diff --git a/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/layouts.rb b/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/layouts.rb
index ef66b24dd6..796ef40584 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/layouts.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/layouts.rb
@@ -119,17 +119,17 @@ module AbstractController
         when true
           raise ArgumentError, "Layouts must be specified as a String, Symbol, false, or nil"
         when nil
-          self.class_eval <<-ruby_eval, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
+          self.class_eval <<-RUBY, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
             def _layout(details)
               self.class.cache_layout(details) do
-                if view_paths.exists?("#{_implied_layout_name}", details, "layouts")
+                if template_exists?("#{_implied_layout_name}", details, :_prefix => "layouts")
                   "#{_implied_layout_name}"
                 else
                   super
                 end
               end
             end
-          ruby_eval
+          RUBY
         end
         self.class_eval { private :_layout }
       end
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ module AbstractController
     # details<Hash{Symbol => Object}>:: A list of details to restrict
     #   the lookup to. By default, layout lookup is limited to the
     #   formats specified for the current request.
-    def _layout_for_name(name, details = {:formats => formats})
+    def _layout_for_name(name, details)
       name && _find_layout(name, details)
     end
 
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ module AbstractController
     def _find_layout(name, details)
       # TODO: Make prefix actually part of details in ViewPath#find_by_parts
       prefix = details.key?(:prefix) ? details.delete(:prefix) : "layouts"
-      view_paths.find(name, details, prefix)
+      find_template(name, details, :_prefix => prefix)
     end
 
     # Returns the default layout for this controller and a given set of details.
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/rendering_controller.rb b/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/rendering_controller.rb
index c23b1a9aa7..bbf941aa32 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/rendering_controller.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/abstract_controller/rendering_controller.rb
@@ -119,7 +119,11 @@ module AbstractController
     def find_template(name, details, options)
       view_paths.find(name, details, options[:_prefix], options[:_partial])
     end
-    
+
+    def template_exists?(name, details, options)
+      view_paths.exists?(name, details, options[:_prefix], options[:_partial])
+    end
+
     def with_template_cache(name)
       yield
     end
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
index 698189bd46..0dae68c7b7 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ module ActionController
 
       def method_for_action(action_name)
         super || begin
-          if view_paths.exists?(action_name.to_s, {:formats => formats, :locales => [I18n.locale]}, controller_path)
+          if template_exists?(action_name.to_s, {:formats => formats}, :_prefix => controller_path)
             "default_render"
           end
         end
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/legacy/layout.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/legacy/layout.rb
index db02bf1066..53762158fc 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/legacy/layout.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/legacy/layout.rb
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
       def memoized_find_layout(layout, formats) #:nodoc:
         return layout if layout.nil? || layout.respond_to?(:render)
         prefix = layout.to_s =~ /layouts\// ? nil : "layouts"
-        view_paths.find(layout.to_s, {:formats => formats}, prefix)
+        find_template(layout.to_s, {:formats => formats}, :_prefix => prefix)
       end
 
       def find_layout(*args)
diff --git a/actionpack/test/abstract_controller/abstract_controller_test.rb b/actionpack/test/abstract_controller/abstract_controller_test.rb
index 7991436703..3b4046a424 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/abstract_controller/abstract_controller_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/abstract_controller/abstract_controller_test.rb
@@ -148,10 +148,10 @@ module AbstractController
       private
       def self.layout(formats)
         begin
-          view_paths.find(name.underscore, {:formats => formats}, "layouts")
+          find_template(name.underscore, {:formats => formats}, :_prefix => "layouts")
         rescue ActionView::MissingTemplate
           begin
-            view_paths.find("application", {:formats => formats}, "layouts")
+            find_template("application", {:formats => formats}, :_prefix => "layouts")
           rescue ActionView::MissingTemplate
           end
         end