diff --git a/cake/libs/controller/components/request_handler.php b/cake/libs/controller/components/request_handler.php
index 561bcdf1722..ecc4ba1430b 100644
--- a/cake/libs/controller/components/request_handler.php
+++ b/cake/libs/controller/components/request_handler.php
@@ -165,14 +165,16 @@ function __construct() {
  * as the first item.
  *
  * @param object $controller A reference to the controller
+ * @param array $settings Array of settings to _set().
  * @return void
  * @see Router::parseExtensions()
  * @access public
  */
-	function initialize(&$controller) {
+	function initialize(&$controller, $settings = array()) {
 		if (isset($controller->params['url']['ext'])) {
 			$this->ext = $controller->params['url']['ext'];
 		}
+		$this->_set($settings);
 	}
 
 /**
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/request_handler.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/request_handler.test.php
index 58542dc5bc2..1b18a6eba52 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/request_handler.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/request_handler.test.php
@@ -186,6 +186,12 @@ function testInitializeCallback() {
 		$this->Controller->params['url']['ext'] = 'rss';
 		$this->RequestHandler->initialize($this->Controller);
 		$this->assertEqual($this->RequestHandler->ext, 'rss');
+
+		$settings = array(
+			'ajaxLayout' => 'test_ajax'
+		);
+		$this->RequestHandler->initialize($this->Controller, $settings);
+		$this->assertEqual($this->RequestHandler->ajaxLayout, 'test_ajax');
 	}
 
 /**