diff --git a/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/default/classes/controller.ctp b/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/default/classes/controller.ctp
index eec49119c..f5bc7d660 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/default/classes/controller.ctp
+++ b/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/default/classes/controller.ctp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class <?php echo $controllerName; ?>Controller extends <?php echo $plugin; ?>App
 <?php
 if (count($helpers)):
 	echo "/**\n * Helpers\n *\n * @var array\n */\n";
-	echo "\tvar \$helpers = array(";
+	echo "\tpublic \$helpers = array(";
 	for ($i = 0, $len = count($helpers); $i < $len; $i++):
 		if ($i != $len - 1):
 			echo "'" . Inflector::camelize($helpers[$i]) . "', ";
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Console/Command/Task/ControllerTaskTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Console/Command/Task/ControllerTaskTest.php
index 838e3ae70..c10c0b5d3 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Console/Command/Task/ControllerTaskTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Console/Command/Task/ControllerTaskTest.php
@@ -274,8 +274,8 @@ class ControllerTaskTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$this->assertContains(' * @property AclComponent $Acl', $result);
 		$this->assertContains(' * @property AuthComponent $Auth', $result);
 		$this->assertContains('class ArticlesController extends AppController', $result);
-		$this->assertContains("\$components = array('Acl', 'Auth')", $result);
-		$this->assertContains("\$helpers = array('Ajax', 'Time')", $result);
+		$this->assertContains("public \$components = array('Acl', 'Auth')", $result);
+		$this->assertContains("public \$helpers = array('Ajax', 'Time')", $result);
 		$this->assertContains("--actions--", $result);
 
 		$result = $this->Task->bake('Articles', 'scaffold', $helpers, $components);