diff --git a/modules/components/Routes.js b/modules/components/Routes.js
index ddbc1ca6fe..311c62bb06 100644
--- a/modules/components/Routes.js
+++ b/modules/components/Routes.js
@@ -167,6 +167,28 @@ function returnNull() {
   return null;
 }
 
+function routeIsActive(activeRoutes, routeName) {
+  return activeRoutes.some(function (route) {
+    return route.props.name === routeName;
+  });
+}
+
+function paramsAreActive(activeParams, params) {
+  for (var property in params)
+    if (String(activeParams[property]) !== String(params[property]))
+      return false;
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+function queryIsActive(activeQuery, query) {
+  for (var property in query)
+    if (String(activeQuery[property]) !== String(query[property]))
+      return false;
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * The <Routes> component configures the route hierarchy and renders the
  * route matching the current location when rendered into a document.
@@ -476,6 +498,18 @@ var Routes = React.createClass({
     location.pop();
   },
 
+  /**
+   * Returns true if the given route, params, and query are active.
+   */
+  isActive: function (to, params, query) {
+    if (Path.isAbsolute(to))
+      return to === this.getCurrentPath();
+
+    return routeIsActive(this.getActiveRoutes(), to) &&
+      paramsAreActive(this.getActiveParams(), params) &&
+      (query == null || queryIsActive(this.getActiveQuery(), query));
+  },
+
   render: function () {
     var match = this.state.matches[0];
 
@@ -493,7 +527,8 @@ var Routes = React.createClass({
     makeHref: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     transitionTo: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     replaceWith: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
-    goBack: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired
+    goBack: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+    isActive: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired
   },
 
   getChildContext: function () {
@@ -503,7 +538,8 @@ var Routes = React.createClass({
       makeHref: this.makeHref,
       transitionTo: this.transitionTo,
       replaceWith: this.replaceWith,
-      goBack: this.goBack
+      goBack: this.goBack,
+      isActive: this.isActive
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/components/__tests__/Link-test.js b/modules/components/__tests__/Link-test.js
index fbfb072c22..517eb97850 100644
--- a/modules/components/__tests__/Link-test.js
+++ b/modules/components/__tests__/Link-test.js
@@ -67,7 +67,39 @@ describe('A Link', function () {
       React.unmountComponentAtNode(component.getDOMNode());
     });
 
-    it('has its active class name', function () {
+    it('is active', function () {
+      var linkComponent = component.getActiveComponent().refs.link;
+      expect(linkComponent.getClassName()).toEqual('a-link highlight');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when the path it links to is active', function () {
+    var HomeHandler = React.createClass({
+      render: function () {
+        return Link({ ref: 'link', to: '/home', className: 'a-link', activeClassName: 'highlight' });
+      }
+    });
+
+    var component;
+    beforeEach(function (done) {
+      component = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
+        Routes({ location: 'none' },
+          Route({ path: '/home', handler: HomeHandler })
+        )
+      );
+
+      component.dispatch('/home', function (error, abortReason, nextState) {
+        expect(error).toBe(null);
+        expect(abortReason).toBe(null);
+        component.setState(nextState, done);
+      });
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function () {
+      React.unmountComponentAtNode(component.getDOMNode());
+    });
+
+    it('is active', function () {
       var linkComponent = component.getActiveComponent().refs.link;
       expect(linkComponent.getClassName()).toEqual('a-link highlight');
     });
diff --git a/modules/mixins/ActiveContext.js b/modules/mixins/ActiveContext.js
index 5c1247cad0..842d78cef5 100644
--- a/modules/mixins/ActiveContext.js
+++ b/modules/mixins/ActiveContext.js
@@ -1,31 +1,9 @@
 var React = require('react');
 var copyProperties = require('react/lib/copyProperties');
 
-function routeIsActive(activeRoutes, routeName) {
-  return activeRoutes.some(function (route) {
-    return route.props.name === routeName;
-  });
-}
-
-function paramsAreActive(activeParams, params) {
-  for (var property in params)
-    if (String(activeParams[property]) !== String(params[property]))
-      return false;
-
-  return true;
-}
-
-function queryIsActive(activeQuery, query) {
-  for (var property in query)
-    if (String(activeQuery[property]) !== String(query[property]))
-      return false;
-
-  return true;
-}
-
 /**
- * A mixin for components that store the active state of routes, URL
- * parameters, and query.
+ * A mixin for components that store the active state of routes,
+ * URL parameters, and query.
  */
 var ActiveContext = {
 
@@ -72,33 +50,17 @@ var ActiveContext = {
     return copyProperties({}, this.state.activeQuery);
   },
 
-  /**
-   * Returns true if the route with the given name, URL parameters, and
-   * query are all currently active.
-   */
-  isActive: function (routeName, params, query) {
-    var isActive = routeIsActive(this.state.activeRoutes, routeName) &&
-                   paramsAreActive(this.state.activeParams, params);
-
-    if (query)
-      return isActive && queryIsActive(this.state.activeQuery, query);
-
-    return isActive;
-  },
-
   childContextTypes: {
     activeRoutes: React.PropTypes.array.isRequired,
     activeParams: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-    activeQuery: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-    isActive: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired
+    activeQuery: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired
   },
 
   getChildContext: function () {
     return {
       activeRoutes: this.getActiveRoutes(),
       activeParams: this.getActiveParams(),
-      activeQuery: this.getActiveQuery(),
-      isActive: this.isActive
+      activeQuery: this.getActiveQuery()
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/mixins/__tests__/ActiveContext-test.js b/modules/mixins/__tests__/ActiveContext-test.js
index c55512fd2e..81b989e8e6 100644
--- a/modules/mixins/__tests__/ActiveContext-test.js
+++ b/modules/mixins/__tests__/ActiveContext-test.js
@@ -1,32 +1,33 @@
 var assert = require('assert');
+var expect = require('expect');
 var React = require('react/addons');
 var ReactTestUtils = React.addons.TestUtils;
+var Routes = require('../../components/Routes');
 var Route = require('../../components/Route');
-var ActiveContext = require('../ActiveContext');
 
 describe('ActiveContext', function () {
 
   var App = React.createClass({
-    mixins: [ ActiveContext ],
     render: function () {
       return null;
     }
   });
 
   describe('when a route is active', function () {
-    var route;
-    beforeEach(function () {
-      route = Route({ name: 'products', handler: App });
-    });
-
     describe('and it has no params', function () {
       var component;
-      beforeEach(function () {
+      beforeEach(function (done) {
         component = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
-          App({
-            initialActiveRoutes: [ route ]
-          })
+          Routes({ location: 'none' },
+            Route({ name: 'home', handler: App })
+          )
         );
+
+        component.dispatch('/home', function (error, abortReason, nextState) {
+          expect(error).toBe(null);
+          expect(abortReason).toBe(null);
+          component.setState(nextState, done);
+        });
       });
 
       afterEach(function () {
@@ -34,20 +35,24 @@ describe('ActiveContext', function () {
       });
 
       it('is active', function () {
-        assert(component.isActive('products'));
+        assert(component.isActive('home'));
       });
     });
 
     describe('and the right params are given', function () {
       var component;
-      beforeEach(function () {
+      beforeEach(function (done) {
         component = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
-          App({
-            initialActiveRoutes: [ route ],
-            initialActiveParams: { id: '123', show: 'true', variant: 456 },
-            initialActiveQuery: { search: 'abc', limit: 789 }
-          })
+          Routes({ location: 'none' },
+            Route({ name: 'products', path: '/products/:id/:variant', handler: App })
+          )
         );
+
+        component.dispatch('/products/123/456?search=abc&limit=789', function (error, abortReason, nextState) {
+          expect(error).toBe(null);
+          expect(abortReason).toBe(null);
+          component.setState(nextState, done);
+        });
       });
 
       afterEach(function () {
@@ -62,26 +67,31 @@ describe('ActiveContext', function () {
 
       describe('and a matching query is used', function () {
         it('is active', function () {
-          assert(component.isActive('products', { id: 123 }, { search: 'abc', limit: '789' }));
+          assert(component.isActive('products', { id: 123 }, { search: 'abc' }));
         });
       });
 
       describe('but the query does not match', function () {
         it('is not active', function () {
-          assert(component.isActive('products', { id: 123 }, { search: 'def', limit: '123' }) === false);
+          assert(component.isActive('products', { id: 123 }, { search: 'def' }) === false);
         });
       });
     });
 
     describe('and the wrong params are given', function () {
       var component;
-      beforeEach(function () {
+      beforeEach(function (done) {
         component = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
-          App({
-            initialActiveRoutes: [ route ],
-            initialActiveParams: { id: 123 }
-          })
+          Routes({ location: 'none' },
+            Route({ name: 'products', path: '/products/:id', handler: App })
+          )
         );
+
+        component.dispatch('/products/123', function (error, abortReason, nextState) {
+          expect(error).toBe(null);
+          expect(abortReason).toBe(null);
+          component.setState(nextState, done);
+        });
       });
 
       afterEach(function () {