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 !== '')
 		{
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst b/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
index f3eb718..0400d13 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 -  Fixed a bug (#4093) - :doc:`Query Builder <database/query_builder>` modified string values containing 'AND', 'OR' while compiling WHERE conditions.
 -  Fixed a bug (#4096) - :doc:`Query Builder <database/query_builder>` didn't apply *dbprefix* when compiling BETWEEN conditions.
 -  Fixed a bug (#4105) - :doc:`Form Validation Library <libraries/form_validation>` didn't allow pipe characters inside "bracket parameters" when using a string ruleset.
+-  Fixed a bug (#4109) - :doc:`Routing <general/routing>` to *default_controller* didn't work when *enable_query_strings* is set to TRUE.
 
 Version 3.0.1
 =============