diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index e5b61cf..847740c 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -45,3 +45,4 @@
 * kirbyfan64 <kirbyfan64@users.noreply.github.com>
 * Brendan Curran-Johnson <brendan@bcjbcj.ca>
 * Ivan Kozik <ivan@ludios.org>
+* Allison Kaptur <allison.kaptur@gmail.com>
diff --git a/hy/compiler.py b/hy/compiler.py
index 2122ea9..032a49a 100644
--- a/hy/compiler.py
+++ b/hy/compiler.py
@@ -732,25 +732,10 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
                 handler_results += self._compile_catch_expression(e, name)
                 handlers.append(handler_results.stmts.pop())
             elif e[0] == HySymbol("else"):
-                if orelse:
-                    raise HyTypeError(
-                        e,
-                        "`try' cannot have more than one `else'")
-                else:
-                    orelse = self._compile_branch(e[1:])
-                    # XXX tempvar magic
-                    orelse += orelse.expr_as_stmt()
-                    orelse = orelse.stmts
+                orelse = self.try_except_helper(e, HySymbol("else"), orelse)
             elif e[0] == HySymbol("finally"):
-                if finalbody:
-                    raise HyTypeError(
-                        e,
-                        "`try' cannot have more than one `finally'")
-                else:
-                    finalbody = self._compile_branch(e[1:])
-                    # XXX tempvar magic
-                    finalbody += finalbody.expr_as_stmt()
-                    finalbody = finalbody.stmts
+                finalbody = self.try_except_helper(e, HySymbol("finally"),
+                                                   finalbody)
             else:
                 raise HyTypeError(e, "Unknown expression in `try'")
 
@@ -768,8 +753,8 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
                 col_offset=expr.start_column,
                 type=None,
                 name=None,
-                body=[ast.Pass(lineno=expr.start_line,
-                               col_offset=expr.start_column)])]
+                body=[ast.Raise(lineno=expr.start_line,
+                                col_offset=expr.start_column)])]
 
         ret = handler_results
 
@@ -809,6 +794,17 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
             body=body,
             orelse=orelse) + returnable
 
+    def try_except_helper(self, hy_obj, symbol, accumulated):
+        if accumulated:
+            raise HyTypeError(
+                hy_obj,
+                "`try' cannot have more than one `%s'" % symbol)
+        else:
+            accumulated = self._compile_branch(hy_obj[1:])
+            accumulated += accumulated.expr_as_stmt()
+            accumulated = accumulated.stmts
+        return accumulated
+
     @builds("except")
     @builds("catch")
     def magic_internal_form(self, expr):
diff --git a/tests/native_tests/language.hy b/tests/native_tests/language.hy
index ccf81c5..6995d5c 100644
--- a/tests/native_tests/language.hy
+++ b/tests/native_tests/language.hy
@@ -236,6 +236,11 @@
   "NATIVE: test do"
   (do))
 
+(defn test-bare-try [] (try
+    (try (raise ValueError))
+  (except [ValueError])
+  (else (assert false))))
+
 
 (defn test-exceptions []
   "NATIVE: test Exceptions"