diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index e5f88b347..ac79ecea1 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@ language: php
 php:
   - 5.3
   - 5.4
+  - 5.5
 
 script: phpunit --coverage-text
diff --git a/Slim/Http/Request.php b/Slim/Http/Request.php
index ff8703f06..49f1ffb6f 100644
--- a/Slim/Http/Request.php
+++ b/Slim/Http/Request.php
@@ -209,9 +209,10 @@ public function params($key = null)
      * the value of the array key if requested; if the array key does not exist, NULL is returned.
      *
      * @param  string           $key
+     * @param  mixed            $default Default return value when key does not exist
      * @return array|mixed|null
      */
-    public function get($key = null)
+    public function get($key = null, $default = null)
     {
         if (!isset($this->env['slim.request.query_hash'])) {
             $output = array();
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ public function get($key = null)
             if (isset($this->env['slim.request.query_hash'][$key])) {
                 return $this->env['slim.request.query_hash'][$key];
             } else {
-                return null;
+                return $default;
             }
         } else {
             return $this->env['slim.request.query_hash'];
@@ -240,10 +241,11 @@ public function get($key = null)
      * the value of a hash key if requested; if the array key does not exist, NULL is returned.
      *
      * @param  string           $key
+     * @param  mixed            $default Default return value when key does not exist
      * @return array|mixed|null
      * @throws \RuntimeException If environment input is not available
      */
-    public function post($key = null)
+    public function post($key = null, $default = null)
     {
         if (!isset($this->env['slim.input'])) {
             throw new \RuntimeException('Missing slim.input in environment variables');
@@ -266,7 +268,7 @@ public function post($key = null)
             if (isset($this->env['slim.request.form_hash'][$key])) {
                 return $this->env['slim.request.form_hash'][$key];
             } else {
-                return null;
+                return $default;
             }
         } else {
             return $this->env['slim.request.form_hash'];
@@ -276,31 +278,34 @@ public function post($key = null)
     /**
      * Fetch PUT data (alias for \Slim\Http\Request::post)
      * @param  string           $key
+     * @param  mixed            $default Default return value when key does not exist
      * @return array|mixed|null
      */
-    public function put($key = null)
+    public function put($key = null, $default = null)
     {
-        return $this->post($key);
+        return $this->post($key, $default);
     }
 
     /**
      * Fetch PATCH data (alias for \Slim\Http\Request::post)
      * @param  string           $key
+     * @param  mixed            $default Default return value when key does not exist
      * @return array|mixed|null
      */
-    public function patch($key = null)
+    public function patch($key = null, $default = null)
     {
-        return $this->post($key);
+        return $this->post($key, $default);
     }
 
     /**
      * Fetch DELETE data (alias for \Slim\Http\Request::post)
      * @param  string           $key
+     * @param  mixed            $default Default return value when key does not exist
      * @return array|mixed|null
      */
-    public function delete($key = null)
+    public function delete($key = null, $default = null)
     {
-        return $this->post($key);
+        return $this->post($key, $default);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/Slim/Http/Response.php b/Slim/Http/Response.php
index c7a6499ed..0e5b8bb21 100644
--- a/Slim/Http/Response.php
+++ b/Slim/Http/Response.php
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ class Response implements \ArrayAccess, \Countable, \IteratorAggregate
         415 => '415 Unsupported Media Type',
         416 => '416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable',
         417 => '417 Expectation Failed',
+        418 => '418 I\'m a teapot',
         422 => '422 Unprocessable Entity',
         423 => '423 Locked',
         //Server Error 5xx
diff --git a/Slim/Route.php b/Slim/Route.php
index 113603554..ae87e27f6 100644
--- a/Slim/Route.php
+++ b/Slim/Route.php
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ class Route
 
     /**
      * Constructor
-     * @param string $pattern  The URL pattern (e.g. "/books/:id")
-     * @param mixed  $callable Anything that returns TRUE for is_callable()
+     * @param string $pattern The URL pattern (e.g. "/books/:id")
+     * @param mixed $callable Anything that returns TRUE for is_callable()
      */
     public function __construct($pattern, $callable)
     {
@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@ public function getCallable()
      */
     public function setCallable($callable)
     {
+        $matches = array();
+        if (is_string($callable) && preg_match('!^([^\:]+)\:([[:alnum:]]+)$!', $callable, $matches)) {
+            $callable = array(new $matches[1], $matches[2]);
+        }
+
         if (!is_callable($callable)) {
             throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Route callable must be callable');
         }
@@ -194,7 +199,7 @@ public function getName()
      */
     public function setName($name)
     {
-        $this->name = (string) $name;
+        $this->name = (string)$name;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -217,7 +222,7 @@ public function setParams($params)
 
     /**
      * Get route parameter value
-     * @param  string                    $index     Name of URL parameter
+     * @param  string $index Name of URL parameter
      * @return string
      * @throws \InvalidArgumentException If route parameter does not exist at index
      */
@@ -232,8 +237,8 @@ public function getParam($index)
 
     /**
      * Set route parameter value
-     * @param  string                    $index     Name of URL parameter
-     * @param  mixed                     $value     The new parameter value
+     * @param  string $index Name of URL parameter
+     * @param  mixed $value The new parameter value
      * @throws \InvalidArgumentException If route parameter does not exist at index
      */
     public function setParam($index, $value)
@@ -351,7 +356,7 @@ public function matches($resourceUri)
         $patternAsRegex = preg_replace_callback(
             '#:([\w]+)\+?#',
             array($this, 'matchesCallback'),
-            str_replace(')', ')?', (string) $this->pattern)
+            str_replace(')', ')?', (string)$this->pattern)
         );
         if (substr($this->pattern, -1) === '/') {
             $patternAsRegex .= '?';
@@ -363,7 +368,7 @@ public function matches($resourceUri)
         }
         foreach ($this->paramNames as $name) {
             if (isset($paramValues[$name])) {
-                if (isset($this->paramNamesPath[ $name ])) {
+                if (isset($this->paramNamesPath[$name])) {
                     $this->params[$name] = explode('/', urldecode($paramValues[$name]));
                 } else {
                     $this->params[$name] = urldecode($paramValues[$name]);
@@ -376,17 +381,17 @@ public function matches($resourceUri)
 
     /**
      * Convert a URL parameter (e.g. ":id", ":id+") into a regular expression
-     * @param  array    $m  URL parameters
+     * @param  array $m URL parameters
      * @return string       Regular expression for URL parameter
      */
     protected function matchesCallback($m)
     {
         $this->paramNames[] = $m[1];
-        if (isset($this->conditions[ $m[1] ])) {
-            return '(?P<' . $m[1] . '>' . $this->conditions[ $m[1] ] . ')';
+        if (isset($this->conditions[$m[1]])) {
+            return '(?P<' . $m[1] . '>' . $this->conditions[$m[1]] . ')';
         }
         if (substr($m[0], -1) === '+') {
-            $this->paramNamesPath[ $m[1] ] = 1;
+            $this->paramNamesPath[$m[1]] = 1;
 
             return '(?P<' . $m[1] . '>.+)';
         }
@@ -396,7 +401,7 @@ protected function matchesCallback($m)
 
     /**
      * Set route name
-     * @param  string     $name The name of the route
+     * @param  string $name The name of the route
      * @return \Slim\Route
      */
     public function name($name)
@@ -408,7 +413,7 @@ public function name($name)
 
     /**
      * Merge route conditions
-     * @param  array      $conditions Key-value array of URL parameter conditions
+     * @param  array $conditions Key-value array of URL parameter conditions
      * @return \Slim\Route
      */
     public function conditions(array $conditions)
@@ -434,6 +439,6 @@ public function dispatch()
         }
 
         $return = call_user_func_array($this->getCallable(), array_values($this->getParams()));
-        return ($return === false)? false : true;
+        return ($return === false) ? false : true;
     }
 }
diff --git a/Slim/Slim.php b/Slim/Slim.php
index 2a68b6c89..058ff30a7 100644
--- a/Slim/Slim.php
+++ b/Slim/Slim.php
@@ -40,9 +40,14 @@
 
 /**
  * Slim
- * @package Slim
- * @author  Josh Lockhart
- * @since   1.0.0
+ * @package  Slim
+ * @author   Josh Lockhart
+ * @since    1.0.0
+ *
+ * @property \Slim\Environment   $environment
+ * @property \Slim\Http\Response $response
+ * @property \Slim\Http\Request  $request
+ * @property \Slim\Router        $router
  */
 class Slim
 {
@@ -172,8 +177,11 @@ public function __construct(array $userSettings = array())
         // Default view
         $this->container->singleton('view', function ($c) {
             $viewClass = $c['settings']['view'];
+            $templatesPath = $c['settings']['templates.path'];
 
-            return ($viewClass instanceOf \Slim\View) ? $viewClass : new $viewClass;
+            $view = ($viewClass instanceOf \Slim\View) ? $viewClass : new $viewClass;
+            $view->setTemplatesDirectory($templatesPath);
+            return $view;
         });
 
         // Default log writer
@@ -739,7 +747,6 @@ public function render($template, $data = array(), $status = null)
         if (!is_null($status)) {
             $this->response->status($status);
         }
-        $this->view->setTemplatesDirectory($this->config('templates.path'));
         $this->view->appendData($data);
         $this->view->display($template);
     }
diff --git a/Slim/View.php b/Slim/View.php
index c6c435a7f..816e886a4 100644
--- a/Slim/View.php
+++ b/Slim/View.php
@@ -236,20 +236,23 @@ public function getTemplatePathname($file)
      * This method echoes the rendered template to the current output buffer
      *
      * @param  string   $template   Pathname of template file relative to templates directory
+     * @param  array    $data       Any additonal data to be passed to the template.
      */
-    public function display($template)
+    public function display($template, $data = null)
     {
-        echo $this->fetch($template);
+        echo $this->fetch($template, $data);
     }
 
     /**
      * Return the contents of a rendered template file
-     * @var    string $template The template pathname, relative to the template base directory
-     * @return string           The rendered template
+     *
+     * @param    string $template   The template pathname, relative to the template base directory
+     * @param    array  $data       Any additonal data to be passed to the template.
+     * @return string               The rendered template
      */
-    public function fetch($template)
+    public function fetch($template, $data = null)
     {
-        return $this->render($template);
+        return $this->render($template, $data);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -257,17 +260,20 @@ public function fetch($template)
      *
      * NOTE: This method should be overridden by custom view subclasses
      *
-     * @var    string $template     The template pathname, relative to the template base directory
+     * @param  string $template     The template pathname, relative to the template base directory
+     * @param  array  $data         Any additonal data to be passed to the template.
      * @return string               The rendered template
      * @throws \RuntimeException    If resolved template pathname is not a valid file
      */
-    protected function render($template)
+    protected function render($template, $data = null)
     {
         $templatePathname = $this->getTemplatePathname($template);
         if (!is_file($templatePathname)) {
             throw new \RuntimeException("View cannot render `$template` because the template does not exist");
         }
-        extract($this->data->all());
+
+        $data = array_merge($this->data->all(), (array) $data);
+        extract($data);
         ob_start();
         require $templatePathname;
 
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 656de3297..0becfe687 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@
         }
     ],
     "require": {
-        "php": ">=5.3.0",
-        "ext-mcrypt": "*"
+        "php": ">=5.3.0"
+    },
+    "suggest": {
+        "ext-mcrypt": "Required for HTTP cookie encryption"
     },
     "autoload": {
         "psr-0": { "Slim": "." }
diff --git a/tests/Http/RequestTest.php b/tests/Http/RequestTest.php
index 35af9fc17..befcb2611 100644
--- a/tests/Http/RequestTest.php
+++ b/tests/Http/RequestTest.php
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ public function testGet()
         $this->assertEquals(3, count($req->get()));
         $this->assertEquals('1', $req->get('one'));
         $this->assertNull($req->get('foo'));
+        $this->assertFalse($req->get('foo', false));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -236,6 +237,7 @@ public function testGetWithoutMultibyte()
         $this->assertEquals(3, count($req->get()));
         $this->assertEquals('1', $req->get('one'));
         $this->assertNull($req->get('foo'));
+        $this->assertFalse($req->get('foo', false));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -253,6 +255,7 @@ public function testPost()
         $this->assertEquals(2, count($req->post()));
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->post('foo'));
         $this->assertNull($req->post('xyz'));
+        $this->assertFalse($req->post('xyz', false));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -271,6 +274,7 @@ public function testPostWithoutMultibyte()
         $this->assertEquals(2, count($req->post()));
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->post('foo'));
         $this->assertNull($req->post('xyz'));
+        $this->assertFalse($req->post('xyz', false));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -319,6 +323,7 @@ public function testPut()
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->put('foo'));
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->params('foo'));
         $this->assertNull($req->put('xyz'));
+        $this->assertFalse($req->put('xyz', false));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -337,6 +342,7 @@ public function testPatch()
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->patch('foo'));
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->params('foo'));
         $this->assertNull($req->patch('xyz'));
+        $this->assertFalse($req->patch('xyz', false));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -355,6 +361,7 @@ public function testDelete()
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->delete('foo'));
         $this->assertEquals('bar', $req->params('foo'));
         $this->assertNull($req->delete('xyz'));
+        $this->assertFalse($req->delete('xyz', false));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Middleware/SessionCookieTest.php b/tests/Middleware/SessionCookieTest.php
index 36ae16e22..c1e725d91 100644
--- a/tests/Middleware/SessionCookieTest.php
+++ b/tests/Middleware/SessionCookieTest.php
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ public function testUnserializeErrorsAreCaughtAndLogged()
 
         $logWriter->expects($this->once())
             ->method('write');
+        $oldLevel = error_reporting(E_ALL);
 
         $app = new \Slim\Slim(array(
             'log.writer' => $logWriter
@@ -149,6 +150,8 @@ public function testUnserializeErrorsAreCaughtAndLogged()
         $mw->setNextMiddleware($app);
         $mw->call();
         $this->assertEquals(array(), $_SESSION);
+
+        error_reporting($oldLevel);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/RouteTest.php b/tests/RouteTest.php
index 0e67d229e..61e60446d 100644
--- a/tests/RouteTest.php
+++ b/tests/RouteTest.php
@@ -67,6 +67,23 @@ public function testGetCallable()
         $this->assertSame($callable, $route->getCallable());
     }
 
+    public function testGetCallableAsClass()
+    {
+        $route = new \Slim\Route('/foo', '\Slim\Router:getCurrentRoute');
+
+        $callable = $route->getCallable();
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\Slim\Router', $callable[0]);
+        $this->assertEquals('getCurrentRoute', $callable[1]);
+    }
+
+    public function testGetCallableAsStaticMethod()
+    {
+        $route = new \Slim\Route('/bar', '\Slim\Slim::getInstance');
+
+        $callable = $route->getCallable();
+        $this->assertEquals('\Slim\Slim::getInstance', $callable);
+    }
+
     public function testSetCallable()
     {
         $callable = function () {
diff --git a/tests/SlimTest.php b/tests/SlimTest.php
index 26f2ec603..1c520dc2b 100644
--- a/tests/SlimTest.php
+++ b/tests/SlimTest.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 //Mock custom view
 class CustomView extends \Slim\View
 {
-    public function render($template) { echo "Custom view"; }
+    public function render($template, $data = null) { echo "Custom view"; }
 }
 
 //Echo Logger
@@ -551,6 +551,16 @@ public function testViewDataTransfer()
      * RENDERING
      ************************************************/
 
+    /**
+     * Test template path is passed to view
+     */
+    public function testViewGetsTemplatesPath()
+    {
+        $path = dirname(__FILE__) . '/templates';
+        $s = new \Slim\Slim(array('templates.path' => $path));
+        $this->assertEquals($s->view->getTemplatesDirectory(), $path);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test render with template and data
      */
diff --git a/tests/ViewTest.php b/tests/ViewTest.php
index 6f9f2c351..e04ce8644 100644
--- a/tests/ViewTest.php
+++ b/tests/ViewTest.php
@@ -115,6 +115,21 @@ public function testAppendData()
         $this->assertEquals(array('foo' => 'bar'), $prop->getValue($view)->all());
     }
 
+    public function testLocalData()
+    {
+        $view = new \Slim\View();
+        $prop1 = new \ReflectionProperty($view, 'data');
+        $prop1->setAccessible(true);
+        $prop1->setValue($view, new \Slim\Helper\Set(array('foo' => 'bar')));
+
+        $prop2 = new \ReflectionProperty($view, 'templatesDirectory');
+        $prop2->setAccessible(true);
+        $prop2->setValue($view, dirname(__FILE__) . '/templates');
+
+        $output = $view->fetch('test.php', array('foo' => 'baz'));
+        $this->assertEquals('test output baz', $output);
+    }
+
     public function testAppendDataOverwrite()
     {
         $view = new \Slim\View();