diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index 46281d3..9baa6a0 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ type WikilinkMeta = {
   link: string
   slug: string
   isEmbed: boolean
+  exists: boolean
 
   // href and path are loaded from the linked page
   href?: string
diff --git a/src/interlinker.js b/src/interlinker.js
index c2a44b2..0111e2e 100644
--- a/src/interlinker.js
+++ b/src/interlinker.js
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ module.exports = class Interlinker {
 
         // If this is an embed and the embed template hasn't been compiled, add this to the queue
         // @TODO compiledEmbeds should be keyed by the wikilink text as i'll be allowing setting embed values via namespace, or other method e.g ![[ident||template]]
-        if (link.isEmbed && this.compiledEmbeds.has(link.slug) === false) {
+        if (link.isEmbed && link.exists && this.compiledEmbeds.has(link.slug) === false) {
           compilePromises.push(this.compileTemplate(page));
         }
 
diff --git a/src/wikilink-parser.js b/src/wikilink-parser.js
index 3ceed47..af27b07 100644
--- a/src/wikilink-parser.js
+++ b/src/wikilink-parser.js
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ module.exports = class WikilinkParser {
       anchor,
       link,
       slug,
-      isEmbed
+      isEmbed,
+      exists: false,
     }
 
     // Lookup page data from 11ty's collection to obtain url and title if currently null
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ module.exports = class WikilinkParser {
       if (meta.title === null && page.data.title) meta.title = page.data.title;
       meta.href = page.url;
       meta.path = page.inputPath;
+      meta.exists = true;
     } else {
       // If this wikilink goes to a page that doesn't exist, add to deadLinks list and
       // update href for stub post.
diff --git a/tests/eleventy.test.js b/tests/eleventy.test.js
index 699c728..7210722 100644
--- a/tests/eleventy.test.js
+++ b/tests/eleventy.test.js
@@ -123,3 +123,17 @@ test("Sample page (files with hash in title)", async t => {
     `<div><p>This link should be to <a href="/page/hello/#some-heading">a fragment identifier</a>.</p><p><p>Hello world.</p></p></div><div></div>`
   );
 });
+
+test("Sample with simple embed (broken embed)", async t => {
+  let elev = new Eleventy(fixturePath('sample-with-simple-embed'), fixturePath('sample-with-simple-embed/_site'), {
+    configPath: fixturePath('sample-with-simple-embed/eleventy.config.js'),
+  });
+
+  let results = await elev.toJSON();
+
+  // Bad Wikilink Embed shows default text
+  t.is(
+    normalize(findResultByUrl(results, '/broken/').content),
+    `<div><p>[UNABLE TO LOCATE EMBED]</p></div><div></div>`
+  );
+});
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/broken-2.md b/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/broken-2.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..945dbca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/broken-2.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+title: Broken 2
+layout: default.liquid
+---
+
+![[this is broken]]
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/broken.md b/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/broken.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9a0f22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/broken.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+title: Broken
+layout: default.liquid
+---
+
+![[this is broken]]
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/stubs.md b/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/stubs.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ff6067
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sample-with-simple-embed/stubs.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+title: Stubs
+layout: default.liquid
+---
+
+Stubby Stubs.