diff --git a/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer.rb b/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer.rb
index 2e324d4637..2a9210deb9 100644
--- a/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer.rb
+++ b/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer.rb
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@
 # WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 #++
 
-unless defined?(ActionController)
-  begin
-    $:.unshift "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../actionpack/lib"
+begin
+  require 'action_controller'
+rescue LoadError
+  actionpack_path = "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../actionpack/lib"
+  if File.directory?(actionpack_path)
+    $:.unshift actionpack_path
     require 'action_controller'
-  rescue LoadError
-    require 'rubygems'
-    gem 'actionpack', '>= 1.12.5'
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller.rb
index 3c4a339d50..e58071d4af 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller.rb
@@ -21,16 +21,13 @@
 # WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 #++
 
-$:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__)) unless
-  $:.include?(File.dirname(__FILE__)) || $:.include?(File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__)))
-
-unless defined?(ActiveSupport)
-  begin
-    $:.unshift "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../activesupport/lib"
+begin
+  require 'active_support'
+rescue LoadError
+  activesupport_path = "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../activesupport/lib"
+  if File.directory?(activesupport_path)
+    $:.unshift activesupport_path
     require 'active_support'
-  rescue LoadError
-    require 'rubygems'
-    gem 'activesupport'
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view.rb
index 3f35303a51..3590ab6d49 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@
 # WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 #++
 
+begin
+  require 'active_support'
+rescue LoadError
+  activesupport_path = "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../activesupport/lib"
+  if File.directory?(activesupport_path)
+    $:.unshift activesupport_path
+    require 'active_support'
+  end
+end
 
 require 'action_view/template_handlers'
 require 'action_view/renderable'
@@ -35,7 +44,7 @@ require 'action_view/partials'
 require 'action_view/template_error'
 
 I18n.backend.populate do
-  I18n.load_translations File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/action_view/locale/en-US.yml'
+  I18n.load_translations "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/action_view/locale/en-US.yml"
 end
 
 require 'action_view/helpers'
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record.rb
index 7612015ca5..e9767c2d5e 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record.rb
@@ -21,17 +21,14 @@
 # WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 #++
 
-$:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__)) unless
-  $:.include?(File.dirname(__FILE__)) || $:.include?(File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__)))
-
-active_support_path = File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../../activesupport/lib"
-if File.exist?(active_support_path)
-  $:.unshift active_support_path
-  require 'active_support'
-else
-  require 'rubygems'
-  gem 'activesupport'
+begin
   require 'active_support'
+rescue LoadError
+  activesupport_path = "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../activesupport/lib"
+  if File.directory?(activesupport_path)
+    $:.unshift activesupport_path
+    require 'active_support'
+  end
 end
 
 require 'active_record/base'
diff --git a/activeresource/lib/active_resource.rb b/activeresource/lib/active_resource.rb
index 18347457aa..db9007060f 100644
--- a/activeresource/lib/active_resource.rb
+++ b/activeresource/lib/active_resource.rb
@@ -21,16 +21,13 @@
 # WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 #++
 
-$:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__)) unless
-  $:.include?(File.dirname(__FILE__)) || $:.include?(File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__)))
-
-unless defined?(ActiveSupport)
-  begin
-    $:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../../activesupport/lib")  
+begin
+  require 'active_support'
+rescue LoadError
+  activesupport_path = "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../activesupport/lib"
+  if File.directory?(activesupport_path)
+    $:.unshift activesupport_path
     require 'active_support'
-  rescue LoadError
-    require 'rubygems'
-    gem 'activesupport'
   end
 end
 
@@ -44,4 +41,4 @@ module ActiveResource
     include Validations
     include CustomMethods
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support.rb
index b6c8be37c5..ae3e2360cd 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support.rb
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@
 # WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 #++
 
-$:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__))
-
 require 'active_support/vendor'
 require 'active_support/basic_object'
 require 'active_support/inflector'