesNotExist, TemplateDoesNotExist(exc.args),
                         sys.exc_info()[2])
+        except jinja2.TemplateSyntaxError as exc:
+            six.reraise(TemplateSyntaxError, TemplateSyntaxError(exc.args),
+                        sys.exc_info()[2])
 
 
 class Template(object):
diff --git a/tests/template_backends/jinja2/template_backends/syntax_error.html b/tests/template_backends/jinja2/template_backends/syntax_error.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4f7a578fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/template_backends/jinja2/template_backends/syntax_error.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{% block %}
diff --git a/tests/template_backends/templates/template_backends/syntax_error.html b/tests/template_backends/templates/template_backends/syntax_error.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4f7a578fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/template_backends/templates/template_backends/syntax_error.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{% block %}
diff --git a/tests/template_backends/test_dummy.py b/tests/template_backends/test_dummy.py
index e79dbbe02a..5f9a8dccb3 100644
--- a/tests/template_backends/test_dummy.py
+++ b/tests/template_backends/test_dummy.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from django.http import HttpRequest
 from django.middleware.csrf import CsrfViewMiddleware, get_token
-from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist
+from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist, TemplateSyntaxError
 from django.template.backends.dummy import TemplateStrings
 from django.test import SimpleTestCase
 
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ class TemplateStringsTests(SimpleTestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(TemplateDoesNotExist):
             self.engine.get_template('template_backends/non_existing.html')
 
+    def test_get_template_syntax_error(self):
+        # There's no way to trigger a syntax error with the dummy backend.
+        # The test still lives here to factor it between other backends.
+        if self.backend_name == 'dummy':
+            return
+        with self.assertRaises(TemplateSyntaxError):
+            self.engine.get_template('template_backends/syntax_error.html')
+
     def test_html_escaping(self):
         template = self.engine.get_template('template_backends/hello.html')
         context = {'name': '<script>alert("XSS!");</script>'}