diff --git a/phpBB/includes/extension/controller.php b/phpBB/includes/extension/controller.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c7fd439a19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpBB/includes/extension/controller.php
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+<?php
+/**
+*
+* @package extension
+* @copyright (c) 2011 phpBB Group
+* @license http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php GNU General Public License v2
+*
+*/
+
+/**
+* @ignore
+*/
+if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
+{
+	exit;
+}
+
+/**
+* Abstract class extended by extension front controller classes
+*
+* @package extension
+*/
+abstract class phpbb_extension_controller implements phpbb_extension_controller_interface
+{
+	/**
+	* @var phpbb_request Request class object
+	*/
+	protected $request;
+
+	/**
+	* @var dbal DBAL class object
+	*/
+	protected $db;
+
+	/**
+	* @var user User class object
+	*/
+	protected $user;
+
+	/**
+	* @var phpbb_template Template class object
+	*/
+	protected $template;
+
+	/**
+	* @var array Config array
+	*/
+	protected $config;
+
+	/**
+	* @var string PHP Extension
+	*/
+	protected $phpEx;
+
+	/**
+	* @var string Relative path to board root
+	*/
+	protected $phpbb_root_path;
+
+	/**
+	* Constructor method that provides the common phpBB objects as inherited class
+	* properties for automatic availability in extension controllers
+	*/
+	public function __construct()
+	{
+		global $request, $db, $user, $template, $config;
+		global $phpEx, $phpbb_root_path;
+
+		$this->request = $request;
+		$this->db = $db;
+		$this->user = $user;
+		$this->template = $template;
+		$this->config = $config;
+		$this->phpEx = $phpEx;
+		$this->phpbb_root_path = $phpbb_root_path;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/extension/controller_interface.php b/phpBB/includes/extension/controller_interface.php
index bcc8972db4..2b88925388 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/extension/controller_interface.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/extension/controller_interface.php
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
 interface phpbb_extension_controller_interface
 {
 	/**
-	* handle the request to display a page from an extension
+	* Handle the request to display a page from an extension
 	*
 	* @return	null
 	*/
diff --git a/phpBB/index.php b/phpBB/index.php
index d71878a885..9a57105d57 100644
--- a/phpBB/index.php
+++ b/phpBB/index.php
@@ -17,12 +17,11 @@ define('IN_PHPBB', true);
 $phpbb_root_path = (defined('PHPBB_ROOT_PATH')) ? PHPBB_ROOT_PATH : './';
 $phpEx = substr(strrchr(__FILE__, '.'), 1);
 include($phpbb_root_path . 'common.' . $phpEx);
-include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_display.' . $phpEx);
 
 // Start session management
 $user->session_begin();
 $auth->acl($user->data);
-$user->setup('viewforum');
+$user->setup();
 
 // Handle the display of extension front pages
 if ($ext = $request->variable('ext', ''))
@@ -57,6 +56,10 @@ if ($ext = $request->variable('ext', ''))
 	exit_handler();
 }
 
+include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_display.' . $phpEx);
+
+$user->add_lang('viewforum');
+
 display_forums('', $config['load_moderators']);
 
 $order_legend = ($config['legend_sort_groupname']) ? 'group_name' : 'group_legend';
diff --git a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/class/controller.php b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/class/controller.php
index eb2ae362a6..74bbbee540 100644
--- a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/class/controller.php
+++ b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/class/controller.php
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 <?php
 
-class phpbb_ext_foobar_controller implements phpbb_extension_controller_interface
+class phpbb_ext_foobar_controller extends phpbb_extension_controller
 {
 	public function handle()
 	{
-		global $template;
-		$template->set_ext_dir_prefix($phpbb_root_path . 'ext/error/class/');
-
-		$template->set_filenames(array(
+		$this->template->set_filenames(array(
 			'body' => 'index_body.html'
 		));
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/classtype/controller.php b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/classtype/controller.php
index 2276548b55..55ac651bdf 100644
--- a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/classtype/controller.php
+++ b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/classtype/controller.php
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ class phpbb_ext_error_classtype_controller
 	public function handle()
 	{
 		global $template;
-		$template->set_ext_dir_prefix($phpbb_root_path . 'ext/error/classtype/');
-
 		$template->set_filenames(array(
 			'body' => 'index_body.html'
 		));
diff --git a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/disabled/controller.php b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/disabled/controller.php
index b83a949020..57b913f377 100644
--- a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/disabled/controller.php
+++ b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/error/disabled/controller.php
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 <?php
 
-class phpbb_ext_error_disabled_controller implements phpbb_extension_controller_interface
+class phpbb_ext_error_disabled_controller extends phpbb_extension_controller
 {
 	public function handle()
-	{
-		global $template;
-		$template->set_ext_dir_prefix($phpbb_root_path . 'ext/error/disabled/');
-
-		$template->set_filenames(array(
+	{		
+		$this->template->set_filenames(array(
 			'body' => 'index_body.html'
 		));
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foo/bar/controller.php b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foo/bar/controller.php
index 24d218c412..3375e317b3 100644
--- a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foo/bar/controller.php
+++ b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foo/bar/controller.php
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 <?php
 
-class phpbb_ext_foo_bar_controller implements phpbb_extension_controller_interface
+class phpbb_ext_foo_bar_controller extends phpbb_extension_controller
 {
 	public function handle()
 	{
-		global $template;
-		$template->set_ext_dir_prefix($phpbb_root_path . 'ext/foo/bar/');
-
-		$template->set_filenames(array(
+		$this->template->set_filenames(array(
 			'body' => 'foobar_body.html'
 		));
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foobar/controller.php b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foobar/controller.php
index bf8d8139ae..ff35f12ee0 100644
--- a/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foobar/controller.php
+++ b/tests/functional/fixtures/ext/foobar/controller.php
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 <?php
 
-class phpbb_ext_foobar_controller implements phpbb_extension_controller_interface
+class phpbb_ext_foobar_controller extends phpbb_extension_controller
 {
 	public function handle()
 	{
-		global $template;
-		$template->set_ext_dir_prefix($phpbb_root_path . 'ext/foobar/');
-
-		$template->set_filenames(array(
+		$this->template->set_filenames(array(
 			'body' => 'foobar_body.html'
 		));