diff --git includes/menu.inc includes/menu.inc
index ecfeebf..2a57666 100644
--- includes/menu.inc
+++ includes/menu.inc
@@ -2347,6 +2347,8 @@ function menu_get_active_trail() {
 
 /**
  * Get the breadcrumb for the current page, as determined by the active trail.
+ *
+ * @see menu_set_active_trail()
  */
 function menu_get_active_breadcrumb() {
   $breadcrumb = array();
@@ -2360,6 +2362,10 @@ function menu_get_active_breadcrumb() {
   if (!empty($item['access'])) {
     $active_trail = menu_get_active_trail();
 
+    // Allow modules to alter the breadcrumb, if possible, as that is much
+    // faster than rebuilding an entirely new active trail.
+    drupal_alter('menu_breadcrumb', $active_trail, $item);
+
     // Don't show a link to the current page in the breadcrumb trail.
     $end = end($active_trail);
     if ($item['href'] == $end['href']) {
diff --git modules/system/system.api.php modules/system/system.api.php
index d8450db..7dbbe30 100644
--- modules/system/system.api.php
+++ modules/system/system.api.php
@@ -1200,6 +1200,53 @@ function hook_menu_local_tasks_alter(&$data, $router_item, $root_path) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Alter links in the active trail (breadcrumb) before it is rendered.
+ *
+ * This hook is invoked by menu_get_active_breadcrumb() and allows to alter
+ * the breadcrumb links for the current page, which may be preferred instead
+ * of setting a custom breadcrumb via drupal_set_breadcrumb().
+ *
+ * Implementations should take into account that menu_get_active_breadcrumb()
+ * subsequently performs the following adjustments to the active trail *after*
+ * this hook has been invoked:
+ * - The last link in $active_trail is removed, if its 'href' is identical to
+ *   the 'href' of $item. This happens, because the breadcrumb normally does
+ *   not contain a link to the current page.
+ * - The (second to) last link in $active_trail is removed, if the current $item
+ *   is a MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK. This happens in order to do not show a link
+ *   to the current page, when being on the path for the default local task;
+ *   e.g. when being on the path node/%/view, the breadcrumb should not contain
+ *   a link to node/%.
+ *
+ * Each link in the active trail must contain:
+ * - title: The localized title of the link.
+ * - href: The system path to link to.
+ * - localized_options: An array of options to pass to url().
+ *
+ * @param $active_trail
+ *   An array containing breadcrumb links for the current page.
+ * @param $item
+ *   The menu router item of the current page.
+ *
+ * @see drupal_set_breadcrumb()
+ * @see menu_get_active_breadcrumb()
+ * @see menu_get_active_trail()
+ * @see menu_set_active_trail()
+ */
+function hook_menu_breadcrumb_alter(&$active_trail, $item) {
+  // Always display a link to the current page by duplicating the last link in
+  // the active trail. This means that menu_get_active_breadcrumb() will remove
+  // the last link (for the current page), but since it is added once more here,
+  // it will appear.
+  if (!drupal_is_front_page()) {
+    $end = end($active_trail);
+    if ($item['href'] == $end['href']) {
+      $active_trail[] = $end;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * Alter contextual links before they are rendered.
  *
  * This hook is invoked by menu_contextual_links(). The system-determined