diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb
index 6913c1ef4a4fda7ef75e86e6467c171ef279d3bf..1731388bf35a74d5769b0e6d8edb743a20407bbf 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb
@@ -86,6 +86,21 @@ def assert_template(options = {}, message = nil)
           end
         end
       when Hash
+        if expected_layout = options[:layout]
+          msg = build_message(message,
+                  "expecting layout <?> but action rendered <?>",
+                  expected_layout, @layouts.keys)
+
+          case expected_layout
+          when String
+            assert(@layouts.keys.include?(expected_layout), msg)
+          when Regexp
+            assert(@layouts.keys.any? {|l| l =~ expected_layout }, msg)
+          when nil
+            assert(@layouts.empty?, msg)
+          end
+        end
+
         if expected_partial = options[:partial]
           if expected_locals = options[:locals]
             actual_locals = @locals[expected_partial.to_s.sub(/^_/,'')]
@@ -98,19 +113,6 @@ def assert_template(options = {}, message = nil)
                     "expecting ? to be rendered ? time(s) but rendered ? time(s)",
                      expected_partial, expected_count, actual_count)
             assert(actual_count == expected_count.to_i, msg)
-          elsif options.key?(:layout)
-            msg = build_message(message,
-                    "expecting layout <?> but action rendered <?>",
-                    expected_layout, @layouts.keys)
-
-            case layout = options[:layout]
-            when String
-              assert(@layouts.include?(expected_layout), msg)
-            when Regexp
-              assert(@layouts.any? {|l| l =~ layout }, msg)
-            when nil
-              assert(@layouts.empty?, msg)
-            end
           else
             msg = build_message(message,
                     "expecting partial <?> but action rendered <?>",
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb
index a714e8bbcc8752712368cf725947165a6bc19474..b414327d083cdf8ecccf0df5eb451c9fa33d8485 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ def render_text_with_custom_content_type
     render :text => "Hello!", :content_type => Mime::RSS
   end
 
+  def render_with_layout
+    render "test/hello_world", :layout => "layouts/standard"
+  end
+
   def session_stuffing
     session['xmas'] = 'turkey'
     render :text => "ho ho ho"
@@ -471,6 +475,18 @@ def test_fails_with_incorrect_symbol
     end
   end
 
+  def test_fails_with_wrong_layout
+    get :render_with_layout
+    assert_raise(ActiveSupport::TestCase::Assertion) do
+      assert_template :layout => "application"
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_passes_with_correct_layout
+    get :render_with_layout
+    assert_template :layout => "layouts/standard"
+  end
+
   def test_assert_template_reset_between_requests
     get :hello_world
     assert_template 'test/hello_world'
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/layout_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/layout_test.rb
index 25299eb8b87d27cb598f58c283a128d6ca8f7f2b..bc171e201bf64a3bdf0fd3d98aa52624ce1efab6 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/layout_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/layout_test.rb
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ def test_layout_is_not_set_when_none_rendered
   def test_layout_is_picked_from_the_controller_instances_view_path
     @controller = PrependsViewPathController.new
     get :hello
-    assert_template :layout => /layouts\/alt\.\w+/
+    assert_template :layout => /layouts\/alt/
   end
 
   def test_absolute_pathed_layout