diff --git a/core/control/NullHTTPRequest.php b/core/control/NullHTTPRequest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9ae33fdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/control/NullHTTPRequest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Implements the "Null Object" pattern for a missing http request.
+ * Set on controllers on construction time, typically overwritten
+ * by {@link Controller->handleRequest()} and {@link Controller->handleAction()} later on.
+ * 
+ * @param sapphire
+ * @subpackage control
+ */
+class NullHTTPRequest extends SS_HTTPRequest {
+
+	function __construct() {
+		parent::__construct(null, null);
+	}
+	
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/control/RequestHandler.php b/core/control/RequestHandler.php
index f2acb19fc..535dfe731 100755
--- a/core/control/RequestHandler.php
+++ b/core/control/RequestHandler.php
@@ -73,9 +73,13 @@ class RequestHandler extends ViewableData {
 	 * </code>
 	 */
 	static $allowed_actions = null;
-	
+	 
 	public function __construct() {
 		$this->brokenOnConstruct = false;
+
+		// Check necessary to avoid class conflicts before manifest is rebuilt
+		if(class_exists('NullHTTPRequest')) $this->request = new NullHTTPRequest();
+		
 		parent::__construct();
 	}
 	
@@ -317,8 +321,11 @@ class RequestHandler extends ViewableData {
 	
 	/**
 	 * Returns the SS_HTTPRequest object that this controller is using.
+	 * Returns a placeholder {@link NullHTTPRequest} object unless 
+	 * {@link handleAction()} or {@link handleRequest()} have been called,
+	 * which adds a reference to an actual {@link SS_HTTPRequest} object.
 	 *
-	 * @return SS_HTTPRequest
+	 * @return SS_HTTPRequest|NullHTTPRequest
 	 */
 	function getRequest() {
 		return $this->request;
diff --git a/tests/RequestHandlingTest.php b/tests/RequestHandlingTest.php
index bb16d42bb..28a4b5300 100755
--- a/tests/RequestHandlingTest.php
+++ b/tests/RequestHandlingTest.php
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ class RequestHandlingTest extends SapphireTest {
 	// 	);
 	// }
 	
+	function testConstructedWithNullRequest() {
+		$r = new RequestHandler();
+		$this->assertType('NullHTTPRequest', $r->getRequest());
+	}
+	
 	function testRequestHandlerChainingAllParams() {
 		// TODO
 	}
diff --git a/tests/control/NullHTTPRequestTest.php b/tests/control/NullHTTPRequestTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a83e1c7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/control/NullHTTPRequestTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * @package sapphire
+ * @subpackage tests
+ */
+class NullHTTPRequestTest extends SapphireTest {
+
+	function testAllHttpVerbsAreFalse() {
+		$r = new NullHTTPRequest();
+		$this->assertFalse($r->isGET());
+		$this->assertFalse($r->isPOST());
+		$this->assertFalse($r->isPUT());
+		$this->assertFalse($r->isDELETE());
+		$this->assertFalse($r->isHEAD());
+	}
+	
+	function testGetURL() {
+		$r = new NullHTTPRequest();
+		$this->assertEquals('', $r->getURL());
+	}
+	
+}
\ No newline at end of file