diff --git a/actionpack/CHANGELOG b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
index 994b73ff6f821b1c422386a963f33f75e97a7e36..f29585446a8c84c39c864317d135351976ded79b 100644
--- a/actionpack/CHANGELOG
+++ b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Fixed that assert_template_xpath_matches did not indicate when a path was not found #658 [Eric Hodel]
+
 * Added TextHelper#auto_link, TextHelper#auto_link_urls, and TextHelper#auto_link_email_addresses to turn those elements into ahrefs
 
 * Fixed that on validation errors, scaffold couldn't find template #654 [mindel]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/action_pack_assertions.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/action_pack_assertions.rb
index a8819550e6d2e935a593cd8b330df941e9579aea..c9a1aae1746f4bcf10b59ce80e6e9332e72a022b 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/action_pack_assertions.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/action_pack_assertions.rb
@@ -217,7 +217,14 @@ def assert_template_xpath_match(expression=nil, expected=nil, message=nil)
         response = acquire_assertion_target
         xml, matches = REXML::Document.new(response.body), []
         xml.elements.each(expression) { |e| matches << e.text }
-        matches = matches.first if matches.length < 2
+        if matches.empty? then
+          msg = build_message(message, "<?> not found in document",
+                              expression)
+          flunk(msg)
+          return
+        elsif matches.length < 2 then
+          matches = matches.first
+        end
 
         msg = build_message(message, "<?> found <?>, not <?>", expression, matches, expected)
         assert_block(msg) { matches == expected }
diff --git a/actionpack/test/abstract_unit.rb b/actionpack/test/abstract_unit.rb
index 3d61559ee33f71d5bd7a5b99fafedfbe36f7894a..99c911c2dd34df043817e4d69824b340a09d6149 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/abstract_unit.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/abstract_unit.rb
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@
 require 'action_controller/test_process'
 
 ActionController::Base.logger = nil
-ActionController::Base.ignore_missing_templates = true
\ No newline at end of file
+ActionController::Base.ignore_missing_templates = true
+ActionController::Routing::Routes.reload
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb
index 4c0382a32cfb1072cd0e86ec00183cb97743994b..48d7ed2f3fc71d24802a82cd6a918032c6df22e8 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/action_pack_assertions_test.rb
@@ -337,6 +337,13 @@ def test_render_based_on_parameters
     assert_equal "Mr. David", @response.body
   end
 
+  def test_assert_template_xpath_match_no_matches
+    process :hello_xml_world
+    assert_raises Test::Unit::AssertionFailedError do
+      assert_template_xpath_match('/no/such/node/in/document')
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_simple_one_element_xpath_match
     process :hello_xml_world
     assert_template_xpath_match('//title', "Hello World")