diff --git a/salt/utils/mako.py b/salt/utils/mako.py
index 321dfe981c..80ad9d8df5 100644
--- a/salt/utils/mako.py
+++ b/salt/utils/mako.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class SaltMakoTemplateLookup(TemplateCollection):
 
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, opts, saltenv='base', env=None):
+    def __init__(self, opts, saltenv='base', env=None, pillar_rend=False):
         if env is not None:
             salt.utils.warn_until(
                 'Boron',
@@ -56,10 +56,20 @@ class SaltMakoTemplateLookup(TemplateCollection):
             saltenv = env
         self.opts = opts
         self.saltenv = saltenv
-        self.file_client = salt.fileclient.get_file_client(self.opts)
+        self._file_client = None
+        self.pillar_rend = pillar_rend
         self.lookup = TemplateLookup(directories='/')
         self.cache = {}
 
+    def file_client(self):
+        '''
+        Setup and return file_client
+        '''
+        if not self._file_client:
+            self._file_client = salt.fileclient.get_file_client(
+                self.opts, self.pillar_rend)
+        return self._file_client
+
     def adjust_uri(self, uri, filename):
         scheme = urlparse(uri).scheme
         if scheme in ('salt', 'file'):
@@ -93,7 +103,7 @@ class SaltMakoTemplateLookup(TemplateCollection):
 
     def cache_file(self, fpath):
         if fpath not in self.cache:
-            self.cache[fpath] = self.file_client.get_file(fpath,
+            self.cache[fpath] = self.file_client().get_file(fpath,
                                                           '',
                                                           True,
                                                           self.saltenv)
diff --git a/salt/utils/templates.py b/salt/utils/templates.py
index ba3aeeb638..9017e8e93c 100644
--- a/salt/utils/templates.py
+++ b/salt/utils/templates.py
@@ -435,7 +435,10 @@ def render_mako_tmpl(tmplstr, context, tmplpath=None):
             from mako.lookup import TemplateLookup
             lookup = TemplateLookup(directories=[os.path.dirname(tmplpath)])
     else:
-        lookup = SaltMakoTemplateLookup(context['opts'], saltenv)
+        lookup = SaltMakoTemplateLookup(
+                context['opts'],
+                saltenv,
+                pillar_rend=context.get('_pillar_rend', False))
     try:
         return Template(
             tmplstr,