diff --git a/activeresource/CHANGELOG b/activeresource/CHANGELOG
index 679fb832d4..1079156fdc 100644
--- a/activeresource/CHANGELOG
+++ b/activeresource/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 *SVN*
 
-* Allow subclassed resources to share the site info [Rick]
+* Allow subclassed resources to share the site info [Rick, Jeremy Kemper]
 
     class BeastResource < ActiveResource::Base
       self.site = 'http://beast.caboo.se'
     end
-    
+
     class Forum < BeastResource
       # taken from BeastResource
       # self.site = 'http://beast.caboo.se'
     end
-    
+
     class Topic < BeastResource
-      site << '/forums/:forum_id'
+      self.site += '/forums/:forum_id'
     end
 
 * Fix issues with ActiveResource collection handling.  Closes #6291. [bmilekic]
diff --git a/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb b/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb
index fd583d40e9..9a810e4adf 100644
--- a/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb
+++ b/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ module ActiveResource
     # calls.
     cattr_accessor :logger
 
-    def self.inherited(base)
-      base.site = site.to_s if site
-      super
-    end
-
     class << self
-      attr_reader :site
+      def site
+        if defined?(@site)
+          @site
+        elsif superclass != Object and superclass.site
+          superclass.site.dup.freeze
+        end
+      end
 
       def site=(site)
         @site = create_site_uri_from(site)
@@ -83,13 +84,9 @@ module ActiveResource
         def find_single(scope, options)
           new(connection.get(element_path(scope, options)), options)
         end
-      
+
         def create_site_uri_from(site)
-          returning site.is_a?(URI) ? site : URI.parse(site) do |uri|
-            def uri.<<(extra)
-              path << extra
-            end unless uri.respond_to?(:<<)
-          end
+          site.is_a?(URI) ? site.dup : URI.parse(site)
         end
     end
 
diff --git a/activeresource/test/base_test.rb b/activeresource/test/base_test.rb
index e0bbdc00bf..ad799806e5 100644
--- a/activeresource/test/base_test.rb
+++ b/activeresource/test/base_test.rb
@@ -43,6 +43,36 @@ class BaseTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal site, Person.site
   end
 
+  def test_site_reader_uses_superclass_site_until_written
+    # Superclass is Object so returns nil.
+    assert_nil ActiveResource::Base.site
+    assert_nil Class.new(ActiveResource::Base).site
+
+    # Subclass uses superclass site.
+    actor = Class.new(Person)
+    assert_equal Person.site, actor.site
+
+    # Subclass returns frozen superclass copy.
+    assert !Person.site.frozen?
+    assert actor.site.frozen?
+
+    # Changing subclass site doesn't change superclass site.
+    actor.site = 'http://localhost:31337'
+    assert_not_equal Person.site, actor.site
+
+    # Changed subclass site is not frozen.
+    assert !actor.site.frozen?
+
+    # Changing superclass site doesn't overwrite subclass site.
+    Person.site = 'http://somewhere.else'
+    assert_not_equal Person.site, actor.site
+
+    # Changing superclass site after subclassing changes subclass site.
+    jester = Class.new(actor)
+    actor.site = 'http://nomad'
+    assert_equal actor.site, jester.site
+    assert jester.site.frozen?
+  end
 
   def test_collection_name
     assert_equal "people", Person.collection_name
diff --git a/activeresource/test/fixtures/beast.rb b/activeresource/test/fixtures/beast.rb
index 1fe81da425..e31ec58346 100644
--- a/activeresource/test/fixtures/beast.rb
+++ b/activeresource/test/fixtures/beast.rb
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@ class Forum < BeastResource
 end
 
 class Topic < BeastResource
-  site << '/forums/:forum_id'
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+  self.site += '/forums/:forum_id'
+end