diff --git a/pecan/rest.py b/pecan/rest.py
index a934109..bbd56d4 100644
--- a/pecan/rest.py
+++ b/pecan/rest.py
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ from routing import iscontroller, lookup_controller
 
 class RestController(object):
     
+    _custom_actions = {}
+    
     @expose()
     def _route(self, args):
         
         # convention uses "_method" to handle browser-unsupported methods
-        method = request.GET.get('_method', request.method).lower()
+        method = request.params.get('_method', request.method).lower()
         
         # make sure DELETE/PUT requests don't use GET
         if request.method == 'GET' and method in ('delete', 'put'):
@@ -108,13 +110,13 @@ class RestController(object):
                 return controller, remainder[:-1]
         
         # check for custom GET requests
-        if method_name in getattr(self, '_custom_actions', []):
-            controller = self._find_controller(method_name, 'get_%s' % method_name)
+        if method.upper() in self._custom_actions.get(method_name, []):
+            controller = self._find_controller('get_%s' % method_name, method_name)
             if controller:
                 return controller, remainder[:-1]
         controller = getattr(self, remainder[0], None)
         if controller and not ismethod(controller):
-            return controller, remainder[1:]
+            return lookup_controller(controller, remainder[1:])
         
         # finally, check for the regular get_one/get requests
         controller = self._find_controller('get_one', 'get')
@@ -142,20 +144,23 @@ class RestController(object):
         abort(404)
     
     def _handle_post(self, method, remainder):
-        
-        # check for custom controllers or sub-controllers
+
+        # check for custom POST/PUT requests
         if remainder:
-            controller = self._find_controller(remainder[0])
-            if controller:
-                return controller, remainder[1:]
-            sub_controller = getattr(self, remainder[0], None)
-            if sub_controller and not ismethod(sub_controller):
-                return lookup_controller(sub_controller, remainder[1:])
+            method_name = remainder[-1]
+            if method.upper() in self._custom_actions.get(method_name, []):
+                controller = self._find_controller('%s_%s' % (method, method_name), method_name)
+                if controller:
+                    return controller, remainder[:-1]
+            controller = getattr(self, remainder[0], None)
+            if controller and not ismethod(controller):
+                return lookup_controller(controller, remainder[1:])
         
-        # check for regular post/put requests
+        # check for regular POST/PUT requests
         controller = self._find_controller(method)
         if controller:
             return controller, remainder
+        
         abort(404)
     
     _handle_put = _handle_post
diff --git a/tests/test_rest.py b/tests/test_rest.py
index 87dd5a0..0707286 100644
--- a/tests/test_rest.py
+++ b/tests/test_rest.py
@@ -1,17 +1,30 @@
-from pecan import expose, make_app, request, response
+from pecan import abort, expose, make_app, request, response
 from pecan.rest import RestController
-from webob import exc
-from webtest import TestApp, AppError
-from py.test import raises
+from webtest import TestApp
 from json import dumps, loads
 
 
 class TestRestController(object):
     
     def test_basic_rest(self):
+        
+        class OthersController(object):
+            
+            @expose()
+            def index(self):
+                return 'OTHERS'
+            
+            @expose()
+            def echo(self, value):
+                return str(value)
+        
         class ThingsController(RestController):
             data = ['zero', 'one', 'two', 'three']
             
+            _custom_actions = {'count': ['GET'], 'length': ['GET', 'POST']}
+            
+            others = OthersController()
+            
             @expose()
             def get_one(self, id):
                 return self.data[int(id)]
@@ -20,6 +33,17 @@ class TestRestController(object):
             def get_all(self):
                 return dict(items=self.data)
             
+            @expose()
+            def length(self, id, value=None):
+                length = len(self.data[int(id)])
+                if value:
+                    length += len(value)
+                return str(length)
+            
+            @expose()
+            def get_count(self):
+                return str(len(self.data))
+            
             @expose()
             def new(self):
                 return 'NEW'
@@ -47,6 +71,22 @@ class TestRestController(object):
             def delete(self, id):
                 del self.data[int(id)]
                 return 'DELETED'
+            
+            @expose()
+            def reset(self):
+                return 'RESET'
+            
+            @expose()
+            def post_options(self):
+                return 'OPTIONS'
+            
+            @expose()
+            def options(self):
+                abort(500)
+            
+            @expose()
+            def other(self):
+                abort(500)
         
         class RootController(object):
             things = ThingsController()
@@ -142,6 +182,73 @@ class TestRestController(object):
         r = app.get('/things')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert len(loads(r.body)['items']) == 3
+        
+        # test "RESET" custom action
+        r = app.request('/things', method='RESET')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'RESET'
+        
+        # test "RESET" custom action with _method parameter
+        r = app.get('/things?_method=RESET')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'RESET'
+        
+        # test the "OPTIONS" custom action
+        r = app.request('/things', method='OPTIONS')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'OPTIONS'
+        
+        # test the "OPTIONS" custom action with the _method parameter
+        r = app.post('/things', {'_method': 'OPTIONS'})
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'OPTIONS'
+        
+        # test the "other" custom action
+        r = app.request('/things/other', method='MISC', status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test the "other" custom action with the _method parameter
+        r = app.post('/things/other', {'_method': 'MISC'}, status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test the "others" custom action
+        r = app.request('/things/others', method='MISC')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'OTHERS'
+        
+        # test the "others" custom action with the _method parameter
+        r = app.get('/things/others?_method=MISC')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'OTHERS'
+        
+        # test an invalid custom action
+        r = app.get('/things?_method=BAD', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test custom "GET" request "count"
+        r = app.get('/things/count')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == '3'
+        
+        # test custom "GET" request "length"
+        r = app.get('/things/1/length')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == str(len('one'))
+        
+        # test custom "GET" request through subcontroller
+        r = app.get('/things/others/echo?value=test')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'test'
+        
+        # test custom "POST" request "length"
+        r = app.post('/things/1/length', {'value':'test'})
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == str(len('onetest'))
+        
+        # test custom "POST" request through subcontroller
+        r = app.post('/things/others/echo', {'value':'test'})
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'test'
     
     def test_nested_rest(self):
         
@@ -414,3 +521,159 @@ class TestRestController(object):
         r = app.get('/foos')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert len(loads(r.body)['items']) == 1
+
+    def test_bad_rest(self):
+        
+        class ThingsController(RestController):
+            pass
+        
+        class RootController(object):
+            things = ThingsController()
+        
+        # create the app
+        app = TestApp(make_app(RootController()))
+        
+        # test get_all
+        r = app.get('/things', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test get_one
+        r = app.get('/things/1', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test post
+        r = app.post('/things', {'value':'one'}, status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test edit
+        r = app.get('/things/1/edit', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test put
+        r = app.put('/things/1', {'value':'ONE'}, status=404)
+        
+        # test put with _method parameter and GET
+        r = app.get('/things/1?_method=put', {'value':'ONE!'}, status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test put with _method parameter and POST
+        r = app.post('/things/1?_method=put', {'value':'ONE!'}, status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test get delete
+        r = app.get('/things/1/delete', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test delete
+        r = app.delete('/things/1', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test delete with _method parameter and GET
+        r = app.get('/things/1?_method=DELETE', status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test delete with _method parameter and POST
+        r = app.post('/things/1?_method=DELETE', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+        
+        # test "RESET" custom action
+        r = app.request('/things', method='RESET', status=404)
+        assert r.status_int == 404
+    
+    def test_custom_delete(self):
+        
+        class OthersController(object):
+            
+            @expose()
+            def index(self):
+                return 'DELETE'
+            
+            @expose()
+            def reset(self, id):
+                return str(id)
+        
+        class ThingsController(RestController):
+            
+            others = OthersController()
+            
+            @expose()
+            def delete_fail(self):
+                abort(500)
+        
+        class RootController(object):
+            things = ThingsController()
+        
+        # create the app
+        app = TestApp(make_app(RootController()))
+        
+        # test bad delete
+        r = app.delete('/things/delete_fail', status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test bad delete with _method parameter and GET
+        r = app.get('/things/delete_fail?_method=delete', status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test bad delete with _method parameter and POST
+        r = app.post('/things/delete_fail', {'_method':'delete'}, status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test custom delete without ID
+        r = app.delete('/things/others')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'DELETE'
+        
+        # test custom delete without ID with _method parameter and GET
+        r = app.get('/things/others?_method=delete', status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test custom delete without ID with _method parameter and POST
+        r = app.post('/things/others', {'_method':'delete'})
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'DELETE'
+        
+        # test custom delete with ID
+        r = app.delete('/things/others/reset/1')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == '1'
+        
+        # test custom delete with ID with _method parameter and GET
+        r = app.get('/things/others/reset/1?_method=delete', status=405)
+        assert r.status_int == 405
+        
+        # test custom delete with ID with _method parameter and POST
+        r = app.post('/things/others/reset/1', {'_method':'delete'})
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == '1'
+    
+    def test_get_with_var_args(self):
+        
+        class OthersController(object):
+            
+            @expose()
+            def index(self, one, two, three):
+                return 'NESTED: %s, %s, %s' % (one, two, three)
+        
+        class ThingsController(RestController):
+            
+            others = OthersController()
+            
+            @expose()
+            def get_one(self, *args):
+                return ', '.join(args)
+        
+        class RootController(object):
+            things = ThingsController()
+        
+        # create the app
+        app = TestApp(make_app(RootController()))
+        
+        # test get request
+        r = app.get('/things/one/two/three')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'one, two, three'
+        
+        # test nested get request
+        r = app.get('/things/one/two/three/others')
+        assert r.status_int == 200
+        assert r.body == 'NESTED: one, two, three'