diff --git a/cake/console/shells/shell.php b/cake/console/shells/shell.php
index dd0e2079b8b..11cb62d119f 100644
--- a/cake/console/shells/shell.php
+++ b/cake/console/shells/shell.php
@@ -164,15 +164,13 @@ function __construct($stdout = null, $stderr = null, $stdin = null) {
 		if ($this->stdin == null) {
 			$this->stdin = new ConsoleInput('php://stdin');
 		}
-		$merge = array();
+		
+		$parent = get_parent_class($this);
 		if ($this->tasks !== null && $this->tasks !== false) {
-			$merge[] = 'tasks';
+			$this->_mergeVars(array('tasks'), $parent, true);
 		}
 		if ($this->uses !== null && $this->uses !== false) {
-			$merge[] = 'uses';
-		}
-		if (!empty($merge)) {
-			$this->_mergeVars($merge, get_parent_class($this));
+			$this->_mergeVars(array('uses'), $parent, false);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cake/libs/controller/controller.php b/cake/libs/controller/controller.php
index 4f6d21098d2..d4341655b4b 100644
--- a/cake/libs/controller/controller.php
+++ b/cake/libs/controller/controller.php
@@ -441,31 +441,18 @@ protected function __mergeVars() {
 					array_unshift($this->uses, $plugin . $this->modelClass);
 				}
 			} elseif ($this->uses !== null || $this->uses !== false) {
-				$merge[] = 'uses';
-			}
-			
-			$this->_mergeVars($merge, 'AppController');
-			foreach ($merge as $prop) {
-				if ($prop !== 'components') {
-					$this->{$prop} = array_unique((array)$this->{$prop});
-				}
+				$this->_mergeVars(array('uses'), 'AppController', false);
 			}
+			$this->_mergeVars($merge, 'AppController', true);
 		}
 
 		if ($pluginController && $pluginName != null) {
-			$appVars = get_class_vars($pluginController);
-			$uses = $appVars['uses'];
 			$merge = array('components', 'helpers');
 
 			if ($this->uses !== null || $this->uses !== false) {
-				$merge[] = 'uses';
+				$this->_mergeVars(array('uses'), $pluginController, false);
 			}
 			$this->_mergeVars($merge, $pluginController);
-			foreach ($merge as $prop) {
-				if ($prop !== 'components') {
-					$this->{$prop} = array_unique((array)$this->{$prop});
-				}
-			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cake/libs/object.php b/cake/libs/object.php
index e103b853ef3..0f1d4903070 100644
--- a/cake/libs/object.php
+++ b/cake/libs/object.php
@@ -207,9 +207,10 @@ function _persist($name, $return = null, &$object, $type = null) {
  *
  * @param array $properties The name of the properties to merge.
  * @param sting $class The class to merge the property with.
+ * @param boolean $normalize Set to true to run the properties through Set::normalize() before merging.
  * @return void
  */
-	protected function _mergeVars($properties, $class) {
+	protected function _mergeVars($properties, $class, $normalize = true) {
 		$classProperties = get_class_vars($class);
 		foreach ($properties as $var) {
 			if (
@@ -218,6 +219,10 @@ protected function _mergeVars($properties, $class) {
 				is_array($this->{$var}) &&
 				$this->{$var} != $classProperties[$var]
 			) {
+				if ($normalize) {
+					$classProperties[$var] = Set::normalize($classProperties[$var]);
+					$this->{$var} = Set::normalize($this->{$var});
+				}
 				$this->{$var} = Set::merge($classProperties[$var], $this->{$var});
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/console/shells/shell.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/console/shells/shell.test.php
index b7bc7098a82..ff341468bc6 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/console/shells/shell.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/console/shells/shell.test.php
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ protected function no_access() {
 		
 	}
 	
-	public function mergeVars($properties, $class) {
-		return $this->_mergeVars($properties, $class);
+	public function mergeVars($properties, $class, $normalize = true) {
+		return $this->_mergeVars($properties, $class, $normalize);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -156,9 +156,12 @@ public function testConstruct() {
 	function testMergeVars() {
 		$this->Shell->tasks = array('DbConfig' => array('one', 'two'));
 		$this->Shell->uses = array('Posts');
-		$this->Shell->mergeVars(array('tasks', 'uses'), 'TestMergeShell');
+		$this->Shell->mergeVars(array('tasks'), 'TestMergeShell');
+		$this->Shell->mergeVars(array('uses'), 'TestMergeShell', false);
+
+		$expected = array('DbConfig' => null, 'Fixture' => null, 'DbConfig' => array('one', 'two'));
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $this->Shell->tasks);
 
-		$this->assertEquals(array('DbConfig', 'Fixture', 'DbConfig' => array('one', 'two')), $this->Shell->tasks);
 		$expected = array('Fixture' => null, 'DbConfig' => array('one', 'two'));
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, Set::normalize($this->Shell->tasks), 'Normalized results are wrong.');
 		$this->assertEquals(array('Comment', 'Posts'), $this->Shell->uses, 'Merged models are wrong.');
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/controller_merge_vars.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/controller_merge_vars.test.php
index 4784707d496..431caa8ff7c 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/controller_merge_vars.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/controller_merge_vars.test.php
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ function testHelperOrderPrecedence() {
 			'Custom' => null,
 			'Foo' => array('something')
 		);
-		$this->assertIdentical($Controller->helpers, $expected, 'Order is incorrect. %s');
+		$this->assertSame($Controller->helpers, $expected, 'Order is incorrect.');
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ function testMergeVarsWithPlugin() {
 			'MergeVar' => array('flag', 'otherFlag', 'redirect' => false),
 			'Auth' => array('setting' => 'val', 'otherVal'),
 		);
-		$this->assertEqual($expected, $Controller->components, 'Components are unexpected.');
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $Controller->components, 'Components are unexpected.');
 	}
 
 /**