diff --git a/encoder.go b/encoder.go
index fe33c9a..6d5e39a 100644
--- a/encoder.go
+++ b/encoder.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
@@ -12,11 +14,13 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go/descriptor"
 	plugin_go "github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go/plugin"
+	"github.com/unistack-org/protoc-gen-micro/assets"
 	pgghelpers "github.com/unistack-org/protoc-gen-micro/helpers"
 )
 
 type GenericTemplateBasedEncoder struct {
 	templateDir    string
+	assetsDir      string
 	service        *descriptor.ServiceDescriptorProto
 	file           *descriptor.FileDescriptorProto
 	enum           []*descriptor.EnumDescriptorProto
@@ -77,6 +81,51 @@ func NewGenericTemplateBasedEncoder(templateDir string, file *descriptor.FileDes
 func (e *GenericTemplateBasedEncoder) templates() ([]string, error) {
 	filenames := []string{}
 
+	if e.templateDir == "" {
+		dir, err := assets.Assets.Open("/")
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open assets dir")
+		}
+
+		fi, err := dir.Readdir(-1)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get assets files")
+		}
+
+		if debug {
+			log.Printf("components to generate: %v", components)
+		}
+
+		for _, f := range fi {
+			skip := true
+			for _, component := range components {
+				if component == "all" || strings.Contains(f.Name(), "_"+component+".pb.go") {
+					skip = false
+				}
+			}
+			if skip {
+				if debug {
+					log.Printf("skip template %s", f.Name())
+				}
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if f.IsDir() {
+				continue
+			}
+			if filepath.Ext(f.Name()) != ".tmpl" {
+				continue
+			}
+			if e.debug {
+				log.Printf("new template: %q", f.Name())
+			}
+
+			filenames = append(filenames, f.Name())
+		}
+
+		return filenames, nil
+	}
+
 	err := filepath.Walk(e.templateDir, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -156,10 +205,27 @@ func (e *GenericTemplateBasedEncoder) genAst(templateFilename string) (*Ast, err
 }
 
 func (e *GenericTemplateBasedEncoder) buildContent(templateFilename string) (string, string, error) {
-	// initialize template engine
-	fullPath := filepath.Join(e.templateDir, templateFilename)
-	templateName := filepath.Base(fullPath)
-	tmpl, err := template.New(templateName).Funcs(pgghelpers.ProtoHelpersFuncMap).ParseFiles(fullPath)
+	var tmpl *template.Template
+	var err error
+
+	if e.templateDir == "" {
+		fs, err := assets.Assets.Open("/" + templateFilename)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", "", err
+		}
+		buf, err := ioutil.ReadAll(fs)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", "", err
+		}
+		if err = fs.Close(); err == nil {
+			tmpl, err = template.New("/" + templateFilename).Funcs(pgghelpers.ProtoHelpersFuncMap).Parse(string(buf))
+		}
+	} else {
+		// initialize template engine
+		fullPath := filepath.Join(e.templateDir, templateFilename)
+		templateName := filepath.Base(fullPath)
+		tmpl, err = template.New(templateName).Funcs(pgghelpers.ProtoHelpersFuncMap).ParseFiles(fullPath)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", err
 	}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3e0d582..3b25de8 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -3,18 +3,15 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"go/format"
-	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go/generator"
 	plugin_go "github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go/plugin"
 	ggdescriptor "github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor"
-	"github.com/unistack-org/protoc-gen-micro/assets"
 	pgghelpers "github.com/unistack-org/protoc-gen-micro/helpers"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
@@ -28,6 +25,17 @@ const (
 	boolFalse = "false"
 )
 
+var (
+	templateDir       = ""
+	templateRepo      = ""
+	destinationDir    = "."
+	debug             = false
+	all               = false
+	singlePackageMode = false
+	fileMode          = false
+	components        = []string{"micro", "grpc"}
+)
+
 func main() {
 	g := generator.New()
 
@@ -47,16 +55,6 @@ func main() {
 	g.CommandLineParameters(g.Request.GetParameter())
 
 	// Parse parameters
-	var (
-		templateDir       = ""
-		templateRepo      = ""
-		destinationDir    = "."
-		debug             = false
-		all               = false
-		singlePackageMode = false
-		fileMode          = false
-		components        = []string{"micro", "grpc"}
-	)
 	if parameter := g.Request.GetParameter(); parameter != "" {
 		for _, param := range strings.Split(parameter, ",") {
 			parts := strings.Split(param, "=")
@@ -135,7 +133,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if templateDir == "" || templateRepo != "" {
+	if templateDir == "" && templateRepo != "" {
 		if templateDir, err = ioutil.TempDir("", "gen-*"); err != nil {
 			g.Error(err, "failed to create tmp dir")
 		}
@@ -149,63 +147,6 @@ func main() {
 			if err = clone(templateRepo, templateDir); err != nil {
 				g.Error(err, "failed to clone repo")
 			}
-		} else {
-			dir, err := assets.Assets.Open("/")
-			if err != nil {
-				g.Error(err, "failed to open assets dir")
-			}
-			fi, err := dir.Readdir(-1)
-			if err != nil {
-				g.Error(err, "failed to get assets files")
-			}
-
-			if debug {
-				log.Printf("components to generate: %v", components)
-			}
-
-			for _, f := range fi {
-				skip := true
-				for _, component := range components {
-					if component == "all" || strings.Contains(f.Name(), "_"+component+".pb.go") {
-						skip = false
-					}
-				}
-				if skip {
-					if debug {
-						log.Printf("skip template %s", f.Name())
-					}
-					continue
-				}
-				if debug {
-					log.Printf("copy template %s", f.Name())
-				}
-				fpath := filepath.Join(templateDir, f.Name())
-				if err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(fpath), os.FileMode(0755)); err != nil {
-					g.Error(err, "failed to create nested dir")
-				}
-				if f.IsDir() {
-					continue
-				}
-				fd, err := os.OpenFile(fpath, os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC|os.O_RDWR, f.Mode())
-				if err != nil {
-					g.Error(err, "failed to create template file")
-				}
-				fs, err := assets.Assets.Open(f.Name())
-				if err != nil {
-					g.Error(err, "failed to open template file")
-				}
-				if _, err = io.Copy(fd, fs); err != nil {
-					fd.Close()
-					fs.Close()
-					g.Error(err, "failed to copy template file")
-				}
-				if err = fd.Close(); err != nil {
-					g.Error(err, "failed to flush template file")
-				}
-				if err = fs.Close(); err != nil {
-					g.Error(err, "failed to flush template file")
-				}
-			}
 		}
 	}