diff --git a/includes/common.inc b/includes/common.inc
index da8996a..fcc5efb 100644
--- a/includes/common.inc
+++ b/includes/common.inc
@@ -6928,7 +6928,12 @@ function drupal_common_theme() {
       'variables' => array('path' => NULL, 'width' => NULL, 'height' => NULL, 'alt' => '', 'title' => NULL, 'attributes' => array()),
     ),
     'breadcrumb' => array(
-      'variables' => array('breadcrumb' => NULL),
+      // The "breadcrumb" is the old implementation that is kept for ensuring
+      // the backward compatibility.
+      // The "breadcrumb_items" is the new implementation and allows
+      // preprocessing the breadcrumb items before generating the links used in
+      // the final display.
+      'variables' => array('breadcrumb' => NULL, 'breadcrumb_items' => NULL, 'separator' => ' » '),
     ),
     'help' => array(
       'variables' => array(),
diff --git a/includes/menu.inc b/includes/menu.inc
index 4664d27..0ba55c0 100644
--- a/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/includes/menu.inc
@@ -2569,14 +2569,50 @@ function menu_get_active_trail() {
 /**
  * Gets the breadcrumb for the current page, as determined by the active trail.
  *
- * @see menu_set_active_trail()
+ * @see menu_get_active_breadcrumb_items()
  */
 function menu_get_active_breadcrumb() {
+  $breadcrumb_items = menu_get_active_breadcrumb_items();
+
+  if (!$breadcrumb_items) {
+    return $breadcrumb_items;
+  }
+
   $breadcrumb = array();
 
-  // No breadcrumb for the front page.
-  if (drupal_is_front_page()) {
-    return $breadcrumb;
+  foreach ($breadcrumb_items as $breadcrumb_item) {
+    $breadcrumb[] = l(
+      $breadcrumb_item['title'],
+      $breadcrumb_item['url'],
+      $breadcrumb_item['options']
+    );
+  }
+
+  return $breadcrumb;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Gets data of each breadcrumb item for the current page.
+ *
+ * They are determined by the active trail.
+ *
+ * @return array
+ *   Breadcrumb items' data for the current page as an array of item
+ *   information. Each breadcrumb item is an associative array with
+ *   the following components:
+ *   - title: The item's title (parent title);
+ *   - url: The item's url (parent href);
+ *   - options: Options for passing into the l() function.
+ *
+ * @see menu_set_active_trail()
+ */
+function menu_get_active_breadcrumb_items() {
+  $breadcrumb_items = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__);
+
+
+  // No breadcrumb for the front page or already set in the static variable.
+  if (drupal_is_front_page() || !empty($breadcrumb_items)) {
+    return $breadcrumb_items;
   }
 
   $item = menu_get_item();
@@ -2611,10 +2647,15 @@ function menu_get_active_breadcrumb() {
     }
 
     foreach ($active_trail as $parent) {
-      $breadcrumb[] = l($parent['title'], $parent['href'], $parent['localized_options']);
+      $breadcrumb_items[] = array(
+        'title' => $parent['title'],
+        'url' => $parent['href'],
+        'options' => $parent['localized_options'],
+      );
     }
   }
-  return $breadcrumb;
+
+  return $breadcrumb_items;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/includes/theme.inc b/includes/theme.inc
index 9b606e9..df7add8 100644
--- a/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/includes/theme.inc
@@ -1893,19 +1893,51 @@ function theme_image($variables) {
  *
  * @param $variables
  *   An associative array containing:
- *   - breadcrumb: An array containing the breadcrumb links.
+ *   - breadcrumb (deprecated): An array containing the breadcrumb links.
+ *     breadcrumb_items should be preferred in order to allow other modules,
+ *     themes "preprocessing" items' data;
+ *   - breadcrumb_items: An array containing the data allowing to create
+ *     the different breadcrumb links:
+ *     - title: The item's title;
+ *     - url: The item's url;
+ *     - options: Options for passing into a l() function.
+ *   - separator: The separator to use between the breadcrumb items in the
+ *     final display.
+ *
+ * @return string
+ *   The HTML display of the trail.
  */
 function theme_breadcrumb($variables) {
-  $breadcrumb = $variables['breadcrumb'];
+  if (empty($variables['breadcrumb']) && empty($variables['breadcrumb_items'])) {
+    return '';
+  }
 
-  if (!empty($breadcrumb)) {
-    // Provide a navigational heading to give context for breadcrumb links to
-    // screen-reader users. Make the heading invisible with .element-invisible.
-    $output = '<h2 class="element-invisible">' . t('You are here') . '</h2>';
+  // Provide a navigational heading to give context for breadcrumb links to
+  // screen-reader users. Make the heading invisible with .element-invisible.
+  $output = '<h2 class="element-invisible">' . t('You are here') . '</h2>';
+  $output .= '<div class="breadcrumb">';
 
-    $output .= '<div class="breadcrumb">' . implode(' » ', $breadcrumb) . '</div>';
-    return $output;
+
+  // Backward-compatibility, we ensure to not break existing sites that use the
+  // previous theme implementation (see menu_get_active_breadcrumb()).
+  if (!empty($variables['breadcrumb'])) {
+    $breadcrumb = $variables['breadcrumb'];
   }
+
+  // New implementation based on the "menu_get_active_breadcrumb_items()"
+  // function.
+  if (!empty($variables['breadcrumb_items'])) {
+      $breadcrumb = array();
+      foreach ($variables['breadcrumb_items'] as $item) {
+        $breadcrumb[] = l($item['title'], $item['url'], $item['options']);
+      }
+  }
+
+  $output .= implode($variables['separator'], $breadcrumb);
+
+  $output .= '</div>';
+
+  return $output;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2695,7 +2727,7 @@ function template_process_page(&$variables) {
     // re-use the cache of an already rendered menu containing the active link
     // for the current page.
     // @see menu_tree_page_data()
-    $variables['breadcrumb'] = theme('breadcrumb', array('breadcrumb' => drupal_get_breadcrumb()));
+    $variables['breadcrumb'] = theme('breadcrumb', array('breadcrumb_items' => menu_get_active_breadcrumb_items()));
   }
   if (!isset($variables['title'])) {
     $variables['title'] = drupal_get_title();