diff --git a/cake/libs/router.php b/cake/libs/router.php
index b9cc68130..cd4c27999 100644
--- a/cake/libs/router.php
+++ b/cake/libs/router.php
@@ -269,7 +269,10 @@ class Router {
 			$self->__prefixes[] = $defaults['prefix'];
 			$self->__prefixes = array_keys(array_flip($self->__prefixes));
 		}
-		$defaults += array('action' => 'index', 'plugin' => null);
+		$defaults += array('plugin' => null);
+		if (empty($options['action'])) {
+			$defaults += array('action' => 'index'); 
+		}
 		$routeClass = 'CakeRoute';
 		if (isset($options['routeClass'])) {
 			$routeClass = $options['routeClass'];
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/router.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/router.test.php
index f44c32bdc..2e69ab7fc 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/router.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/router.test.php
@@ -1694,6 +1694,45 @@ class RouterTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$this->assertEqual($result['pass'][0], 'something. . .', 'Period was chopped off %s');
 	}
 
+/**
+ * test that patterns work for :action
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testParsingWithPatternOnAction() {
+		Router::reload();
+		Router::connect(
+			'/blog/:action/*', 
+			array('controller' => 'blog_posts'), 
+			array('action' => 'other|actions')
+		);
+		$result = Router::parse('/blog/other');
+		$expected = array(
+			'plugin' => null,
+			'controller' => 'blog_posts',
+			'action' => 'other',
+			'pass' => array(),
+			'named' => array()
+		);
+		$this->assertEqual($expected, $result);
+
+		$result = Router::parse('/blog/foobar');
+		$expected = array(
+			'plugin' => null,
+			'controller' => 'blog',
+			'action' => 'foobar',
+			'pass' => array(),
+			'named' => array()
+		);
+		$this->assertEqual($expected, $result);
+		
+		$result = Router::url(array('controller' => 'blog_posts', 'action' => 'foo'));
+		$this->assertEqual('/blog_posts/foo', $result);
+
+		$result = Router::url(array('controller' => 'blog_posts', 'action' => 'actions'));
+		$this->assertEqual('/blog/actions', $result);
+	}
+
 /**
  * testParsingWithPrefixes method
  *
@@ -2489,6 +2528,31 @@ class CakeRouteTestCase extends CakeTestCase {
 		$this->assertFalse($result);
 	}
 
+/**
+ * test that patterns work for :action
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testPatternOnAction() {
+		$route =& new CakeRoute(
+			'/blog/:action/*', 
+			array('controller' => 'blog_posts'), 
+			array('action' => 'other|actions')
+		);
+		$result = $route->match(array('controller' => 'blog_posts', 'action' => 'foo'));
+		$this->assertFalse($result);
+		
+		$result = $route->match(array('controller' => 'blog_posts', 'action' => 'actions'));
+		$this->assertTrue($result);
+		
+		$result = $route->parse('/blog/other');
+		$expected = array('controller' => 'blog_posts', 'action' => 'other', 'pass' => array(), 'named' => array());
+		$this->assertEqual($expected, $result);
+		
+		$result = $route->parse('/blog/foobar');
+		$this->assertFalse($result);
+	}
+
 /**
  * test persistParams ability to persist parameters from $params and remove params.
  *