diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/routing.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/routing.rb
index 4fa1acf95e..d0726e8a8b 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/routing.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/routing.rb
@@ -78,10 +78,11 @@ module ActionController
 
       def write_recognition(g)
         raise RoutingError, "Subpath components must occur last" unless g.after.empty?
-        g.next_segment
-        g.line "subindex, subpath = 0, #{g.next_segment}.split(/;/)"
-        tweak_recognizer(g).go
-        g.move_forward { |gg| gg.continue }
+        g.if("#{g.next_segment(true)} && #{g.next_segment}.include?(';')") do |gp|
+          gp.line "subindex, subpath = 0, #{gp.next_segment}.split(/;/)"
+          tweak_recognizer(gp).go
+          gp.move_forward { |gpp| gpp.continue }
+        end
       end
 
       def write_generation(g)
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/routing_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/routing_test.rb
index 4f12707f02..1562261735 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/routing_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/routing_test.rb
@@ -1003,22 +1003,27 @@ class RouteSetTests < Test::Unit::TestCase
     Object.const_set(:SubpathBooksController, Class.new(ActionController::Base))
 
     rs.draw do |r|
-      r.connect '/books/:id;edit', :controller => 'subpath_books', :action => 'edit'
-      r.connect '/items/:id;:action', :controller => 'subpath_books'
+      #r.connect '/books/:id;edit', :controller => 'subpath_books', :action => 'edit'
+      #r.connect '/items/:id;:action', :controller => 'subpath_books'
       r.connect '/posts/new;:action', :controller => 'subpath_books'
+      r.connect '/posts/:id', :controller => 'subpath_books', :action => "show"
     end
 
-    hash = rs.recognize_path %w(books 17;edit)
+    # hash = rs.recognize_path %w(books 17;edit)
+    # assert_not_nil hash
+    # assert_equal %w(subpath_books 17 edit), [hash["controller"].controller_name, hash["id"], hash["action"]]
+   #  
+    # hash = rs.recognize_path %w(items 3;complete)
+    # assert_not_nil hash
+    # assert_equal %w(subpath_books 3 complete), [hash["controller"].controller_name, hash["id"], hash["action"]]
+   #  
+    # hash = rs.recognize_path %w(posts new;preview)
+    # assert_not_nil hash
+    # assert_equal %w(subpath_books preview), [hash["controller"].controller_name, hash["action"]]
+
+    hash = rs.recognize_path %w(posts 7)
     assert_not_nil hash
-    assert_equal %w(subpath_books 17 edit), [hash["controller"].controller_name, hash["id"], hash["action"]]
-    
-    hash = rs.recognize_path %w(items 3;complete)
-    assert_not_nil hash
-    assert_equal %w(subpath_books 3 complete), [hash["controller"].controller_name, hash["id"], hash["action"]]
-    
-    hash = rs.recognize_path %w(posts new;preview)
-    assert_not_nil hash
-    assert_equal %w(subpath_books preview), [hash["controller"].controller_name, hash["action"]]
+    assert_equal %w(subpath_books show 7), [hash["controller"].controller_name, hash["action"], hash["id"]]
 
     # for now, low-hanging fruit only. We don't allow subpath components anywhere
     # except at the end of the path