diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb
index 3e15caee2d..9c30f2a27a 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb
@@ -124,11 +124,13 @@ module ActionDispatch
                 controller, action = to.split('#')
                 { :controller => controller, :action => action }
               when Symbol
-                { :action => to.to_s }.merge(default_controller ? { :controller => default_controller } : {})
+                { :action => to.to_s }
               else
-                default_controller ? { :controller => default_controller } : {}
+                {}
               end
 
+              defaults[:controller] ||= @options[:controller] || default_controller
+
               if defaults[:controller].blank? && segment_keys.exclude?("controller")
                 raise ArgumentError, "missing :controller"
               end
diff --git a/actionpack/test/dispatch/routing_test.rb b/actionpack/test/dispatch/routing_test.rb
index 411a28d8ee..d32d708b35 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/dispatch/routing_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/dispatch/routing_test.rb
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class TestRoutingMapper < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
         match 'global/:action'
       end
 
+      match "/local/:action", :controller => "local"
+
       constraints(:ip => /192\.168\.1\.\d\d\d/) do
         get 'admin' => "queenbee#index"
       end
@@ -415,6 +417,13 @@ class TestRoutingMapper < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
     end
   end
 
+  def test_local
+    with_test_routes do
+      get '/local/dashboard'
+      assert_equal 'local#dashboard', @response.body
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_projects
     with_test_routes do
       get '/projects'