diff --git a/core/includes/common.inc b/core/includes/common.inc
index 540f42b..c10ef6f 100644
--- a/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -2314,12 +2314,10 @@ function drupal_http_header_attributes(array $attributes = array()) {
  *
  * @see url()
  */
-function l($text, $path, array $options = array()) {
-  static $use_theme = NULL;
+function l($content, $path, $options = array(), $attributes = array()) {
 
   // Merge in defaults.
   $options += array(
-    'attributes' => array(),
     'query' => array(),
     'html' => FALSE,
   );
@@ -2334,47 +2332,23 @@ function l($text, $path, array $options = array()) {
   $is_active = $is_active && (empty($options['language']) || $options['language']->langcode == language(LANGUAGE_TYPE_URL)->langcode);
   $is_active = $is_active && (drupal_container()->get('request')->query->all() == $options['query']);
   if ($is_active) {
-    $options['attributes']['class'][] = 'active';
+    $attributes['class'][] = 'active';
   }
 
   // Remove all HTML and PHP tags from a tooltip. For best performance, we act only
   // if a quick strpos() pre-check gave a suspicion (because strip_tags() is expensive).
-  if (isset($options['attributes']['title']) && strpos($options['attributes']['title'], '<') !== FALSE) {
-    $options['attributes']['title'] = strip_tags($options['attributes']['title']);
-  }
-
-  // Determine if rendering of the link is to be done with a theme function
-  // or the inline default. Inline is faster, but if the theme system has been
-  // loaded and a module or theme implements a preprocess or process function
-  // or overrides the theme_link() function, then invoke theme(). Preliminary
-  // benchmarks indicate that invoking theme() can slow down the l() function
-  // by 20% or more, and that some of the link-heavy Drupal pages spend more
-  // than 10% of the total page request time in the l() function.
-  if (!isset($use_theme) && function_exists('theme')) {
-    // Allow edge cases to prevent theme initialization and force inline link
-    // rendering.
-    if (variable_get('theme_link', TRUE)) {
-      drupal_theme_initialize();
-      $registry = theme_get_registry(FALSE);
-      // We don't want to duplicate functionality that's in theme(), so any
-      // hint of a module or theme doing anything at all special with the 'link'
-      // theme hook should simply result in theme() being called. This includes
-      // the overriding of theme_link() with an alternate function or template,
-      // the presence of preprocess or process functions, or the presence of
-      // include files.
-      $use_theme = !isset($registry['link']['function']) || ($registry['link']['function'] != 'theme_link');
-      $use_theme = $use_theme || !empty($registry['link']['preprocess functions']) || !empty($registry['link']['process functions']) || !empty($registry['link']['includes']);
-    }
-    else {
-      $use_theme = FALSE;
-    }
-  }
-  if ($use_theme) {
-    return theme('link', array('text' => $text, 'path' => $path, 'options' => $options));
+  if (isset($attributes['title']) && strpos($attributes['title'], '<') !== FALSE) {
+    $attributes['title'] = strip_tags($attributes['title']);
   }
+
+  $attributes = new Attribute($attributes);
+
   // The result of url() is a plain-text URL. Because we are using it here
   // in an HTML argument context, we need to encode it properly.
-  return '<a href="' . check_plain(url($path, $options)) . '"' . new Attribute($options['attributes']) . '>' . ($options['html'] ? $text : check_plain($text)) . '</a>';
+  $href = check_plain(url($path, $options));
+  $content = $options['html'] ? $content : check_plain($content);
+
+  return '<a href="' . $href . '"' . $attributes . '>' . $content . '</a>';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -5357,31 +5331,32 @@ function drupal_pre_render_conditional_comments($elements) {
  */
 function drupal_pre_render_link($element) {
   // By default, link options to pass to l() are normally set in #options.
-  $element += array('#options' => array());
-  // However, within the scope of renderable elements, #attributes is a valid
-  // way to specify attributes, too. Take them into account, but do not override
-  // attributes from #options.
-  if (isset($element['#attributes'])) {
-    $element['#options'] += array('attributes' => array());
-    $element['#options']['attributes'] += $element['#attributes'];
+  $element += array(
+    '#content' => '',
+    '#path' => '',
+    '#options' => array(),
+    '#attributes' => array()
+  );
+
+  if (!isset($element['#content']) || !isset($element['#path'])) {
+    $oh_shit = TRUE;
   }
 
   // This #pre_render callback can be invoked from inside or outside of a Form
   // API context, and depending on that, a HTML ID may be already set in
   // different locations. #options should have precedence over Form API's #id.
-  // #attributes have been taken over into #options above already.
-  if (isset($element['#options']['attributes']['id'])) {
-    $element['#id'] = $element['#options']['attributes']['id'];
+  if (isset($element['#attributes']['id'])) {
+    $element['#id'] = $element['#attributes']['id'];
   }
   elseif (isset($element['#id'])) {
-    $element['#options']['attributes']['id'] = $element['#id'];
+    $element['#attributes']['id'] = $element['#id'];
   }
 
   // Conditionally invoke ajax_pre_render_element(), if #ajax is set.
   if (isset($element['#ajax']) && !isset($element['#ajax_processed'])) {
     // If no HTML ID was found above, automatically create one.
     if (!isset($element['#id'])) {
-      $element['#id'] = $element['#options']['attributes']['id'] = drupal_html_id('ajax-link');
+      $element['#id'] = $element['#attributes']['id'] = drupal_html_id('ajax-link');
     }
     // If #ajax['path] was not specified, use the href as Ajax request URL.
     if (!isset($element['#ajax']['path'])) {
@@ -5391,7 +5366,7 @@ function drupal_pre_render_link($element) {
     $element = ajax_pre_render_element($element);
   }
 
-  $element['#markup'] = l($element['#title'], $element['#href'], $element['#options']);
+  $element['#markup'] = l($element['#content'], $element['#path'], $element['#options'], $element['#attributes']);
   return $element;
 }
 
diff --git a/core/includes/theme.inc b/core/includes/theme.inc
index d2fe902..6f556ac 100644
--- a/core/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/core/includes/theme.inc
@@ -1620,25 +1620,33 @@ function theme_status_messages($variables) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Preprocess variables for link templates.
+ */
+function template_preprocess_link(&$variables) {
+  $variables['attributes'] = new Attribute(isset($variables['attributes']) ? $variables['attributes'] : array());
+  $variables['content'] = $variables['options']['html'] ? $variables['content'] : check_plain($variables['content']);
+  $variables['href'] = check_plain(url($variables['path'], $variables['options']));
+  // Do not pass 'path' or 'options' to link functions or templates.
+  unset($variables['path']);
+  unset($variables['options']);
+}
+
+/**
  * Returns HTML for a link.
  *
- * All Drupal code that outputs a link should call the l() function. That
- * function performs some initial preprocessing, and then, if necessary, calls
- * theme('link') for rendering the anchor tag.
+ * All Drupal code that outputs a link should call the l() function.
  *
- * To optimize performance for sites that don't need custom theming of links,
- * the l() function includes an inline copy of this function, and uses that copy
- * if none of the enabled modules or the active theme implement any preprocess
- * or process functions or override this theme implementation.
+ * theme('link') should only be used when HTML attributes for the <a> tag
+ * such as 'class', 'id', etc. are not sufficient for themeing a given link.
  *
  * @param $variables
- *   An associative array containing the keys 'text', 'path', and 'options'. See
- *   the l() function for information about these variables.
+ *   An associative array containing the keys 'content', 'href', and 'attributes'.
+ *   See the l() function for information about $variables.
  *
  * @see l()
  */
 function theme_link($variables) {
-  return '<a href="' . check_plain(url($variables['path'], $variables['options'])) . '"' . new Attribute($variables['options']['attributes']) . '>' . ($variables['options']['html'] ? $variables['text'] : check_plain($variables['text'])) . '</a>';
+  return '<a href="' . $variables['href'] . '"' . $variables['attributes'] . '>' . $variables['content'] . '</a>';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2967,7 +2975,7 @@ function drupal_common_theme() {
       'variables' => array('display' => NULL),
     ),
     'link' => array(
-      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'path' => NULL, 'options' => array()),
+      'variables' => array('content' => NULL, 'path' => NULL, 'options' => array(), 'attributes' => array()),
     ),
     'links' => array(
       'variables' => array('links' => array(), 'attributes' => array('class' => array('links')), 'heading' => array()),
diff --git a/core/modules/overlay/overlay.module b/core/modules/overlay/overlay.module
index 8e6e65b..d0fa29c 100644
--- a/core/modules/overlay/overlay.module
+++ b/core/modules/overlay/overlay.module
@@ -444,9 +444,9 @@ function theme_overlay_disable_message($variables) {
   // screen-reader users, this message appears in both the parent and child
   // documents, but only the one in the child document is part of the tab order.
   foreach (array('profile_link', 'dismiss_message_link') as $key) {
-    $element[$key]['#options']['attributes']['class'][] = 'element-invisible';
+    $element[$key]['#attributes']['class'][] = 'element-invisible';
     if (overlay_get_mode() == 'child') {
-      $element[$key]['#options']['attributes']['class'][] = 'element-focusable';
+      $element[$key]['#attributes']['class'][] = 'element-focusable';
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module b/core/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module
index 9bbb12a..4753300 100644
--- a/core/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module
+++ b/core/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module
@@ -741,9 +741,10 @@ function shortcut_toolbar_pre_render($toolbar) {
   if (shortcut_set_edit_access($shortcut_set)) {
     $configure_link = array(
       '#type' => 'link',
-      '#title' => t('Edit shortcuts'),
-      '#href' => 'admin/config/user-interface/shortcut/' . $shortcut_set->set_name,
-      '#options' => array('attributes' => array('id' => 'edit-shortcuts')),
+      '#content' => t('Edit shortcuts'),
+      '#path' => 'admin/config/user-interface/shortcut/' . $shortcut_set->set_name,
+      '#options' => array(),
+      '#attributes' => array('id' => 'edit-shortcuts'),
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/toolbar/toolbar.module b/core/modules/toolbar/toolbar.module
index a54743a..14aab92 100644
--- a/core/modules/toolbar/toolbar.module
+++ b/core/modules/toolbar/toolbar.module
@@ -77,30 +77,6 @@ function toolbar_toggle_page() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Formats an element used to toggle the toolbar drawer's visibility.
- *
- * @param $variables
- *   An associative array containing:
- *   - collapsed: A boolean value representing the toolbar drawer's visibility.
- *   - attributes: An associative array of HTML attributes.
- *
- * @return
- *   An HTML string representing the element for toggling.
- *
- * @ingroup themable
- */
-function theme_toolbar_toggle($variables) {
-  if ($variables['collapsed']) {
-    $toggle_text = t('Show shortcuts');
-  }
-  else {
-    $toggle_text = t('Hide shortcuts');
-    $variables['attributes']['class'][] = 'toggle-active';
-  }
-  return l($toggle_text, 'toolbar/toggle', array('query' => drupal_get_destination(), 'attributes' => array('title' => $toggle_text) + $variables['attributes']));
-}
-
-/**
  * Determines the current state of the toolbar drawer's visibility.
  *
  * @return
@@ -250,10 +226,15 @@ function toolbar_view() {
   );
 
   // Add an anchor to be able to toggle the visibility of the drawer.
+  $toggle_text = _toolbar_is_collapsed() ? t('Show toolbar') : t('Hide toolbar');
+  $toggle_path = 'toolbar/toggle';
+  $toggle_options = array('query' => drupal_get_destination());
+  $toggle_attributes = array('class' => array('toggle'));
+  if (_toolbar_is_collapsed()) {
+    $toggle_attributes['class'][] = 'toggle-active';
+  }
   $build['toolbar_toggle'] = array(
-    '#theme' => 'toolbar_toggle',
-    '#collapsed' => _toolbar_is_collapsed(),
-    '#attributes' => array('class' => array('toggle')),
+    '#markup' => l($toggle_text, $toggle_path, $toggle_options, $toggle_attributes),
   );
 
   // Prepare the drawer links CSS classes.