diff --git a/includes/common.inc b/includes/common.inc
index cf194cbc53e280c356bb69e2a066894b3ef15123..5af1f5be21ee68062de1f77e87d9206fd8ea04c5 100644
--- a/includes/common.inc
+++ b/includes/common.inc
@@ -954,6 +954,7 @@ function url($path = NULL, $query = NULL, $fragment = NULL, $absolute = FALSE) {
   global $base_url;
 
   static $script;
+  static $clean_url;
 
   if (empty($script)) {
     // On some web servers, such as IIS, we can't omit "index.php".  So, we
@@ -962,8 +963,10 @@ function url($path = NULL, $query = NULL, $fragment = NULL, $absolute = FALSE) {
     $script = (strpos($_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'], 'Apache') === false) ? 'index.php' : '';
   }
 
-  $path = drupal_get_path_alias($path);
-  $path = drupal_urlencode($path);
+  // Cache the clean_url variable to improve performance.
+  if ($clean_url === NULL) {
+    $clean_url = (variable_get('clean_url', '0') == '0') ? false : true;
+  }
 
   if (isset($fragment)) {
     $fragment = '#'. $fragment;
@@ -971,8 +974,11 @@ function url($path = NULL, $query = NULL, $fragment = NULL, $absolute = FALSE) {
 
   $base = ($absolute ? $base_url .'/' : '');
 
-  if (variable_get('clean_url', '0') == '0') {
-    if (isset($path)) {
+  // The special path '<front>' links to the default front page.
+  if (isset($path) && $path != '<front>') {
+    $path = drupal_get_path_alias($path);
+    $path = drupal_urlencode($path);
+    if (!$clean_url) {
       if (isset($query)) {
         return $base . $script .'?q='. $path .'&'. $query . $fragment;
       }
@@ -982,29 +988,19 @@ function url($path = NULL, $query = NULL, $fragment = NULL, $absolute = FALSE) {
     }
     else {
       if (isset($query)) {
-        return $base . $script .'?'. $query . $fragment;
+        return $base . $path .'?'. $query . $fragment;
       }
       else {
-        return $base . $fragment;
+        return $base . $path . $fragment;
       }
     }
   }
   else {
-    if (isset($path)) {
-      if (isset($query)) {
-        return $base . $path .'?'. $query . $fragment;
-      }
-      else {
-        return $base . $path . $fragment;
-      }
+    if (isset($query)) {
+      return $base . $script .'?'. $query . $fragment;
     }
     else {
-      if (isset($query)) {
-        return $base . $script .'?'. $query . $fragment;
-      }
-      else {
-        return $base . $fragment;
-      }
+      return $base . $fragment;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/includes/menu.inc b/includes/menu.inc
index aecc7fcc66185ae13d388bab654cb5e91d6fdf59..e511ec6bdbc74640120192910fc36a1939452e42 100644
--- a/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/includes/menu.inc
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ function menu_get_active_help() {
 function menu_get_active_breadcrumb() {
   $menu = menu_get_menu();
 
-  $links[] = l(t('Home'), '');
+  $links[] = l(t('Home'), '<front>');
 
   $trail = _menu_get_active_trail();
   foreach ($trail as $mid) {
diff --git a/modules/menu.module b/modules/menu.module
index 37cf137b7791402f713b00d7931ecb51558fd474..ef22582cf80054d364735345eb11e78e3ebf6db5 100644
--- a/modules/menu.module
+++ b/modules/menu.module
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ function menu_edit_item_form($edit) {
   else {
     $form['description'] = array('#type' => 'textfield', '#title' => t('Description'), '#default_value' => $edit['description'], '#description' => t('The description displayed when hovering over a menu item.'));
 
-    $path_description = t('The Drupal path this menu item links to.');
+    $path_description = t('The Drupal path this menu item links to. Enter %front to link to the front page.', array('%front' => theme('placeholder', '<front>')));
 
     if ($edit['type'] & MENU_CREATED_BY_ADMIN) {
       $form['path'] = array('#type' => 'textfield', '#title' => t('Path'), '#default_value' => $edit['path'], '#description' => $path_description, '#required' => TRUE);
diff --git a/modules/menu/menu.module b/modules/menu/menu.module
index 37cf137b7791402f713b00d7931ecb51558fd474..ef22582cf80054d364735345eb11e78e3ebf6db5 100644
--- a/modules/menu/menu.module
+++ b/modules/menu/menu.module
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ function menu_edit_item_form($edit) {
   else {
     $form['description'] = array('#type' => 'textfield', '#title' => t('Description'), '#default_value' => $edit['description'], '#description' => t('The description displayed when hovering over a menu item.'));
 
-    $path_description = t('The Drupal path this menu item links to.');
+    $path_description = t('The Drupal path this menu item links to. Enter %front to link to the front page.', array('%front' => theme('placeholder', '<front>')));
 
     if ($edit['type'] & MENU_CREATED_BY_ADMIN) {
       $form['path'] = array('#type' => 'textfield', '#title' => t('Path'), '#default_value' => $edit['path'], '#description' => $path_description, '#required' => TRUE);
diff --git a/modules/system.module b/modules/system.module
index f98ae7c24b50a88d6611d02e67ee515dbcf76988..b634a232e369dbf60cea74541ea8567df6667db0 100644
--- a/modules/system.module
+++ b/modules/system.module
@@ -752,6 +752,9 @@ function system_settings_form_submit($form_id, $values) {
   else {
     drupal_set_message(t('The configuration options have been saved.'));
   }
+  if ($form_id == 'system_settings_form') {
+    menu_rebuild();
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/system/system.module b/modules/system/system.module
index f98ae7c24b50a88d6611d02e67ee515dbcf76988..b634a232e369dbf60cea74541ea8567df6667db0 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/modules/system/system.module
@@ -752,6 +752,9 @@ function system_settings_form_submit($form_id, $values) {
   else {
     drupal_set_message(t('The configuration options have been saved.'));
   }
+  if ($form_id == 'system_settings_form') {
+    menu_rebuild();
+  }
 }
 
 /**