diff --git a/pecan/core.py b/pecan/core.py
index 55ce727..716df44 100644
--- a/pecan/core.py
+++ b/pecan/core.py
@@ -87,15 +87,10 @@ class Pecan(object):
         node, remainder = lookup_controller(node, path)        
         return node, remainder
     
-    def handle_security(self, controller):
-        if controller.pecan.get('secured', False):
-            if not controller.pecan['check_permissions']():
-                raise exc.HTTPUnauthorized
-    
     def determine_hooks(self, controller=None):
         controller_hooks = []
         if controller:
-            controller_hooks = controller.pecan.get('hooks', [])
+            controller_hooks = controller._pecan.get('hooks', [])
         return list(
             sorted(
                 chain(controller_hooks, self.hooks), 
@@ -175,14 +170,14 @@ class Pecan(object):
             state.content_type = self.get_content_type(format)      
         controller, remainder = self.route(self.root, path)
 
-        if controller.pecan.get('generic_handler'):
+        if controller._pecan.get('generic_handler'):
             raise exc.HTTPNotFound
         
         # handle generic controllers
         im_self = None
-        if controller.pecan.get('generic'):
+        if controller._pecan.get('generic'):
             im_self = controller.im_self
-            handlers = controller.pecan['generic_handlers']
+            handlers = controller._pecan['generic_handlers']
             controller = handlers.get(request.method, handlers['DEFAULT'])
                     
         # add the controller to the state so that hooks can use it
@@ -190,37 +185,34 @@ class Pecan(object):
     
         # if unsure ask the controller for the default content type 
         if state.content_type is None:
-            state.content_type = controller.pecan.get('content_type', 'text/html')
+            state.content_type = controller._pecan.get('content_type', 'text/html')
         # get a sorted list of hooks, by priority
         state.hooks = self.determine_hooks(controller)    
     
         # handle "before" hooks
         self.handle_hooks('before', state)
         
-        # handle security
-        self.handle_security(controller)        
-    
         # fetch and validate any parameters
         params = dict(state.request.str_params)
-        if 'schema' in controller.pecan:
+        if 'schema' in controller._pecan:
             request.validation_error = None
             try:
                 params = self.validate(
-                    controller.pecan['schema'], 
-                    json   = controller.pecan['validate_json'],
+                    controller._pecan['schema'], 
+                    json   = controller._pecan['validate_json'],
                     params = params
                 )
             except Invalid, e:
                 request.validation_error = e
-                if controller.pecan['error_handler'] is not None:
-                    redirect(controller.pecan['error_handler'], internal=True)
-            if controller.pecan['validate_json']: params = dict(data=params)
+                if controller._pecan['error_handler'] is not None:
+                    redirect(controller._pecan['error_handler'], internal=True)
+            if controller._pecan['validate_json']: params = dict(data=params)
         
         # fetch the arguments for the controller
         args, kwargs = self.get_args(
             params, 
             remainder,
-            controller.pecan['argspec'],
+            controller._pecan['argspec'],
             im_self
         )
         
@@ -235,7 +227,7 @@ class Pecan(object):
         raw_namespace = result
 
         # pull the template out based upon content type and handle overrides
-        template = controller.pecan.get('content_types', {}).get(state.content_type)
+        template = controller._pecan.get('content_types', {}).get(state.content_type)
         template = getattr(request, 'override_template', template)
 
         # if there is a template, render it
diff --git a/pecan/decorators.py b/pecan/decorators.py
index 18c4e31..3a9164a 100644
--- a/pecan/decorators.py
+++ b/pecan/decorators.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 from inspect import getargspec
 
 def _cfg(f):
-    if not hasattr(f, 'pecan'): f.pecan = {}
-    return f.pecan
+    if not hasattr(f, '_pecan'): f._pecan = {}
+    return f._pecan
 
 
 def when_for(controller):
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def when_for(controller):
         def decorate(f):
             expose(**kw)(f)
             _cfg(f)['generic_handler'] = True
-            controller.pecan['generic_handlers'][method.upper()] = f
+            controller._pecan['generic_handlers'][method.upper()] = f
             return f
         return decorate
     return when
@@ -61,4 +61,4 @@ def transactional(ignore_redirects=True):
         wrap.__transactional__ = True
         wrap.__transactional_ignore_redirects__ = ignore_redirects
         return wrap
-    return deco
\ No newline at end of file
+    return deco
diff --git a/pecan/hooks.py b/pecan/hooks.py
index aa061ef..9d64c39 100644
--- a/pecan/hooks.py
+++ b/pecan/hooks.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def walk_controller(root_class, controller, hooks):
             
             if iscontroller(value):
                 for hook in hooks:
-                    value.pecan.setdefault('hooks', []).append(hook)
+                    value._pecan.setdefault('hooks', []).append(hook)
             elif hasattr(value, '__class__'):
                 if name.startswith('__') and name.endswith('__'): continue
                 walk_controller(root_class, value, hooks)
diff --git a/pecan/routing.py b/pecan/routing.py
index e9ca5f0..ab388a7 100644
--- a/pecan/routing.py
+++ b/pecan/routing.py
@@ -1,12 +1,37 @@
 from webob import exc
+from inspect import ismethod, isfunction
 
+STOP_NOW = False
+
+__all__ = ['lookup_controller', 'find_object']
+
+def handle_security(controller):
+    if controller._pecan.get('secured', False):
+        if not controller._pecan['check_permissions']():
+            raise exc.HTTPUnauthorized
+
+def cross_boundary(prev_obj, obj):
+    """
+    check the security as we move across a boundary
+    """
+    if prev_obj is None:
+        return 
+
+    meta = getattr(prev_obj, '_pecan', {})
+
+    if meta.get('secured', False):
+        if obj not in meta.get('unlocked', []):
+            if not meta['check_permissions']():
+                raise exc.HTTPUnauthorized
 
 def lookup_controller(obj, url_path):
     remainder = url_path
     notfound_handlers = []
+
     while True:
         try:
             obj, remainder = find_object(obj, remainder, notfound_handlers)
+            handle_security(obj)
             return obj, remainder
         except exc.HTTPNotFound:
             while notfound_handlers:
@@ -21,7 +46,10 @@ def lookup_controller(obj, url_path):
                     try:
                         result = obj(*remainder)
                         if result:
+                            prev_obj = obj
                             obj, remainder = result
+                            # crossing controller boundary
+                            cross_boundary(prev_obj, obj)
                             break
                     except TypeError, te:
                         print 'Got exception calling lookup(): %s (%s)' % (te, te.args)
@@ -30,9 +58,13 @@ def lookup_controller(obj, url_path):
 
 
 def find_object(obj, remainder, notfound_handlers):
+    prev_obj = None
     while True:
         if obj is None: raise exc.HTTPNotFound
         if iscontroller(obj): return obj, remainder
+
+        # are we traversing to another controller
+        cross_boundary(prev_obj, obj)
         
         if remainder and remainder[0] == '':
             index = getattr(obj, 'index', None)
@@ -57,8 +89,8 @@ def find_object(obj, remainder, notfound_handlers):
         
         if not remainder: raise exc.HTTPNotFound
         next, remainder = remainder[0], remainder[1:]
+        prev_obj = obj
         obj = getattr(obj, next, None)
 
-
 def iscontroller(obj):
-    return getattr(obj, 'exposed', False)
\ No newline at end of file
+    return getattr(obj, 'exposed', False)
diff --git a/pecan/secure.py b/pecan/secure.py
index 54aab4a..32d1f62 100644
--- a/pecan/secure.py
+++ b/pecan/secure.py
@@ -1,80 +1,73 @@
-from inspect import getmembers, ismethod
+from inspect import getmembers, ismethod, isfunction
+from decorators import _cfg
 
 from routing import iscontroller
 
+__all__ = ['Any', 'Protected', 'unlock', 'secure']
 
-__all__ = ['secure', 'unlocked', 'SecureController']
+class _Unlocked(object):
+    """ 
+    A wrapper class to declare a class as unlocked inside of a SecureController
+    """
+    def __init__(self, obj):
+        self.obj = obj
 
 
-def unlocked(func):
-    if not hasattr(func, 'pecan'): func.pecan = {}
-    func.pecan['unlocked'] = True
-    return func
+class _SecureState(object):
+    def __init__(self, desc, boolean_value):
+        self.description = desc
+        self.boolean_value = boolean_value
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return '<SecureState %s>' % self.description
+    def __nonzero__(self):
+        return self.boolean_value
+
+Any = _SecureState('Any', False)
+Protected = _SecureState('Protected', True)
+
+
+def unlocked(func_or_obj):
+    if ismethod(func_or_obj) or isfunction(func_or_obj):
+        _cfg(func_or_obj)['secured'] = Any
+        return func_or_obj
+    else:
+        return _Unlocked(func_or_obj)
 
 
 def secure(check_permissions):
     def wrap(func):
-        if not hasattr(func, 'pecan'): func.pecan = {}
-        func.pecan['secured'] = True
-        func.pecan['check_permissions'] = check_permissions
+        cfg = _cfg(func)
+        cfg['secured'] = Protected
+        cfg['check_permissions'] = check_permissions
         return func
     return wrap
 
 
-def walk_controller(root_class, controller):    
-    if hasattr(controller, '_lookup'):
-        # TODO: what about this?
-        controller._check_security = root_class._perform_validation
-    
-    if not isinstance(controller, (int, dict)):
-        for name, value in getmembers(controller):
-            if name == 'controller': continue
-            
-            if ismethod(value):
-                if iscontroller(value) and not value.pecan.get('unlocked', False):
-                    value.pecan['secured'] = True
-                    value.pecan['check_permissions'] = root_class.check_permissions
-            elif hasattr(value, '__class__'):
-                if name.startswith('__') and name.endswith('__'): continue
-                walk_controller(root_class, value)
-                
-
 class SecureController(object):
     """
-    Used to apply security to a controller and its children.
+    Used to apply security to a controller. 
     Implementations of SecureController should extend the
     `check_permissions` method to return a True or False
-    value (depending on whether or not the user has access
+    value (depending on whether or not the user has permissions
     to the controller).
     """
     class __metaclass__(type):
         def __init__(cls, name, bases, dict_):
-            walk_controller(cls, cls)
-    
-    @classmethod
-    def check_permissions(cls):
-        return True
-
-        
-class UnlockedControllerMeta(type):
-    """
-    Can be used to force (override) a controller and all of its
-    subcontrollers to be unlocked/unsecured.
-    
-    This has the same effect as applying @pecan.secure.unlocked
-    to every method in the class and its subclasses.
-    """
-    def __init__(cls, name, bases, ns):
-        cls.walk_and_apply_unlocked(cls, cls)
-
-    def walk_and_apply_unlocked(cls, root_class, controller):
-        if not isinstance(controller, (int, dict)):
-            for name, value in getmembers(controller):
-                if name == 'controller': continue
+            cls._pecan = dict(secured=Protected, check_permissions=cls.check_permissions, unlocked=[])
 
+            for name, value in getmembers(cls):
                 if ismethod(value):
-                    if iscontroller(value):
-                        value = unlocked(value)
+                    if iscontroller(value) and value._pecan.get('secured') is not Any:
+                        value._pecan['secured'] = Protected
+                        value._pecan['check_permissions'] = cls.check_permissions
                 elif hasattr(value, '__class__'):
                     if name.startswith('__') and name.endswith('__'): continue
-                    cls.walk_and_apply_unlocked(root_class, value)
\ No newline at end of file
+                    if isinstance(value, _Unlocked):
+                        # mark it as unlocked and remove wrapper
+                        cls._pecan['unlocked'].append(value.obj)
+                        setattr(cls, name, value.obj)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def check_permissions(cls):
+        return False
+
diff --git a/tests/test_secure.py b/tests/test_secure.py
index 533161f..a2571ba 100644
--- a/tests/test_secure.py
+++ b/tests/test_secure.py
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
+from unittest import TestCase
+
 from pecan import expose, make_app
-from pecan.secure import secure, unlocked, SecureController, UnlockedControllerMeta
+from pecan.secure import secure, unlocked, SecureController, Protected
 from webtest import TestApp
 
+try:
+    set()
+except:
+    from sets import Set as set
+
 class TestSecure(object):
-    
     def test_simple_secure(self):
         authorized = False
         
@@ -58,12 +64,8 @@ class TestSecure(object):
         assert response.status_int == 200
         assert response.body == 'Allowed!'
         
-    def test_unlocked_meta(self):
-        
+    def test_unlocked_attribute(self):
         class AuthorizedSubController(object):
-            
-            __metaclass__ = UnlockedControllerMeta
-            
             @expose()
             def index(self):
                 return 'Index'
@@ -82,11 +84,7 @@ class TestSecure(object):
             def allowed(self):
                 return 'Allowed!'
 
-            @classmethod
-            def check_permissions(self):
-                return False
-                
-            authorized = AuthorizedSubController()
+            authorized = unlocked(AuthorizedSubController())
 
         class RootController(object):
             @expose()
@@ -131,4 +129,148 @@ class TestSecure(object):
         
         response = app.get('/secret/authorized/allowed')
         assert response.status_int == 200
-        assert response.body == 'Allowed!'
\ No newline at end of file
+        assert response.body == 'Allowed!'
+
+    def test_state_attribute(self):
+        from pecan.secure import Any, Protected
+        assert repr(Any) == '<SecureState Any>'
+        assert bool(Any) is False
+
+        assert repr(Protected) == '<SecureState Protected>'
+        assert bool(Protected) is True
+
+class TestObjectPathSecurity(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        permissions_checked = getattr(self, 'permissions_checked', set())
+        class DeepSecretController(SecureController):
+            authorized = False
+            @expose()
+            @unlocked
+            def _lookup(self, someID, *remainder):
+                if someID == 'notfound':
+                    return None
+                return SubController(someID), remainder
+            
+            @expose()
+            def index(self):
+                return 'Deep Secret'
+
+            @classmethod
+            def check_permissions(self):
+                permissions_checked.add('deepsecret')
+                return self.authorized
+
+        deepsecret_instance = DeepSecretController()
+
+        class SubController(object):
+            def __init__(self, myID):
+                self.myID = myID
+
+            @expose()
+            def index(self):
+                return 'Index %s' % self.myID
+
+            deepsecret = DeepSecretController()
+
+        class SecretController(SecureController):
+            authorized = False
+            @expose()
+            def _lookup(self, someID, *remainder):
+                if someID == 'notfound':
+                    return None
+                return SubController(someID), remainder
+
+            @classmethod
+            def check_permissions(self):
+                permissions_checked.add('secretcontroller')
+                return self.authorized
+
+        class NotSecretController(object):
+            @expose()
+            def _lookup(self, someID, *remainder):
+                if someID == 'notfound':
+                    return None
+                return SubController(someID), remainder
+
+        class RootController(object):
+            secret = SecretController()
+            notsecret = NotSecretController()
+
+        self.deepsecret_cls = DeepSecretController
+        self.secret_cls = SecretController
+
+        self.permissions_checked = permissions_checked
+        self.app = TestApp(make_app(RootController(), static_root='tests/static'))
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.permissions_checked.clear()
+        self.secret_cls.authorized = False
+        self.deepsecret_cls.authorized = False
+
+    def test_sub_of_both_not_secret(self):
+        response = self.app.get('/notsecret/hi/')
+        assert response.status_int == 200
+        assert response.body == 'Index hi'
+
+    def test_protected_lookup(self):
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/hi/', expect_errors=True)
+        assert response.status_int == 401
+
+        self.secret_cls.authorized = True
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/hi/')
+        assert response.status_int == 200
+        assert response.body == 'Index hi'
+        assert 'secretcontroller' in self.permissions_checked
+
+    def test_secured_notfound_lookup(self):
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/notfound/', expect_errors=True)
+        assert response.status_int == 404
+
+    def test_secret_through_lookup(self):
+        response = self.app.get('/notsecret/hi/deepsecret/', expect_errors=True)
+        assert response.status_int == 401
+
+    def test_layered_protection(self):
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/hi/deepsecret/', expect_errors=True)
+        assert response.status_int == 401
+        assert 'secretcontroller' in self.permissions_checked
+
+        self.secret_cls.authorized = True
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/hi/deepsecret/', expect_errors=True)
+        assert response.status_int == 401
+        assert 'secretcontroller' in self.permissions_checked
+        assert 'deepsecret' in self.permissions_checked
+
+        self.deepsecret_cls.authorized = True
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/hi/deepsecret/')
+        assert response.status_int == 200
+        assert response.body == 'Deep Secret'
+        assert 'secretcontroller' in self.permissions_checked
+        assert 'deepsecret' in self.permissions_checked
+
+    def test_cyclical_protection(self):
+        self.secret_cls.authorized = True
+        self.deepsecret_cls.authorized = True
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/1/deepsecret/2/deepsecret/')
+        assert response.status_int == 200
+        assert response.body == 'Deep Secret'
+        assert 'secretcontroller' in self.permissions_checked
+        assert 'deepsecret' in self.permissions_checked
+
+    def test_unlocked_lookup(self):
+        response = self.app.get('/notsecret/1/deepsecret/2/')
+        assert response.status_int == 200
+        assert response.body == 'Index 2'
+        assert 'deepsecret' not in self.permissions_checked
+
+        response = self.app.get('/notsecret/1/deepsecret/notfound/', expect_errors=True)
+        assert response.status_int == 404
+        assert 'deepsecret' not in self.permissions_checked
+
+    def test_mixed_protection(self):
+        self.secret_cls.authorized = True
+        response = self.app.get('/secret/1/deepsecret/notfound/', expect_errors=True)
+        assert response.status_int == 404
+        assert 'secretcontroller' in self.permissions_checked
+        assert 'deepsecret' not in self.permissions_checked
+