diff --git a/cake/console/libs/task_collection.php b/cake/console/libs/task_collection.php
index fe876ed6f0f..40ed967d54e 100644
--- a/cake/console/libs/task_collection.php
+++ b/cake/console/libs/task_collection.php
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ class TaskCollection extends ObjectCollection {
 	protected $_Shell;
 	protected $_Dispatch;
 
+/**
+ * The directory inside each shell path that contains tasks.
+ *
+ * @var string
+ */
+	public $taskPathPrefix = 'tasks/';
+
 /**
  * Constructor
  *
@@ -56,8 +63,9 @@ public function load($task, $settings = array(), $enable = true) {
 		$taskFile = Inflector::underscore($name);
 		$taskClass = $name . 'Task';
 		if (!class_exists($taskClass)) {
-			$taskFile = $this->_getPath($taskFile);
-			require_once $taskFile;
+			if (!App::import('Shell', $plugin . $this->taskPathPrefix . $name)) {
+				throw new MissingTaskFileException($taskFile . '.php');
+			}
 			if (!class_exists($taskClass)) {
 				throw new MissingTaskClassException($taskClass);
 			}
@@ -72,21 +80,4 @@ public function load($task, $settings = array(), $enable = true) {
 		return $this->_loaded[$name];
 	}
 
-/**
- * Find a task file on one of the paths.
- *
- * @param string $file Underscored name of the file to find missing .php
- * @return string Filename to the task
- * @throws MissingTaskFileException
- */
-	protected function _getPath($file) {
-		foreach ($this->_Shell->shellPaths as $path) {
-			$taskPath = $path . 'tasks' . DS . $file . '.php';
-			if (file_exists($taskPath)) {
-				return $taskPath;
-			}
-		}
-		throw new MissingTaskFileException($file . '.php');
-	}
-
 }
diff --git a/cake/libs/configure.php b/cake/libs/configure.php
index fe0ef2897df..9373f907f28 100644
--- a/cake/libs/configure.php
+++ b/cake/libs/configure.php
@@ -1142,6 +1142,15 @@ private static function __settings($type, $plugin, $parent) {
 				}
 				return array('class' => $type, 'suffix' => null, 'path' => $path);
 			break;
+			case 'shell':
+				if (!class_exists('Shell')) {
+					App::import($type, 'Shell', false);
+				}
+				if ($plugin) {
+					$path = $pluginPath . DS . 'console' . DS . 'shells' . DS;
+				}
+				return array('class' => $type, 'suffix' => null, 'path' => $path);
+			break;
 			case 'vendor':
 				if ($plugin) {
 					$path = $pluginPath . DS . 'vendors' . DS;
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/task_collection.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/task_collection.test.php
index b277c6c60bf..da7d6eaefbd 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/task_collection.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/task_collection.test.php
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ class TaskCollectionTest extends CakeTestCase {
  */
 	function setup() {
 		$shell = $this->getMock('Shell', array(), array(), '', false);
-		$shell->shellPaths = App::path('shells');
 		$dispatcher = $this->getMock('ShellDispatcher', array(), array(), '', false);
 		$this->Tasks = new TaskCollection($shell, $dispatcher);
 	}
@@ -89,9 +88,9 @@ function testLoadMissingTaskFile() {
 	function testLoadPluginTask() {
 		$dispatcher = $this->getMock('ShellDispatcher', array(), array(), '', false);
 		$shell = $this->getMock('Shell', array(), array(), '', false);
-		$shell->shellPaths = App::path('shells');
-		$shell->shellPaths[] = TEST_CAKE_CORE_INCLUDE_PATH . 'tests' . DS . 'test_app' . DS . 'plugins' . DS . 'test_plugin' . DS . 'vendors' . DS . 'shells' . DS;
-		$dispatcher->shellPaths = $shell->shellPaths;
+		App::build(array(
+			'plugins' => array(TEST_CAKE_CORE_INCLUDE_PATH . 'tests' . DS . 'test_app' . DS . 'plugins' . DS)
+		));
 		$this->Tasks = new TaskCollection($shell, $dispatcher);
 
 		$result = $this->Tasks->load('TestPlugin.OtherTask');
diff --git a/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/example.php b/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/example.php
similarity index 100%
rename from cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/example.php
rename to cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/example.php
diff --git a/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/tasks/empty b/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/tasks/empty
similarity index 100%
rename from cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/tasks/empty
rename to cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/tasks/empty
diff --git a/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/tasks/other_task.php b/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/tasks/other_task.php
similarity index 100%
rename from cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/tasks/other_task.php
rename to cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/tasks/other_task.php
diff --git a/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/templates/empty b/cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/templates/empty
similarity index 100%
rename from cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/vendors/shells/templates/empty
rename to cake/tests/test_app/plugins/test_plugin/console/shells/templates/empty