3 files changed, 17 insertions, 4 deletions
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb
index 993f8e150d..ae111e4951 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb
@@ -190,11 +190,15 @@ module ActionController
     end
 
     def dispatch(name, request) #:nodoc:
+      set_request!(request)
+      process(name)
+      to_a
+    end
+
+    def set_request!(request) #:nodoc:
       @_request = request
       @_env = request.env
       @_env['action_controller.instance'] = self
-      process(name)
-      to_a
     end
 
     def to_a #:nodoc:
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb
index 545d4a7e6e..82054880e9 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ module ActionController
     delegate :headers, :status=, :location=, :content_type=,
              :status, :location, :content_type, :response_code, :to => "@_response"
 
-    def dispatch(action, request)
+    def set_request!(request) #:nodoc:
+      super
       set_response!(request)
-      super(action, request)
     end
 
     def response_body=(body)
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/new_base/bare_metal_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/new_base/bare_metal_test.rb
index 246ba099af..710c428dcc 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/new_base/bare_metal_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/new_base/bare_metal_test.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@ module BareMetalTest
       controller.index
       assert_equal ["Hello world"], controller.response_body
     end
+
+    test "connect a request to controller instance without dispatch" do
+      env = {}
+      controller = BareController.new
+      controller.set_request! ActionDispatch::Request.new(env)
+      assert controller.request
+      assert controller.response
+      assert env['action_controller.instance']
+    end
   end
 
   class HeadController < ActionController::Metal