diff --git a/includes/bootstrap.inc b/includes/bootstrap.inc
index 48d471f47d..cc87015198 100644
--- a/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -2837,10 +2837,12 @@ function _drupal_bootstrap_variables() {
   // url_is_external() requires the variable system to be available.
   if (isset($_GET['destination']) || isset($_REQUEST['destination'])) {
     require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/includes/common.inc';
-    // If the destination is an external URL, remove it.
-    if (isset($_GET['destination']) && url_is_external($_GET['destination'])) {
-      unset($_GET['destination']);
-      unset($_REQUEST['destination']);
+    if (isset($_GET['destination'])) {
+      // If the destination is an external URL or a 403/404 page, remove it.
+      if (url_is_external($_GET['destination']) || in_array($_GET['destination'], array('system/403', 'system/404'))) {
+        unset($_GET['destination']);
+        unset($_REQUEST['destination']);
+      }
     }
     // Use the DrupalRequestSanitizer to ensure that the destination's query
     // parameters are not dangerous.
diff --git a/includes/common.inc b/includes/common.inc
index 38ea92abea..e6a82388a5 100644
--- a/includes/common.inc
+++ b/includes/common.inc
@@ -2781,12 +2781,21 @@ function drupal_deliver_html_page($page_callback_result) {
 
         if (empty($return) || $return == MENU_NOT_FOUND || $return == MENU_ACCESS_DENIED) {
           // Standard 404 handler.
-          drupal_set_title(t('Page not found'));
-          $return = t('The requested page "@path" could not be found.', array('@path' => request_uri()));
+          $path = 'system/404';
+          menu_set_active_item($path);
+          $return = menu_execute_active_handler($path, FALSE);
         }
 
         drupal_set_page_content($return);
         $page = element_info('page');
+        // Use the path as key so that custom 404 don't get overriden by old
+        // cache.
+        $page['#cache'] = array(
+          'keys' => explode('/', $path),
+          'granularity' => DRUPAL_CACHE_PER_ROLE,
+          'expire' => CACHE_TEMPORARY,
+          'bin' => 'cache_page',
+        );
         print drupal_render_page($page);
         break;
 
@@ -2813,8 +2822,9 @@ function drupal_deliver_html_page($page_callback_result) {
 
         if (empty($return) || $return == MENU_NOT_FOUND || $return == MENU_ACCESS_DENIED) {
           // Standard 403 handler.
-          drupal_set_title(t('Access denied'));
-          $return = t('You are not authorized to access this page.');
+          $path = 'system/403';
+          menu_set_active_item($path);
+          $return = menu_execute_active_handler($path, FALSE);
         }
 
         print drupal_render_page($return);
diff --git a/modules/node/node.test b/modules/node/node.test
index 91e3b871b5..ed36403bef 100644
--- a/modules/node/node.test
+++ b/modules/node/node.test
@@ -2163,14 +2163,18 @@ class NodeBlockFunctionalTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->assertTrue($bid, 'Custom block with visibility rule was created.');
 
     // Verify visibility rules.
+    $this->drupalLogout();
+    $this->drupalLogin($this->web_user);
     $this->drupalGet('');
-    $this->assertNoText($custom_block['title'], 'Block was displayed on the front page.');
+    $this->assertNoText($custom_block['title'], 'Block was not displayed on the front page.');
     $this->drupalGet('node/add/article');
     $this->assertText($custom_block['title'], 'Block was displayed on the node/add/article page.');
     $this->drupalGet('node/' . $node1->nid);
     $this->assertText($custom_block['title'], 'Block was displayed on the node/N.');
 
     // Delete the created custom block & verify that it's been deleted.
+    $this->drupalLogout();
+    $this->drupalLogin($this->admin_user);
     $this->drupalPost('admin/structure/block/manage/block/' . $bid . '/delete', array(), t('Delete'));
     $bid = db_query("SELECT 1 FROM {block_node_type} WHERE module = 'block' AND delta = :delta", array(':delta' => $bid))->fetchField();
     $this->assertFalse($bid, 'Custom block was deleted.');
diff --git a/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module b/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module
index 2f6db0ad35..df423bec17 100644
--- a/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module
+++ b/modules/shortcut/shortcut.module
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ function shortcut_preprocess_page(&$variables) {
   // shortcuts and if the page's actual content is being shown (for example,
   // we do not want to display it on "access denied" or "page not found"
   // pages).
-  if (shortcut_set_edit_access() && ($item = menu_get_item()) && $item['access']) {
+  if (current_path() != 'system/404' && current_path() != 'system/403' && shortcut_set_edit_access() && ($item = menu_get_item()) && $item['access']) {
     $link = $_GET['q'];
     $query_parameters = drupal_get_query_parameters();
     if (!empty($query_parameters)) {
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test
index 4bbb2688a4..b45a087375 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/menu.test
@@ -1523,11 +1523,10 @@ class MenuBreadcrumbTestCase extends MenuWebTestCase {
     // Verify that we can access recent log entries, there is a corresponding
     // page title, and that the breadcrumb is empty (because the user is not
     // able to access "Administer", so the trail cannot recurse into it).
-    $trail = array();
+    $trail = $home;
     $this->assertBreadcrumb('admin', $trail, t('Access denied'));
     $this->assertResponse(403);
 
-    $trail = $home;
     $this->assertBreadcrumb('admin/reports', $trail, t('Reports'));
     $this->assertNoResponse(403);
 
diff --git a/modules/statistics/statistics.test b/modules/statistics/statistics.test
index 2e283359d5..21ba40c4da 100644
--- a/modules/statistics/statistics.test
+++ b/modules/statistics/statistics.test
@@ -161,8 +161,9 @@ class StatisticsLoggingTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->drupalGet($long_path);
     $log = db_query('SELECT * FROM {accesslog}')->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
     $this->assertTrue(is_array($log) && count($log) == 8, 'Page request was logged for a path over 255 characters.');
-    $this->assertEqual($log[7]['path'], truncate_utf8($long_path, 255));
+    $this->assertEqual($log[7]['path'], 'system/404');
   }
+
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/system/system.module b/modules/system/system.module
index ba5da73f7a..4be7e7f413 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/modules/system/system.module
@@ -528,6 +528,18 @@ function system_element_info() {
  * Implements hook_menu().
  */
 function system_menu() {
+  $items['system/403'] = array(
+    'title' => 'Access denied',
+    'page callback' => 'system_access_denied',
+    'access callback' => TRUE,
+    'type' => MENU_CALLBACK,
+  );
+  $items['system/404'] = array(
+    'title' => 'Page not found',
+    'page callback' => 'system_not_found',
+    'access callback' => TRUE,
+    'type' => MENU_CALLBACK,
+  );
   $items['system/files'] = array(
     'title' => 'File download',
     'page callback' => 'file_download',
@@ -2180,6 +2192,26 @@ function system_admin_menu_block($item) {
   return $content;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Menu callback; returns a 403 error message.
+ *
+ * Page callback functions wanting to report an "access denied" message should
+ * not use this function. Instead see drupal_access_denied().
+ */
+function system_access_denied() {
+  return array('#markup' => t('You are not authorized to access this page.'));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Menu callback; returns a 404 error message.
+ *
+ * Page callback functions wanting to report a "not found" message should not
+ * use this function. Instead see drupal_not_found().
+ */
+function system_not_found() {
+  return array('#markup' => t('The requested page could not be found.'));
+}
+
 /**
  * Checks the existence of the directory specified in $form_element.
  *
diff --git a/modules/system/system.test b/modules/system/system.test
index 6655bfa388..c8e6eee122 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.test
+++ b/modules/system/system.test
@@ -1083,24 +1083,26 @@ class AccessDeniedTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->drupalGet('admin');
     $this->assertText($node->title, 'Found the custom 403 page');
 
-    // Logout and check that the user login block is shown on custom 403 pages.
+    // Logout and check that blocks and menu items are shown on custom 403 pages.
     $this->drupalLogout();
 
     $this->drupalGet('admin');
     $this->assertText($node->title, 'Found the custom 403 page');
     $this->assertText(t('User login'), 'Blocks are shown on the custom 403 page');
+    $this->assertText(t('Main menu'), t('Menu items are shown on the custom 403 page'));
 
     // Log back in and remove the custom 403 page.
     $this->drupalLogin($this->admin_user);
     $this->drupalPost('admin/config/system/site-information', array('site_403' => ''), t('Save configuration'));
 
-    // Logout and check that the user login block is shown on default 403 pages.
+    // Logout and check that blocks and menu items are shown on default 403 pages.
     $this->drupalLogout();
 
     $this->drupalGet('admin');
     $this->assertText(t('Access denied'), 'Found the default 403 page');
     $this->assertResponse(403);
     $this->assertText(t('User login'), 'Blocks are shown on the default 403 page');
+    $this->assertText(t('Main menu'), t('Menu items are shown on the default 403 page'));
 
     // Log back in, set the custom 403 page to /user and remove the block
     $this->drupalLogin($this->admin_user);
@@ -1156,9 +1158,15 @@ class PageNotFoundTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   }
 
   function testPageNotFound() {
+    // Logout and check that blocks and menu items are shown on default 404 pages.
+    $this->drupalLogout();
     $this->drupalGet($this->randomName(10));
     $this->assertText(t('Page not found'), 'Found the default 404 page');
+    $this->assertText(t('User login'), t('Blocks are shown on the default 404 page'));
+    $this->assertText(t('Main menu'), t('Menu items are shown on the default 404 page'));
 
+    // Log back in and add a custom 404 page.
+    $this->drupalLogin($this->admin_user);
     $edit = array(
       'title' => $this->randomName(10),
       'body' => array(LANGUAGE_NONE => array(array('value' => $this->randomName(100)))),
@@ -1173,8 +1181,13 @@ class PageNotFoundTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     // Use a custom 404 page.
     $this->drupalPost('admin/config/system/site-information', array('site_404' => 'node/' . $node->nid), t('Save configuration'));
 
+    // Logout and check that blocks and menu items are shown on custom 404 pages.
+    $this->drupalLogout();
+
     $this->drupalGet($this->randomName(10));
     $this->assertText($node->title, 'Found the custom 404 page');
+    $this->assertText(t('User login'), t('Blocks are shown on the custom 404 page'));
+    $this->assertText(t('Main menu'), t('Menu items are shown on the custom 404 page'));
   }
 }