diff --git a/django/conf/global_settings.py b/django/conf/global_settings.py
index a91dcb9d78..92e202edca 100644
--- a/django/conf/global_settings.py
+++ b/django/conf/global_settings.py
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
     'django.core.context_processors.auth',
     'django.core.context_processors.debug',
     'django.core.context_processors.i18n',
+#    'django.core.context_processors.request',
 )
 
 # URL prefix for admin media -- CSS, JavaScript and images. Make sure to use a
diff --git a/django/core/context_processors.py b/django/core/context_processors.py
index 201f786218..fc72aca6c8 100644
--- a/django/core/context_processors.py
+++ b/django/core/context_processors.py
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ def i18n(request):
         context_extras['LANGUAGE_CODE'] = LANGUAGE_CODE
     return context_extras
 
+def request(request):
+    return {'request': request}
+
 # PermWrapper and PermLookupDict proxy the permissions system into objects that
 # the template system can understand.
 
diff --git a/docs/templates_python.txt b/docs/templates_python.txt
index bbf7c8f745..efbd648cf1 100644
--- a/docs/templates_python.txt
+++ b/docs/templates_python.txt
@@ -329,6 +329,16 @@ See the `internationalization docs`_ for more.
 .. _LANGUAGE_CODE setting: http://www.djangoproject.com/documentation/settings/#language-code
 .. _internationalization docs: http://www.djangoproject.com/documentation/i18n/
 
+django.core.context_processors.request
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+**New in Django development version**
+
+If ``TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS`` contains this processor, every
+``DjangoContext`` will contain a variable ``request``, which is the current
+`HttpRequest object`_. Note that this processor is not enabled by default;
+you'll have to activate it.
+
 Loading templates
 -----------------