diff --git a/core/includes/menu.inc b/core/includes/menu.inc
index 13b4c7d..1508004 100644
--- a/core/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/core/includes/menu.inc
@@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@ function menu_tree_page_data($menu_name, $max_depth = NULL, $only_active_trail =
         if ($item['access']) {
           // Find a menu link corresponding to the current path. If $active_path
           // is NULL, let menu_link_get_preferred() determine the path.
-          if ($active_link = menu_link_get_preferred($active_path)) {
+          if ($active_link = menu_link_get_preferred($active_path, $menu_name)) {
             // The active link may only be taken into account to build the
             // active trail, if it resides in the requested menu. Otherwise,
             // we'd needlessly re-run _menu_build_tree() queries for every menu
@@ -2244,6 +2244,13 @@ function theme_menu_local_tasks(&$variables) {
 
 /**
  * Set (or get) the active menu for the current page - determines the active trail.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   An array of menu machine names, in order of preference. The
+ *   'menu_default_active_menus' variable may be used to assert a menu order
+ *   different from the order of creation, or to prevent a particular menu from
+ *   being used at all in the active trail.
+ *   E.g., $conf['menu_default_active_menus'] = array('navigation', 'main-menu')
  */
 function menu_set_active_menu_names($menu_names = NULL) {
   $active = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__);
@@ -2374,23 +2381,30 @@ function menu_set_active_trail($new_trail = NULL) {
  * @param $path
  *   The path, for example 'node/5'. The function will find the corresponding
  *   menu link ('node/5' if it exists, or fallback to 'node/%').
+ * @param $selected_menu
+ *   The name of a menu used to restrict the search for a preferred menu link.
+ *   If not specified, all the menus returned by menu_get_active_menu_names()
+ *   will be used.
  *
  * @return
- *   A fully translated menu link, or NULL if no matching menu link was
+ *   A fully translated menu link, or FALSE if no matching menu link was
  *   found. The most specific menu link ('node/5' preferred over 'node/%') in
  *   the most preferred menu (as defined by menu_get_active_menu_names()) is
  *   returned.
  */
-function menu_link_get_preferred($path = NULL) {
+function menu_link_get_preferred($path = NULL, $selected_menu = NULL) {
   $preferred_links = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__);
 
   if (!isset($path)) {
     $path = $_GET['q'];
   }
 
-  if (!isset($preferred_links[$path])) {
-    $preferred_links[$path] = FALSE;
+  if (empty($selected_menu)) {
+    // Use an illegal menu name as the key for the preferred menu link.
+    $selected_menu = MENU_PREFERRED_LINK;
+  }
 
+  if (!isset($preferred_links[$path])) {
     // Look for the correct menu link by building a list of candidate paths,
     // which are ordered by priority (translated hrefs are preferred over
     // untranslated paths). Afterwards, the most relevant path is picked from
@@ -2412,6 +2426,8 @@ function menu_link_get_preferred($path = NULL) {
 
     // Retrieve a list of menu names, ordered by preference.
     $menu_names = menu_get_active_menu_names();
+    // Put the selected menu at the front of the list.
+    array_unshift($menu_names, $selected_menu);
 
     $query = db_select('menu_links', 'ml', array('fetch' => PDO::FETCH_ASSOC));
     $query->leftJoin('menu_router', 'm', 'm.path = ml.router_path');
@@ -2419,7 +2435,6 @@ function menu_link_get_preferred($path = NULL) {
     // Weight must be taken from {menu_links}, not {menu_router}.
     $query->addField('ml', 'weight', 'link_weight');
     $query->fields('m');
-    $query->condition('ml.menu_name', $menu_names, 'IN');
     $query->condition('ml.link_path', $path_candidates, 'IN');
 
     // Sort candidates by link path and menu name.
@@ -2427,29 +2442,35 @@ function menu_link_get_preferred($path = NULL) {
     foreach ($query->execute() as $candidate) {
       $candidate['weight'] = $candidate['link_weight'];
       $candidates[$candidate['link_path']][$candidate['menu_name']] = $candidate;
+      // Add any menus not already in the menu name search list.
+      if (!in_array($candidate['menu_name'], $menu_names)) {
+        $menu_names[] = $candidate['menu_name'];
+      }
     }
 
-    // Pick the most specific link, in the most preferred menu.
+    // Store the most specific link for each menu. Also save the most specific
+    // link of the most preferred menu in $preferred_link.
     foreach ($path_candidates as $link_path) {
-      if (!isset($candidates[$link_path])) {
-        continue;
-      }
-      foreach ($menu_names as $menu_name) {
-        if (!isset($candidates[$link_path][$menu_name])) {
-          continue;
-        }
-        $candidate_item = $candidates[$link_path][$menu_name];
-        $map = explode('/', $path);
-        _menu_translate($candidate_item, $map);
-        if ($candidate_item['access']) {
-          $preferred_links[$path] = $candidate_item;
+      if (isset($candidates[$link_path])) {
+        foreach ($menu_names as $menu_name) {
+          if (empty($preferred_links[$path][$menu_name]) && isset($candidates[$link_path][$menu_name])) {
+            $candidate_item = $candidates[$link_path][$menu_name];
+            $map = explode('/', $path);
+            _menu_translate($candidate_item, $map);
+            if ($candidate_item['access']) {
+              $preferred_links[$path][$menu_name] = $candidate_item;
+              if (empty($preferred_links[$path][MENU_PREFERRED_LINK])) {
+                // Store the most specific link.
+                $preferred_links[$path][MENU_PREFERRED_LINK] = $candidate_item;
+              }
+            }
+          }
         }
-        break 2;
       }
     }
   }
 
-  return $preferred_links[$path];
+  return isset($preferred_links[$path][$selected_menu]) ? $preferred_links[$path][$selected_menu] : FALSE;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/modules/menu/menu.module b/core/modules/menu/menu.module
index 1b4cf9c..5a735cc 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu/menu.module
+++ b/core/modules/menu/menu.module
@@ -18,6 +18,20 @@
 const MENU_MAX_MENU_NAME_LENGTH_UI = 27;
 
 /**
+ * Reserved key to identify the most specific menu link for a given path.
+ *
+ * The value of this constant is a hash of the constant name. We use the hash
+ * so that the reserved key is over 32 characters in length and will not
+ * collide with allowed menu names:
+ * @code
+ * sha1('MENU_PREFERRED_LINK') = 1cf698d64d1aa4b83907cf6ed55db3a7f8e92c91
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * @see menu_link_get_preferred()
+ */
+const MENU_PREFERRED_LINK = '1cf698d64d1aa4b83907cf6ed55db3a7f8e92c91';
+
+/**
  * Implements hook_help().
  */
 function menu_help($path, $arg) {
@@ -268,6 +282,15 @@ function menu_save($menu) {
 
   switch ($status) {
     case SAVED_NEW:
+      // Make sure the menu is present in the active menus variable so that its
+      // items may appear in the menu active trail.
+      // @see menu_set_active_menu_names()
+      $active_menus = variable_get('menu_default_active_menus', array_keys(menu_get_menus()));
+      if (!in_array($menu['menu_name'], $active_menus)) {
+        $active_menus[] = $menu['menu_name'];
+        variable_set('menu_default_active_menus', $active_menus);
+      }
+
       module_invoke_all('menu_insert', $menu);
       break;
 
@@ -305,6 +328,15 @@ function menu_delete($menu) {
   // Delete all links from the menu.
   menu_delete_links($menu['menu_name']);
 
+  // Remove menu from active menus variable.
+  $active_menus = variable_get('menu_default_active_menus', array_keys(menu_get_menus()));
+  foreach ($active_menus as $i => $menu_name) {
+    if ($menu['menu_name'] == $menu_name) {
+      unset($active_menus[$i]);
+      variable_set('menu_default_active_menus', $active_menus);
+    }
+  }
+
   // Delete the custom menu.
   db_delete('menu_custom')
     ->condition('menu_name', $menu['menu_name'])
diff --git a/core/modules/menu/menu.test b/core/modules/menu/menu.test
index 08bb7e8..437adc2 100644
--- a/core/modules/menu/menu.test
+++ b/core/modules/menu/menu.test
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ class MenuTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
     // Add menu links.
     $item1 = $this->addMenuLink(0, 'node/' . $node1->nid, $menu_name);
-    $item2 = $this->addMenuLink($item1['mlid'], 'node/' . $node2->nid, $menu_name);
+    $item2 = $this->addMenuLink($item1['mlid'], 'node/' . $node2->nid, $menu_name, FALSE);
     $item3 = $this->addMenuLink($item2['mlid'], 'node/' . $node3->nid, $menu_name);
     $this->assertMenuLink($item1['mlid'], array('depth' => 1, 'has_children' => 1, 'p1' => $item1['mlid'], 'p2' => 0));
     $this->assertMenuLink($item2['mlid'], array('depth' => 2, 'has_children' => 1, 'p1' => $item1['mlid'], 'p2' => $item2['mlid'], 'p3' => 0));
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class MenuTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
    * @param string $menu_name Menu name.
    * @return array Menu link created.
    */
-  function addMenuLink($plid = 0, $link = '<front>', $menu_name = 'navigation') {
+  function addMenuLink($plid = 0, $link = '<front>', $menu_name = 'navigation', $expanded = TRUE) {
     // View add menu link page.
     $this->drupalGet("admin/structure/menu/manage/$menu_name/add");
     $this->assertResponse(200);
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ class MenuTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
       'link_title' => $title,
       'description' => '',
       'enabled' => TRUE, // Use this to disable the menu and test.
-      'expanded' => TRUE, // Setting this to true should test whether it works when we do the std_user tests.
+      'expanded' => $expanded, // Setting this to true should test whether it works when we do the std_user tests.
       'parent' =>  $menu_name . ':' . $plid,
       'weight' => '0',
     );
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ class MenuTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     if (isset($parent)) {
       // Verify menu link.
       $title = $parent['link_title'];
-      $this->assertText($title, 'Parent menu link was displayed');
+      $this->assertLink($title, 0, 'Parent menu link was displayed');
 
       // Verify menu link link.
       $this->clickLink($title);
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ class MenuTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
     // Verify menu link.
     $title = $item['link_title'];
-    $this->assertText($title, 'Menu link was displayed');
+    $this->assertLink($title, 0, 'Menu link was displayed');
 
     // Verify menu link link.
     $this->clickLink($title);