diff --git includes/common.inc includes/common.inc
index d5a394d..cb7c681 100644
--- includes/common.inc
+++ includes/common.inc
@@ -5541,7 +5541,7 @@ function drupal_common_theme() {
       'render element' => 'element',
     ),
     'menu_local_tasks' => array(
-      'variables' => array(),
+      'variables' => array('primary' => array(), 'secondary' => array()),
     ),
     // from form.inc
     'select' => array(
diff --git includes/menu.inc includes/menu.inc
index 6b6ed29..26acb2d 100644
--- includes/menu.inc
+++ includes/menu.inc
@@ -1985,22 +1985,33 @@ function menu_tab_root_path() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Returns renderable local tasks.
+ * Returns a renderable element of the primary and secondary tabs.
+ */
+function menu_local_tabs() {
+  return array(
+    '#theme' => 'menu_local_tasks',
+    '#primary' => menu_primary_local_tasks(),
+    '#secondary' => menu_secondary_local_tasks(),
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Formats the primary and secondary local tasks.
  *
  * @ingroup themeable
  */
-function theme_menu_local_tasks() {
-  $output = array();
+function theme_menu_local_tasks(&$variables) {
+  $output = '';
 
-  if ($primary = menu_primary_local_tasks()) {
-    $primary['#prefix'] = '<ul class="tabs primary">';
-    $primary['#suffix'] = '</ul>';
-    $output[] = $primary;
+  if (!empty($variables['primary'])) {
+    $output .= '<ul class="tabs primary">';
+    $output .= render($variables['primary']);
+    $output .= '</ul>';
   }
-  if ($secondary = menu_secondary_local_tasks()) {
-    $secondary['#prefix'] = '<ul class="tabs secondary">';
-    $secondary['#suffix'] = '</ul>';
-    $output[] = $secondary;
+  if (!empty($variables['secondary'])) {
+    $output .= '<ul class="tabs secondary">';
+    $output .= render($variables['secondary']);
+    $output .= '</ul>';
   }
 
   return $output;
diff --git includes/theme.inc includes/theme.inc
index e481e38..0f19552 100644
--- includes/theme.inc
+++ includes/theme.inc
@@ -2357,7 +2357,7 @@ function template_preprocess_page(&$variables) {
   $variables['action_links']      = menu_local_actions();
   $variables['site_name']         = (theme_get_setting('toggle_name') ? filter_xss_admin(variable_get('site_name', 'Drupal')) : '');
   $variables['site_slogan']       = (theme_get_setting('toggle_slogan') ? filter_xss_admin(variable_get('site_slogan', '')) : '');
-  $variables['tabs']              = theme('menu_local_tasks');
+  $variables['tabs']              = menu_local_tabs();
   $variables['title']             = drupal_get_title();
 
   if ($node = menu_get_object()) {
diff --git themes/garland/page.tpl.php themes/garland/page.tpl.php
index 0eba988..2275a29 100644
--- themes/garland/page.tpl.php
+++ themes/garland/page.tpl.php
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@
             <h1<?php print $tabs ? ' class="with-tabs"' : '' ?>><?php print $title ?></h1>
           <?php endif; ?>
           <?php print render($title_suffix); ?>
-          <?php if ($tabs): ?><ul class="tabs primary"><?php print render($tabs) ?></ul></div><?php endif; ?>
-          <?php if ($tabs2): ?><ul class="tabs secondary"><?php print render($tabs2) ?></ul><?php endif; ?>
+          <?php if ($tabs): ?><?php print render($tabs); ?></div><?php endif; ?>
+          <?php if ($tabs2): ?><?php print render($tabs2); ?><?php endif; ?>
           <?php print $messages; ?>
           <?php print render($page['help']); ?>
           <?php if ($action_links): ?><ul class="action-links"><?php print render($action_links); ?></ul><?php endif; ?>
diff --git themes/garland/template.php themes/garland/template.php
index 64f1929..d1dd5aa 100644
--- themes/garland/template.php
+++ themes/garland/template.php
@@ -59,7 +59,12 @@ function garland_process_html(&$vars) {
  * Override or insert variables into the page template.
  */
 function garland_preprocess_page(&$vars) {
-  $vars['tabs2'] = menu_secondary_local_tasks();
+  // Move the secondary tabs to a new variable.
+  $vars['tabs2'] = array(
+    '#theme' => 'menu_local_tasks',
+    '#secondary' => $vars['tabs']['#secondary'],
+  );
+  unset($vars['tabs']['#secondary']);
   if (isset($vars['main_menu'])) {
     $vars['primary_nav'] = theme('links__system_main_menu', array(
       'links' => $vars['main_menu'],
@@ -131,11 +136,3 @@ function garland_preprocess_region(&$vars) {
     $vars['classes_array'][] = 'clearfix';
   }
 }
-
-/**
- * Returns the rendered local tasks. The default implementation renders
- * them as tabs. Overridden to split the secondary tasks.
- */
-function garland_menu_local_tasks() {
-  return menu_primary_local_tasks();
-}