diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/DirectRenderFromEventAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/DirectRenderFromEventAction.java
index 4397e06c8..7a9172a49 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/DirectRenderFromEventAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/DirectRenderFromEventAction.java
@@ -17,32 +17,33 @@
  */
 package org.apache.struts2.portlet.dispatcher;
 
-import com.opensymphony.xwork2.ActionSupport;
+import com.opensymphony.xwork2.Action;
+
+import java.io.Serializable;
 
 /**
- * When a portlet is targetted for an <code>event</code>, the portlet will receive two 
+ * When a portlet is targetted for an <code>event</code>, the portlet will receive two
  * portlet requests, one for the <code>event</code> phase, and then followed by a <code>render</code>
  * operation. When in the <code>event</code> phase, the action that is executed can't render
- * any output. This means that if an action in the XWork configuration is executed in the event 
- * phase, and the action is set up with a result that should render something, the result can't 
- * immediately be executed. The portlet needs to "wait" to the render phase to do the 
- * rendering. 
- * 
- * When the {@link org.apache.struts2.portlet.result.PortletResult} detects such a 
+ * any output. This means that if an action in the XWork configuration is executed in the event
+ * phase, and the action is set up with a result that should render something, the result can't
+ * immediately be executed. The portlet needs to "wait" to the render phase to do the
+ * rendering.
+ * <p/>
+ * When the {@link org.apache.struts2.portlet.result.PortletResult} detects such a
  * scenario, instead of executing the actual view, it prepares a couple of render parameters
- * specifying this action and the location of the view, which then will be executed in the 
+ * specifying this action and the location of the view, which then will be executed in the
  * following render request.
- * 
  */
-public class DirectRenderFromEventAction extends ActionSupport {
-	
-	private static final long serialVersionUID = -1814807772308405785L;
-	
-	private String location = null;
+public class DirectRenderFromEventAction implements Action, Serializable {
+
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = -1814807772308405785L;
+
+    private String location = null;
 
     /**
      * Get the location of the view.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return Returns the location.
      */
     public String getLocation() {
@@ -51,10 +52,19 @@ public class DirectRenderFromEventAction extends ActionSupport {
 
     /**
      * Set the location of the view.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param location The location to set.
      */
     public void setLocation(String location) {
         this.location = location;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Always return success.
+     *
+     * @return SUCCESS
+     */
+    public String execute() throws Exception {
+        return SUCCESS;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/Jsr168Dispatcher.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/Jsr168Dispatcher.java
index 3acab2974..c1da834a3 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/Jsr168Dispatcher.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/portlet/dispatcher/Jsr168Dispatcher.java
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ public class Jsr168Dispatcher extends GenericPortlet implements StrutsStatics,
             }
         }
         
-        dispatcherUtils = new Dispatcher(null);
+        dispatcherUtils = new Dispatcher(ServletContextHolderListener.getServletContext());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -279,14 +279,13 @@ public class Jsr168Dispatcher extends GenericPortlet implements StrutsStatics,
 
     /**
      * Service an action from the <tt>event</tt> phase.
-     * 
+     *
      * @see javax.portlet.Portlet#processAction(javax.portlet.ActionRequest,
      *      javax.portlet.ActionResponse)
      */
     public void processAction(ActionRequest request, ActionResponse response)
             throws PortletException, IOException {
         LOG.debug("Entering processAction");
-        Dispatcher.setInstance(dispatcherUtils);
         resetActionContext();
         try {
             serviceAction(request, response, getActionMapping(request),
@@ -301,7 +300,7 @@ public class Jsr168Dispatcher extends GenericPortlet implements StrutsStatics,
 
     /**
      * Service an action from the <tt>render</tt> phase.
-     * 
+     *
      * @see javax.portlet.Portlet#render(javax.portlet.RenderRequest,
      *      javax.portlet.RenderResponse)
      */
@@ -333,7 +332,7 @@ public class Jsr168Dispatcher extends GenericPortlet implements StrutsStatics,
     /**
      * Merges all application and portlet attributes into a single
      * <tt>HashMap</tt> to represent the entire <tt>Action</tt> context.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param requestMap a Map of all request attributes.
      * @param parameterMap a Map of all request parameters.
      * @param sessionMap a Map of all session attributes.
@@ -360,11 +359,12 @@ public class Jsr168Dispatcher extends GenericPortlet implements StrutsStatics,
         if (Settings.isSet(StrutsConstants.STRUTS_LOCALE)) {
             locale = LocalizedTextUtil.localeFromString(Settings.get(StrutsConstants.STRUTS_LOCALE), request.getLocale());
         } else {
-            locale = request.getLocale(); 
+            locale = request.getLocale();
         }
         extraContext.put(ActionContext.LOCALE, locale);
 
         extraContext.put(StrutsStatics.STRUTS_PORTLET_CONTEXT, getPortletContext());
+        extraContext.put(ActionContext.DEV_MODE, Boolean.valueOf(Settings.get(StrutsConstants.STRUTS_DEVMODE)));
         extraContext.put(REQUEST, request);
         extraContext.put(RESPONSE, response);
         extraContext.put(PORTLET_CONFIG, portletConfig);
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ public class Jsr168Dispatcher extends GenericPortlet implements StrutsStatics,
      * context from the given parameters then loads an <tt>ActionProxy</tt>
      * from the given action name and namespace. After that, the action is
      * executed and output channels throught the response object.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param request the HttpServletRequest object.
      * @param response the HttpServletResponse object.
      * @param mapping the action mapping.
@@ -407,6 +407,7 @@ public class Jsr168Dispatcher extends GenericPortlet implements StrutsStatics,
             Map sessionMap, Map applicationMap, String portletNamespace,
             Integer phase) throws PortletException {
         LOG.debug("serviceAction");
+        Dispatcher.setInstance(dispatcherUtils);
         HashMap extraContext = createContextMap(requestMap, parameterMap,
                 sessionMap, applicationMap, request, response,
                 getPortletConfig(), phase);