diff --git a/lib/compass/installers/base.rb b/lib/compass/installers/base.rb
index 0904b47d..36c5f3ab 100644
--- a/lib/compass/installers/base.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/installers/base.rb
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ module Compass
         contents = File.new(from).read
         if preferred_syntax.to_s != from[-4..-1]
           logger.record :convert, basename(from)
-          tree = Sass::Engine.new(contents, Compass.sass_engine_options).to_tree
+          tree = Sass::Engine.new(contents, Compass.sass_engine_options.merge(:syntax => from[-4..-1].intern)).to_tree
           contents = tree.send("to_#{preferred_syntax}")
           to[-4..-1] = preferred_syntax.to_s
         end