--- merb-core-0.9.4/lib/merb-core/controller/mixins/render.rb.orig	2008-07-11 09:16:16.000000000 +0200
+++ merb-core-0.9.4/lib/merb-core/controller/mixins/render.rb	2008-07-11 13:20:46.000000000 +0200
@@ -362,14 +362,14 @@
     template_method, template_location = nil, nil
 
     # absolute path to a template (:template => "/foo/bar")
-    if template.is_a?(String) && template =~ %r{^/}
+    if template.is_a?(String) && template =~ %r{^/[^_]}
       template_location = self._absolute_template_location(template, content_type)
       return [_template_method_for(template_location), template_location]
     end
 
     self.class._template_roots.reverse_each do |root, template_meth|
       # :template => "foo/bar.html" where root / "foo/bar.html.*" exists
-      if template && template.is_a?(String) && template.index("/")
+      if template && template.is_a?(String) && template =~ %r{[^/]+/}
         template_location = root / template
         
       # :template => :tmpl where root / "tmpl.html.*" exists