diff --git a/History.md b/History.md
index 2ba05b414c..8930fb648f 100644
--- a/History.md
+++ b/History.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
   * change:
     - `req.host` now returns host (`hostname:port`) - use `req.hostname` for only hostname
     - `req.query` is now a getter instead of a plain property
+  * add:
+    - `app.router` is a reference to the base router
 
 4.7.0 / 2014-07-25
 ==================
diff --git a/lib/application.js b/lib/application.js
index da7e7c576b..582247c4a4 100644
--- a/lib/application.js
+++ b/lib/application.js
@@ -32,10 +32,28 @@ var app = exports = module.exports = {};
  */
 
 app.init = function(){
+  var router = null;
+
   this.cache = {};
   this.settings = {};
   this.engines = {};
   this.defaultConfiguration();
+
+  // Setup getting to lazily add base router
+  Object.defineProperty(this, 'router', {
+    configurable: true,
+    enumerable: true,
+    get: function getrouter() {
+      if (router === null) {
+        router = new Router({
+          caseSensitive: this.enabled('case sensitive routing'),
+          strict: this.enabled('strict routing')
+        });
+      }
+
+      return router;
+    }
+  });
 };
 
 /**
@@ -83,23 +101,6 @@ app.defaultConfiguration = function(){
   }
 };
 
-/**
- * lazily adds the base router if it has not yet been added.
- *
- * We cannot add the base router in the defaultConfiguration because
- * it reads app settings which might be set after that has run.
- *
- * @api private
- */
-app.lazyrouter = function() {
-  if (!this._router) {
-    this._router = new Router({
-      caseSensitive: this.enabled('case sensitive routing'),
-      strict: this.enabled('strict routing')
-    });
-  }
-};
-
 /**
  * Dispatch a req, res pair into the application. Starts pipeline processing.
  *
@@ -110,21 +111,12 @@ app.lazyrouter = function() {
  */
 
 app.handle = function(req, res, done) {
-  var router = this._router;
-
   // final handler
   done = done || finalhandler(req, res, {
     env: this.get('env'),
     onerror: logerror.bind(this)
   });
 
-  // no routes
-  if (!router) {
-    debug('no routes defined on app');
-    done();
-    return;
-  }
-
   // set powered by header
   if (this.enabled('x-powered-by')) {
     res.setHeader('X-Powered-By', 'Express');
@@ -143,7 +135,7 @@ app.handle = function(req, res, done) {
     res.locals = Object.create(null);
   }
 
-  router.handle(req, res, done);
+  this.router.handle(req, res, done);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -170,9 +162,8 @@ app.use = function use(path, fn) {
       : fn;
   }
 
-  // setup router
-  this.lazyrouter();
-  var router = this._router;
+  // get router
+  var router = this.router;
 
   // express app
   if (mount_app && mount_app.handle && mount_app.set) {
@@ -212,9 +203,8 @@ app.use = function use(path, fn) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-app.route = function(path){
-  this.lazyrouter();
-  return this._router.route(path);
+app.route = function route(path) {
+  return this.router.route(path);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -270,18 +260,15 @@ app.engine = function(ext, fn){
  * @api public
  */
 
-app.param = function(name, fn){
-  var self = this;
-  self.lazyrouter();
-
+app.param = function param(name, fn) {
   if (Array.isArray(name)) {
-    name.forEach(function(key) {
-      self.param(key, fn);
-    });
+    for (var i = 0; i < name.length; i++) {
+      this.param(name[i], fn);
+    }
     return this;
   }
 
-  self._router.param(name, fn);
+  this.router.param(name, fn);
   return this;
 };
 
@@ -418,9 +405,7 @@ methods.forEach(function(method){
   app[method] = function(path){
     if ('get' == method && 1 == arguments.length) return this.set(path);
 
-    this.lazyrouter();
-
-    var route = this._router.route(path);
+    var route = this.route(path);
     route[method].apply(route, [].slice.call(arguments, 1));
     return this;
   };
@@ -437,9 +422,7 @@ methods.forEach(function(method){
  */
 
 app.all = function(path){
-  this.lazyrouter();
-
-  var route = this._router.route(path);
+  var route = this.route(path);
   var args = [].slice.call(arguments, 1);
   methods.forEach(function(method){
     route[method].apply(route, args);