diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
index b0f713b049..5d4afc31fe 100755
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
@@ -642,11 +642,11 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
       
       # View load paths for controller.
       def view_paths
-        (@template || self.class).view_paths
+        @template.view_paths
       end
     
       def view_paths=(value)
-        (@template || self.class).view_paths = value
+        @template.view_paths = value
       end
 
       # Adds a view_path to the front of the view_paths array.
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
       #   self.prepend_view_path(["views/default", "views/custom"])
       #
       def prepend_view_path(path)
-        (@template || self.class).prepend_view_path(path)
+        @template.prepend_view_path(path)
       end
       
       # Adds a view_path to the end of the view_paths array.
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
       #   self.append_view_path(["views/default", "views/custom"])
       #
       def append_view_path(path)
-        (@template || self.class).append_view_path(path)
+      @template.append_view_path(path)
       end
 
     protected
@@ -1119,7 +1119,7 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
           raise "You must assign a template class through ActionController.template_class= before processing a request"
         end
 
-        response.template = ActionView::Base.new(view_paths, {}, self)
+        response.template = ActionView::Base.new(self.class.view_paths, {}, self)
         response.template.extend self.class.master_helper_module
         response.redirected_to = nil
         @performed_render = @performed_redirect = false
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/view_paths_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/view_paths_test.rb
index 889c5161d4..b1ca400779 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/view_paths_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/view_paths_test.rb
@@ -28,10 +28,15 @@ class ViewLoadPathsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
     TestController.view_paths = nil
     ActionView::Base.cache_template_extensions = false
-    @controller = TestController.new
+
     @request  = ActionController::TestRequest.new
     @response = ActionController::TestResponse.new
-  
+
+    @controller = TestController.new
+    # Following is needed in order to setup @controller.template object properly
+    @controller.send :initialize_template_class, @response
+    @controller.send :assign_shortcuts, @request, @response
+
     # Track the last warning.
     @old_behavior = ActiveSupport::Deprecation.behavior
     @last_message = nil
@@ -48,18 +53,18 @@ class ViewLoadPathsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
   
   def test_controller_appends_view_path_correctly
-    TestController.append_view_path 'foo'
+    @controller.append_view_path 'foo'
     assert_equal [LOAD_PATH_ROOT, 'foo'], @controller.view_paths
     
-    TestController.append_view_path(%w(bar baz))
+    @controller.append_view_path(%w(bar baz))
     assert_equal [LOAD_PATH_ROOT, 'foo', 'bar', 'baz'], @controller.view_paths
   end
   
   def test_controller_prepends_view_path_correctly
-    TestController.prepend_view_path 'baz'
+    @controller.prepend_view_path 'baz'
     assert_equal ['baz', LOAD_PATH_ROOT], @controller.view_paths
     
-    TestController.prepend_view_path(%w(foo bar))
+    @controller.prepend_view_path(%w(foo bar))
     assert_equal ['foo', 'bar', 'baz', LOAD_PATH_ROOT], @controller.view_paths
   end