diff --git a/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py b/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py
index 66c9db59..c3ff7aab 100644
--- a/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py
+++ b/jedi/evaluate/sys_path.py
@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@ from jedi.evaluate.site import addsitedir
 
 from jedi._compatibility import exec_function, unicode
 from jedi.parser.python import tree
-from jedi.parser import ParserWithRecovery
+from jedi.parser.python import parse
 from jedi.evaluate.cache import memoize_default
 from jedi import debug
 from jedi import common
 from jedi.evaluate.compiled import CompiledObject
-from jedi.parser.utils import load_parser, save_parser
 
 
 def get_venv_path(venv):
@@ -211,22 +210,15 @@ def sys_path_with_modifications(evaluator, module_context):
     return list(result) + list(buildout_script_paths)
 
 
-def _get_paths_from_buildout_script(evaluator, buildout_script):
-    def load(buildout_script):
-        try:
-            with open(buildout_script, 'rb') as f:
-                source = common.source_to_unicode(f.read())
-        except IOError:
-            debug.dbg('Error trying to read buildout_script: %s', buildout_script)
-            return
-
-        p = ParserWithRecovery(evaluator.grammar, source, buildout_script)
-        save_parser(evaluator.grammar, buildout_script, p)
-        return p.get_root_node()
-
-    cached = load_parser(evaluator.grammar, buildout_script)
-    module_node = cached and cached.module or load(buildout_script)
-    if module_node is None:
+def _get_paths_from_buildout_script(evaluator, buildout_script_path):
+    try:
+        module_node = parse(
+            path=buildout_script_path,
+            grammar=evaluator.grammar,
+            cache=True
+        )
+    except IOError:
+        debug.warning('Error trying to read buildout_script: %s', buildout_script_path)
         return
 
     from jedi.evaluate.representation import ModuleContext
diff --git a/jedi/parser/python/__init__.py b/jedi/parser/python/__init__.py
index 9dfa7bde..dfd8e734 100644
--- a/jedi/parser/python/__init__.py
+++ b/jedi/parser/python/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from jedi.parser.pgen2.pgen import generate_grammar
 from jedi.parser.python.parser import Parser, ParserWithRecovery, \
     _remove_last_newline
 from jedi.parser.tokenize import source_tokens
+from jedi.parser import utils
 
 
 _loaded_grammars = {}
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ def load_grammar(version=None):
 
 
 def parse(code=None, path=None, grammar=None, error_recovery=True,
-          start_symbol='file_input', cache=False):
+          start_symbol='file_input', cache=False, diff_cache=False):
     """
     If you want to parse a Python file you want to start here, most likely.
 
@@ -64,20 +65,30 @@ def parse(code=None, path=None, grammar=None, error_recovery=True,
 
     :return: A syntax tree node. Typically the module.
     """
-    if start_symbol != 'file_input' and error_recovery:
-        raise Exception(
-            'The start_symbol is only allowed when error recovery is disabled.')
+    if code is None and path is None:
+        raise TypeError("Please provide either code or a path.")
+
+    if grammar is None:
+        grammar = load_grammar()
+
+    if path is not None:
+        path = os.path.expanduser(path)
+
+    use_cache = cache and path is not None and not code
+    if use_cache:
+        # In this case we do actual caching. We just try to load it.
+        p = utils.load_parser(grammar, path)
+        if p is not None:
+            return p.get_root_node()
+
+    if code is None:
+        with open(path) as f:
+            code = f.read()
 
     added_newline = not code.endswith('\n')
     if added_newline:
         code += '\n'
 
-    if grammar is None:
-        grammar = load_grammar()
-
-    if cache and path and not code:
-        # In this case we do actual caching
-        path = os.path.expanduser(path)
     tokens = source_tokens(code, use_exact_op_types=True)
     kwargs = {}
     if error_recovery:
@@ -90,4 +101,6 @@ def parse(code=None, path=None, grammar=None, error_recovery=True,
     if added_newline:
         _remove_last_newline(module)
 
+    if use_cache:
+        utils.save_parser(grammar, path, parser)
     return module
diff --git a/jedi/parser/utils.py b/jedi/parser/utils.py
index f74e3e63..2bdb767a 100644
--- a/jedi/parser/utils.py
+++ b/jedi/parser/utils.py
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ class ParserPickling(object):
         greater than the original pickling time. In which case the pickled
         parser is not up to date.
         """
-        path = self._clean_path(path)
         try:
             pickle_changed_time = self._index[path]
         except KeyError:
@@ -144,7 +143,6 @@ class ParserPickling(object):
         return parser_cache_item.parser
 
     def save_parser(self, grammar, path, parser_cache_item):
-        path = self._clean_path(path)
         self.__index = None
         try:
             files = self._index
@@ -191,9 +189,6 @@ class ParserPickling(object):
         shutil.rmtree(self._cache_directory())
         self.__index = {}
 
-    def _clean_path(self, path):
-        return os.path.expanduser(path)
-
     def _get_hashed_path(self, grammar, path):
         file_hash = hashlib.sha256(path.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
         return self._get_path('%s-%s.pkl' % (grammar.sha256, file_hash))