diff --git a/system/core/Router.php b/system/core/Router.php
index eb868cd..a84be1f 100644
--- a/system/core/Router.php
+++ b/system/core/Router.php
@@ -153,6 +153,28 @@
 	 */
 	protected function _set_routing()
 	{
+		// Load the routes.php file. It would be great if we could
+		// skip this for enable_query_strings = TRUE, but then
+		// default_controller would be empty ...
+		if (file_exists(APPPATH.'config/routes.php'))
+		{
+			include(APPPATH.'config/routes.php');
+		}
+
+		if (file_exists(APPPATH.'config/'.ENVIRONMENT.'/routes.php'))
+		{
+			include(APPPATH.'config/'.ENVIRONMENT.'/routes.php');
+		}
+
+		// Validate & get reserved routes
+		if (isset($route) && is_array($route))
+		{
+			isset($route['default_controller']) && $this->default_controller = $route['default_controller'];
+			isset($route['translate_uri_dashes']) && $this->translate_uri_dashes = $route['translate_uri_dashes'];
+			unset($route['default_controller'], $route['translate_uri_dashes']);
+			$this->routes = $route;
+		}
+
 		// Are query strings enabled in the config file? Normally CI doesn't utilize query strings
 		// since URI segments are more search-engine friendly, but they can optionally be used.
 		// If this feature is enabled, we will gather the directory/class/method a little differently
@@ -199,26 +221,6 @@
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// Load the routes.php file.
-		if (file_exists(APPPATH.'config/routes.php'))
-		{
-			include(APPPATH.'config/routes.php');
-		}
-
-		if (file_exists(APPPATH.'config/'.ENVIRONMENT.'/routes.php'))
-		{
-			include(APPPATH.'config/'.ENVIRONMENT.'/routes.php');
-		}
-
-		// Validate & get reserved routes
-		if (isset($route) && is_array($route))
-		{
-			isset($route['default_controller']) && $this->default_controller = $route['default_controller'];
-			isset($route['translate_uri_dashes']) && $this->translate_uri_dashes = $route['translate_uri_dashes'];
-			unset($route['default_controller'], $route['translate_uri_dashes']);
-			$this->routes = $route;
-		}
-
 		// Is there anything to parse?
 		if ($this->uri->uri_string !== '')
 		{