diff --git a/lib/cancan.rb b/lib/cancan.rb
index b320393a..02cd75e2 100644
--- a/lib/cancan.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan.rb
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@
 require 'cancan/active_record_additions'
 require 'cancan/exceptions'
 require 'cancan/query'
+require 'cancan/inherited_resource'
diff --git a/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb b/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb
index d099a8bf..8ed89ccb 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ module ClassMethods
       #   end
       #
       def load_and_authorize_resource(*args)
-        ControllerResource.add_before_filter(self, :load_and_authorize_resource, *args)
+        cancan_resource_class.add_before_filter(self, :load_and_authorize_resource, *args)
       end
 
       # Sets up a before filter which loads the model resource into an instance variable.
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def load_and_authorize_resource(*args)
       #     load_resource :new => :build
       #
       def load_resource(*args)
-        ControllerResource.add_before_filter(self, :load_resource, *args)
+        cancan_resource_class.add_before_filter(self, :load_resource, *args)
       end
 
       # Sets up a before filter which authorizes the resource using the instance variable.
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def load_resource(*args)
       #   Authorize conditions on this parent resource when instance isn't available.
       #
       def authorize_resource(*args)
-        ControllerResource.add_before_filter(self, :authorize_resource, *args)
+        cancan_resource_class.add_before_filter(self, :authorize_resource, *args)
       end
 
       # Add this to a controller to ensure it performs authorization through +authorized+! or +authorize_resource+ call.
@@ -190,6 +190,14 @@ def skip_authorization(*args)
           controller.instance_variable_set(:@_authorized, true)
         end
       end
+
+      def cancan_resource_class
+        if ancestors.map(&:to_s).include? "InheritedResources::Actions"
+          InheritedResource
+        else
+          ControllerResource
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     def self.included(base)
diff --git a/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb b/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb
index 27ff1de5..49c57fd1 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ def load_and_authorize_resource
     end
 
     def load_resource
-      if !resource_instance && (parent? || member_action?)
-        @controller.instance_variable_set("@#{instance_name}", load_resource_instance)
+      if parent? || member_action?
+        self.resource_instance ||= load_resource_instance
       elsif load_collection?
-        @controller.instance_variable_set("@#{instance_name.to_s.pluralize}", load_collection)
+        self.collection_instance ||= load_collection
       end
     end
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def parent?
       @options.has_key?(:parent) ? @options[:parent] : @name && @name != name_from_controller.to_sym
     end
 
-    private
+    protected
 
     def load_resource_instance
       if !parent? && new_actions.include?(@params[:action].to_sym)
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ def load_resource_instance
     end
 
     def load_collection?
-      !parent? && collection_actions.include?(@params[:action].to_sym) &&
       resource_base.respond_to?(:accessible_by) &&
       !@controller.current_ability.has_block?(authorization_action, resource_class)
     end
@@ -110,10 +109,22 @@ def resource_class_with_parent
       parent_resource ? {parent_resource => resource_class} : resource_class
     end
 
+    def resource_instance=(instance)
+      @controller.instance_variable_set("@#{instance_name}", instance)
+    end
+
     def resource_instance
       @controller.instance_variable_get("@#{instance_name}")
     end
 
+    def collection_instance=(instance)
+      @controller.instance_variable_set("@#{instance_name.to_s.pluralize}", instance)
+    end
+
+    def collection_instance
+      @controller.instance_variable_get("@#{instance_name.to_s.pluralize}")
+    end
+
     # The object that methods (such as "find", "new" or "build") are called on.
     # If the :through option is passed it will go through an association on that instance.
     # If the :singleton option is passed it won't use the association because it needs to be handled later.
diff --git a/lib/cancan/inherited_resource.rb b/lib/cancan/inherited_resource.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bcd55fb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/cancan/inherited_resource.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+module CanCan
+  # For use with Inherited Resources
+  class InheritedResource < ControllerResource # :nodoc:
+    def load_resource_instance
+      if parent?
+        @controller.parent
+      elsif new_actions.include? @params[:action].to_sym
+        @controller.build_resource
+      else
+        @controller.resource
+      end
+    end
+
+    def resource_base
+      @controller.end_of_association_chain
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/cancan/controller_additions_spec.rb b/spec/cancan/controller_additions_spec.rb
index 8d514aa7..55d1eb7b 100644
--- a/spec/cancan/controller_additions_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cancan/controller_additions_spec.rb
@@ -74,4 +74,13 @@
       @controller_class.check_authorization(:some_options)
     }.should_not raise_error(CanCan::AuthorizationNotPerformed)
   end
+
+  it "cancan_resource_class should be ControllerResource by default" do
+    @controller.class.cancan_resource_class.should == CanCan::ControllerResource
+  end
+
+  it "cancan_resource_class should be InheritedResource when class includes InheritedResources::Actions" do
+    stub(@controller.class).ancestors { ["InheritedResources::Actions"] }
+    @controller.class.cancan_resource_class.should == CanCan::InheritedResource
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/cancan/inherited_resource_spec.rb b/spec/cancan/inherited_resource_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d0bed43c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/cancan/inherited_resource_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+require "spec_helper"
+
+describe CanCan::InheritedResource do
+  before(:each) do
+    @params = HashWithIndifferentAccess.new(:controller => "projects")
+    @controller = Object.new # simple stub for now
+    @ability = Ability.new(nil)
+    stub(@controller).params { @params }
+    stub(@controller).current_ability { @ability }
+  end
+
+  it "show should load resource through @controller.resource" do
+    @params[:action] = "show"
+    stub(@controller).resource { :project_resource }
+    CanCan::InheritedResource.new(@controller).load_resource
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :project_resource
+  end
+
+  it "new should load through @controller.build_resource" do
+    @params[:action] = "new"
+    stub(@controller).build_resource { :project_resource }
+    CanCan::InheritedResource.new(@controller).load_resource
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :project_resource
+  end
+
+  it "index should load through @controller.parent when parent" do
+    @params[:action] = "index"
+    stub(@controller).parent { :project_resource }
+    CanCan::InheritedResource.new(@controller, :parent => true).load_resource
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :project_resource
+  end
+
+  it "index should load through @controller.end_of_association_chain" do
+    @params[:action] = "index"
+    stub(Project).accessible_by(@ability) { :projects }
+    stub(@controller).end_of_association_chain { Project }
+    CanCan::InheritedResource.new(@controller).load_resource
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@projects).should == :projects
+  end
+end