diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 3a23d8038f..7c858419d2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+Fri Feb 10 03:41:31 2012  Aaron Patterson <aaron@tenderlovemaking.com>
+
+	* ext/psych/parser.c: removed external encoding setter, allow parser
+	  to be reused.
+	* ext/psych/lib/psych/parser.rb: added external encoding setter.
+	* test/psych/test_parser.rb: test parser reuse
+
 Fri Feb 10 01:30:41 2012  Nobuyoshi Nakada  <nobu@ruby-lang.org>
 
 	* ext/dl/dl.h (ALIGN_OF): use offsetof().
diff --git a/ext/psych/lib/psych/parser.rb b/ext/psych/lib/psych/parser.rb
index 5d75605d49..84085f1fb0 100644
--- a/ext/psych/lib/psych/parser.rb
+++ b/ext/psych/lib/psych/parser.rb
@@ -36,12 +36,16 @@ module Psych
     # The handler on which events will be called
     attr_accessor :handler
 
+    # Set the encoding for this parser to +encoding+
+    attr_writer :external_encoding
+
     ###
     # Creates a new Psych::Parser instance with +handler+.  YAML events will
     # be called on +handler+.  See Psych::Parser for more details.
 
     def initialize handler = Handler.new
       @handler = handler
+      @external_encoding = ANY
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/ext/psych/parser.c b/ext/psych/parser.c
index 70a5865edb..b0f4d97916 100644
--- a/ext/psych/parser.c
+++ b/ext/psych/parser.c
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ static VALUE parse(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self)
 
     Data_Get_Struct(self, yaml_parser_t, parser);
 
+    yaml_parser_delete(parser);
+    yaml_parser_initialize(parser);
+    yaml_parser_set_encoding(parser, NUM2INT(rb_iv_get(self, "@external_encoding")));
+
     if (OBJ_TAINTED(yaml)) tainted = 1;
 
     if(rb_respond_to(yaml, id_read)) {
@@ -326,29 +330,6 @@ static VALUE parse(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self)
     return self;
 }
 
-/*
- * call-seq:
- *    parser.external_encoding=(encoding)
- *
- * Set the encoding for this parser to +encoding+
- */
-static VALUE set_external_encoding(VALUE self, VALUE encoding)
-{
-    yaml_parser_t * parser;
-    VALUE exception;
-
-    Data_Get_Struct(self, yaml_parser_t, parser);
-
-    if(parser->encoding) {
-	exception = rb_const_get_at(mPsych, rb_intern("Exception"));
-	rb_raise(exception, "don't set the encoding twice!");
-    }
-
-    yaml_parser_set_encoding(parser, NUM2INT(encoding));
-
-    return encoding;
-}
-
 /*
  * call-seq:
  *    parser.mark # => #<Psych::Parser::Mark>
@@ -397,7 +378,6 @@ void Init_psych_parser()
 
     rb_define_method(cPsychParser, "parse", parse, -1);
     rb_define_method(cPsychParser, "mark", mark, 0);
-    rb_define_method(cPsychParser, "external_encoding=", set_external_encoding, 1);
 
     id_read           = rb_intern("read");
     id_path           = rb_intern("path");
diff --git a/test/psych/test_parser.rb b/test/psych/test_parser.rb
index b607514fe6..a491d7fdd6 100644
--- a/test/psych/test_parser.rb
+++ b/test/psych/test_parser.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ module Psych
       @handler.parser = @parser
     end
 
+    def test_multiparse
+      3.times do
+        @parser.parse '--- foo'
+      end
+    end
+
     def test_filename
       ex = assert_raises(Psych::SyntaxError) do
         @parser.parse '--- `', 'omg!'
@@ -87,15 +93,6 @@ module Psych
       assert_equal 19, @parser.mark.index
     end
 
-    def test_set_encoding_twice
-      @parser.external_encoding = Psych::Parser::UTF16LE
-
-      e = assert_raises(Psych::Exception) do
-        @parser.external_encoding = Psych::Parser::UTF16LE
-      end
-      assert_equal "don't set the encoding twice!", e.message
-    end
-
     def test_bom
       tadpole = 'おたまじゃくし'