diff --git a/django/conf/urls/static.py b/django/conf/urls/static.py
index f90b8b5cab..ff1942f990 100644
--- a/django/conf/urls/static.py
+++ b/django/conf/urls/static.py
@@ -22,5 +22,5 @@ def static(prefix, view='django.views.static.serve', **kwargs):
     elif '://' in prefix:
         raise ImproperlyConfigured("URL '%s' not allowed as static prefix" % prefix)
     return patterns('',
-        url(r'^%s(?P<path>.*)$' % re.escape(prefix.lstrip('/')), view, **kwargs),
+        url(r'^%s(?P<path>.*)$' % re.escape(prefix.lstrip('/')), view, kwargs=kwargs),
     )
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py b/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py
index cd29687967..8ae04c2176 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py
@@ -2,14 +2,18 @@ import mimetypes
 from os import path
 
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.conf.urls.static import static
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.http import HttpResponseNotModified
+
+from regressiontests.views import urls
 from regressiontests.views.urls import media_dir
 
 class StaticTests(TestCase):
     """Tests django views in django/views/static.py"""
 
     def setUp(self):
+        self.prefix = 'site_media'
         self.old_debug = settings.DEBUG
         settings.DEBUG = True
 
@@ -20,26 +24,25 @@ class StaticTests(TestCase):
         "The static view can serve static media"
         media_files = ['file.txt', 'file.txt.gz']
         for filename in media_files:
-            response = self.client.get('/views/site_media/%s' % filename)
+            response = self.client.get('/views/%s/%s' % (self.prefix, filename))
             file_path = path.join(media_dir, filename)
             self.assertEquals(open(file_path).read(), response.content)
             self.assertEquals(len(response.content), int(response['Content-Length']))
             self.assertEquals(mimetypes.guess_type(file_path)[1], response.get('Content-Encoding', None))
 
     def test_unknown_mime_type(self):
-        response = self.client.get('/views/site_media/file.unknown')
+        response = self.client.get('/views/%s/file.unknown' % self.prefix)
         self.assertEquals('application/octet-stream', response['Content-Type'])
 
     def test_copes_with_empty_path_component(self):
         file_name = 'file.txt'
-        response = self.client.get('/views/site_media//%s' % file_name)
+        response = self.client.get('/views/%s//%s' % (self.prefix, file_name))
         file = open(path.join(media_dir, file_name))
         self.assertEquals(file.read(), response.content)
 
     def test_is_modified_since(self):
         file_name = 'file.txt'
-        response = self.client.get(
-            '/views/site_media/%s' % file_name,
+        response = self.client.get('/views/%s/%s' % (self.prefix, file_name),
             HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE='Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT')
         file = open(path.join(media_dir, file_name))
         self.assertEquals(file.read(), response.content)
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ class StaticTests(TestCase):
     def test_not_modified_since(self):
         file_name = 'file.txt'
         response = self.client.get(
-            '/views/site_media/%s' % file_name,
+            '/views/%s/%s' % (self.prefix, file_name),
             HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE='Mon, 18 Jan 2038 05:14:07 UTC'
             # This is 24h before max Unix time. Remember to fix Django and
             # update this test well before 2038 :)
@@ -62,7 +65,7 @@ class StaticTests(TestCase):
         """
         file_name = 'file.txt'
         invalid_date = 'Mon, 28 May 999999999999 28:25:26 GMT'
-        response = self.client.get('/views/site_media/%s' % file_name,
+        response = self.client.get('/views/%s/%s' % (self.prefix, file_name),
                                    HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE=invalid_date)
         file = open(path.join(media_dir, file_name))
         self.assertEquals(file.read(), response.content)
@@ -77,9 +80,24 @@ class StaticTests(TestCase):
         """
         file_name = 'file.txt'
         invalid_date = ': 1291108438, Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:05:00 GMT'
-        response = self.client.get('/views/site_media/%s' % file_name,
+        response = self.client.get('/views/%s/%s' % (self.prefix, file_name),
                                    HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE=invalid_date)
         file = open(path.join(media_dir, file_name))
         self.assertEquals(file.read(), response.content)
         self.assertEquals(len(response.content),
                           int(response['Content-Length']))
+
+
+class StaticHelperTest(StaticTests):
+    """
+    Test case to make sure the static URL pattern helper works as expected
+    """
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(StaticHelperTest, self).setUp()
+        self.prefix = 'media'
+        self._old_views_urlpatterns = urls.urlpatterns
+        urls.urlpatterns += static('/media/', document_root=media_dir)
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        super(StaticHelperTest, self).tearDown()
+        urls.urlpatterns = self._old_views_urlpatterns