diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/HtmlHelperRenderExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/HtmlHelperRenderExtensions.cs
index 12a5d6d736..4e7f06cf06 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/HtmlHelperRenderExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/HtmlHelperRenderExtensions.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ using System.Text;
 using System.Web;
 using System.Web.Mvc;
 using System.Web.Mvc.Html;
+using System.Web.Routing;
 using Umbraco.Core;
 using Umbraco.Core.Dynamics;
 using Umbraco.Web.Mvc;
@@ -83,6 +84,48 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web
 			return filteredHtmlHelper.ValidationSummary(excludePropertyErrors, message, htmlAttributes);
 		}
 
+	    /// <summary>
+	    /// Returns the result of a child action of a strongly typed SurfaceController
+	    /// </summary>
+	    /// <typeparam name="T"></typeparam>
+	    /// <param name="htmlHelper"></param>
+	    /// <param name="actionName"></param>
+	    /// <returns></returns>
+	    public static IHtmlString Action<T>(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string actionName)
+            where T : SurfaceController
+        {
+            return htmlHelper.Action(actionName, typeof(T));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns the result of a child action of a SurfaceController
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <typeparam name="T"></typeparam>
+        /// <param name="htmlHelper"></param>
+        /// <param name="actionName"></param>
+        /// <param name="surfaceType"></param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        public static IHtmlString Action(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string actionName, Type surfaceType)
+        {
+            Mandate.ParameterNotNull(surfaceType, "surfaceType");
+            Mandate.ParameterNotNullOrEmpty(actionName, "actionName");
+
+            var routeVals = new RouteValueDictionary(new {area = ""});
+
+            var surfaceController = SurfaceControllerResolver.Current.RegisteredSurfaceControllers
+                .SingleOrDefault(x => x == surfaceType);
+            if (surfaceController == null)
+                throw new InvalidOperationException("Could not find the surface controller of type " + surfaceType.FullName);
+            var metaData = PluginController.GetMetadata(surfaceController);
+            if (!metaData.AreaName.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
+            {
+                //set the area to the plugin area
+                routeVals.Add("area", metaData.AreaName);
+            }
+
+            return htmlHelper.Action(actionName, metaData.ControllerName, routeVals);
+        }
+
 		#region BeginUmbracoForm
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -307,7 +350,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web
 			Mandate.ParameterNotNullOrEmpty(action, "action");
 			Mandate.ParameterNotNull(surfaceType, "surfaceType");
 
-			var area = Umbraco.Core.Configuration.GlobalSettings.UmbracoMvcArea;
+		    var area = "";
 			
             var surfaceController = SurfaceControllerResolver.Current.RegisteredSurfaceControllers
 				.SingleOrDefault(x => x == surfaceType);
@@ -366,7 +409,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web
 											   object additionalRouteVals,
 											   IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
 		{
-			Mandate.ParameterNotNullOrEmpty(area, "area");
 			Mandate.ParameterNotNullOrEmpty(action, "action");
 			Mandate.ParameterNotNullOrEmpty(controllerName, "controllerName");
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/RenderRouteHandler.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/RenderRouteHandler.cs
index c1df3fb48e..bba31be513 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/RenderRouteHandler.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/RenderRouteHandler.cs
@@ -176,8 +176,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Mvc
 		/// <param name="routeDefinition">The original route definition that would normally be used to route if it were not a POST</param>
 		private IHttpHandler HandlePostedValues(RequestContext requestContext, PostedDataProxyInfo postedInfo, RouteDefinition routeDefinition)
 		{
-			var standardArea = Umbraco.Core.Configuration.GlobalSettings.UmbracoMvcArea;
-
 			//set the standard route values/tokens
 			requestContext.RouteData.Values["controller"] = postedInfo.ControllerName;
 			requestContext.RouteData.Values["action"] = postedInfo.ActionName;
@@ -185,7 +183,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Mvc
 			IHttpHandler handler = new MvcHandler(requestContext);
 
 			//ensure the controllerType is set if found, meaning it is a plugin, not locally declared
-			if (!postedInfo.Area.InvariantEquals(standardArea))
+			if (!postedInfo.Area.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
 			{
 				//requestContext.RouteData.Values["controllerType"] = postedInfo.ControllerType;
 				//find the other data tokens for this route and merge... things like Namespace will be included here