diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/dispatch/dispatcher.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/dispatch/dispatcher.rb
index e04da42637364..cf02757cf6409 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/dispatch/dispatcher.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/dispatch/dispatcher.rb
@@ -13,11 +13,6 @@ def define_dispatcher_callbacks(cache_classes)
           # Run prepare callbacks before every request in development mode
           self.prepare_each_request = true
 
-          # Development mode callbacks
-          ActionDispatch::Callbacks.before_dispatch do |app|
-            ActionController::Routing::Routes.reload
-          end
-
           ActionDispatch::Callbacks.after_dispatch do
             # Cleanup the application before processing the current request.
             ActiveRecord::Base.reset_subclasses if defined?(ActiveRecord)
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb
index 6f35e9b4e3409..bf2443c1beff7 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb
@@ -203,23 +203,18 @@ def formatted_#{selector}(*args)                                              #
           end
       end
 
-      attr_accessor :routes, :named_routes, :configuration_files, :controller_paths
+      attr_accessor :routes, :named_routes
+      attr_accessor :disable_clear_and_finalize
 
       def initialize
-        self.configuration_files = []
-        self.controller_paths = []
-
         self.routes = []
         self.named_routes = NamedRouteCollection.new
 
-        @clear_before_draw = true
-        @finalize_set_on_draw = true
-
-        clear!
+        @disable_clear_and_finalize = false
       end
 
       def draw(&block)
-        clear! if @clear_before_draw
+        clear! unless @disable_clear_and_finalize
 
         mapper = Mapper.new(self)
         if block.arity == 1
@@ -228,16 +223,20 @@ def draw(&block)
           mapper.instance_exec(&block)
         end
 
-        if @finalize_set_on_draw
-          @set.add_route(NotFound)
-          install_helpers
-          @set.freeze
-        end
+        finalize! unless @disable_clear_and_finalize
 
         nil
       end
 
+      def finalize!
+        @set.add_route(NotFound)
+        install_helpers
+        @set.freeze
+      end
+
       def clear!
+        # Clear the controller cache so we may discover new ones
+        @controller_constraints = nil
         routes.clear
         named_routes.clear
         @set = ::Rack::Mount::RouteSet.new(:parameters_key => PARAMETERS_KEY)
@@ -252,75 +251,6 @@ def empty?
         routes.empty?
       end
 
-      def add_configuration_file(path)
-        self.configuration_files << path
-      end
-
-      # Deprecated accessor
-      def configuration_file=(path)
-        add_configuration_file(path)
-      end
-
-      # Deprecated accessor
-      def configuration_file
-        configuration_files
-      end
-
-      def load!
-        # Clear the controller cache so we may discover new ones
-        @controller_constraints = nil
-
-        load_routes!
-      end
-
-      # reload! will always force a reload whereas load checks the timestamp first
-      alias reload! load!
-
-      def reload
-        if configuration_files.any? && @routes_last_modified
-          if routes_changed_at == @routes_last_modified
-            return # routes didn't change, don't reload
-          else
-            @routes_last_modified = routes_changed_at
-          end
-        end
-
-        load!
-      end
-
-      def load_routes!
-        if configuration_files.any?
-          @finalize_set_on_draw = false
-          configuration_files.each_with_index do |config, index|
-            @finalize_set_on_draw = true if index == (configuration_files.length - 1)
-            load(config)
-            @clear_before_draw = false if index == 0
-          end
-          @clear_before_draw = true
-          @finalize_set_on_draw = true
-
-          @routes_last_modified = routes_changed_at
-        else
-          draw do |map|
-            map.connect ":controller/:action/:id"
-          end
-        end
-      end
-
-      def routes_changed_at
-        routes_changed_at = nil
-
-        configuration_files.each do |config|
-          config_changed_at = File.stat(config).mtime
-
-          if routes_changed_at.nil? || config_changed_at > routes_changed_at
-            routes_changed_at = config_changed_at
-          end
-        end
-
-        routes_changed_at
-      end
-
       CONTROLLER_REGEXP = /[_a-zA-Z0-9]+/
 
       def controller_constraints
@@ -340,11 +270,14 @@ def controller_namespaces
           namespaces << controller_name.split('/')[0...-1].join('/')
         end
 
-        # Find namespaces in controllers/ directory
-        controller_paths.each do |load_path|
-          load_path = File.expand_path(load_path)
-          Dir["#{load_path}/**/*_controller.rb"].collect do |path|
-            namespaces << File.dirname(path).sub(/#{load_path}\/?/, '')
+        # TODO: Move this into Railties
+        if defined?(Rails.application)
+          # Find namespaces in controllers/ directory
+          Rails.application.configuration.controller_paths.each do |load_path|
+            load_path = File.expand_path(load_path)
+            Dir["#{load_path}/**/*_controller.rb"].collect do |path|
+              namespaces << File.dirname(path).sub(/#{load_path}\/?/, '')
+            end
           end
         end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/testing/assertions/routing.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/testing/assertions/routing.rb
index 794fb888b7bb8..fc477afb177d2 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/testing/assertions/routing.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/testing/assertions/routing.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ def assert_recognizes(expected_options, path, extras={}, message=nil)
           request_method = nil
         end
 
-        ActionController::Routing::Routes.reload if ActionController::Routing::Routes.empty?
         request = recognized_request_for(path, request_method)
 
         expected_options = expected_options.clone
@@ -80,7 +79,6 @@ def assert_recognizes(expected_options, path, extras={}, message=nil)
       def assert_generates(expected_path, options, defaults={}, extras = {}, message=nil)
         expected_path = "/#{expected_path}" unless expected_path[0] == ?/
         # Load routes.rb if it hasn't been loaded.
-        ActionController::Routing::Routes.reload if ActionController::Routing::Routes.empty?
 
         generated_path, extra_keys = ActionController::Routing::Routes.generate_extras(options, defaults)
         found_extras = options.reject {|k, v| ! extra_keys.include? k}
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/dispatcher_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/dispatcher_test.rb
index 622d67287dfe1..64f1ad7610c82 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/dispatcher_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/dispatcher_test.rb
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ def setup
     ActionDispatch::Callbacks.reset_callbacks(:call)
 
     ActionController::Routing::Routes.stubs(:call).returns([200, {}, 'response'])
-    ActionController::Routing::Routes.stubs(:reload)
     Dispatcher.stubs(:require_dependency)
   end
 
@@ -28,18 +27,6 @@ def test_clears_dependencies_after_dispatch_if_in_loading_mode
     dispatch(false)
   end
 
-  def test_reloads_routes_before_dispatch_if_in_loading_mode
-    ActionController::Routing::Routes.expects(:reload).once
-    dispatch(false)
-  end
-
-  def test_leaves_dependencies_after_dispatch_if_not_in_loading_mode
-    ActionController::Routing::Routes.expects(:reload).never
-    ActiveSupport::Dependencies.expects(:clear).never
-
-    dispatch
-  end
-
   def test_prepare_callbacks
     a = b = c = nil
     ActionDispatch::Callbacks.to_prepare { |*args| a = b = c = 1 }
diff --git a/railties/lib/rails/application.rb b/railties/lib/rails/application.rb
index 110311558cb33..047d252625648 100644
--- a/railties/lib/rails/application.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/rails/application.rb
@@ -42,8 +42,13 @@ def call(env)
       end
     end
 
+    attr_reader :route_configuration_files
+
     def initialize
       Rails.application ||= self
+
+      @route_configuration_files = []
+
       run_initializers(self)
     end
 
@@ -65,6 +70,32 @@ def routes
       ActionController::Routing::Routes
     end
 
+    def routes_changed_at
+      routes_changed_at = nil
+
+      route_configuration_files.each do |config|
+        config_changed_at = File.stat(config).mtime
+
+        if routes_changed_at.nil? || config_changed_at > routes_changed_at
+          routes_changed_at = config_changed_at
+        end
+      end
+
+      routes_changed_at
+    end
+
+    def reload_routes!
+      routes.disable_clear_and_finalize = true
+
+      routes.clear!
+      route_configuration_files.each { |config| load(config) }
+      routes.finalize!
+
+      nil
+    ensure
+      routes.disable_clear_and_finalize = false
+    end
+
     def initializers
       initializers = super
       plugins.each { |p| initializers += p.initializers }
@@ -359,6 +390,18 @@ def call(env)
       next unless configuration.frameworks.include?(:action_controller)
       require 'rails/dispatcher' unless defined?(::Dispatcher)
       Dispatcher.define_dispatcher_callbacks(configuration.cache_classes)
+
+      unless configuration.cache_classes
+        # Setup dev mode route reloading
+        routes_last_modified = routes_changed_at
+        reload_routes = lambda do
+          unless routes_changed_at == routes_last_modified
+            routes_last_modified = routes_changed_at
+            reload_routes!
+          end
+        end
+        ActionDispatch::Callbacks.before_dispatch { |callbacks| reload_routes }
+      end
     end
 
     # Routing must be initialized after plugins to allow the former to extend the routes
@@ -368,10 +411,8 @@ def call(env)
     # loading module used to lazily load controllers (Configuration#controller_paths).
     initializer :initialize_routing do
       next unless configuration.frameworks.include?(:action_controller)
-
-      ActionController::Routing::Routes.controller_paths += configuration.controller_paths
-      ActionController::Routing::Routes.add_configuration_file(configuration.routes_configuration_file)
-      ActionController::Routing::Routes.reload!
+      route_configuration_files << configuration.routes_configuration_file
+      reload_routes!
     end
     #
     # # Observers are loaded after plugins in case Observers or observed models are modified by plugins.
diff --git a/railties/lib/rails/console_app.rb b/railties/lib/rails/console_app.rb
index 1ad62e50588af..2c4a7a51e8415 100644
--- a/railties/lib/rails/console_app.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/rails/console_app.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ def new_session
 def reload!
   puts "Reloading..."
   ActionDispatch::Callbacks.new(lambda {}, true)
-  ActionController::Routing::Routes.reload
+  Rails.application.reload_routes!
   true
 end
diff --git a/railties/lib/rails/plugin.rb b/railties/lib/rails/plugin.rb
index 86bf032641a18..8025135a64643 100644
--- a/railties/lib/rails/plugin.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/rails/plugin.rb
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ def load_paths
       initializer :add_routing_file, :after => :initialize_routing do |app|
         routing_file = "#{path}/config/routes.rb"
         if File.exist?(routing_file)
-          app.routes.add_configuration_file(routing_file)
-          app.routes.reload!
+          app.route_configuration_files << routing_file
+          app.reload_routes!
         end
       end
     end