diff --git a/template-subtheme.php b/template-subtheme.php
index c5f225bdf2ee25b3be49f64a617b06a5df65a5d0..dbd9198b82453f74ffd1a457265cd8bc2ff2e6c7 100644
--- a/template-subtheme.php
+++ b/template-subtheme.php
@@ -108,10 +108,32 @@ function _zen_default($hook, $variables, $suggestions = array(), $extension = '.
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * To allow themes to have their own template files, we have to override
+ * _phptemplate_default() by dynamically defining _phptemplate_HOOK().
+ */
+function _zen_hook($hook) {
+  if (!function_exists("_phptemplate_$hook")) {
+  	// Only create a function if $hook contains letters and underscores.
+  	if (!preg_match('/\W/', $hook)) {
+      $declaration = <<<EOD
+        function _phptemplate_$hook(\$vars, \$suggestions = array()) {
+          return _zen_default('$hook', \$vars, \$suggestions);
+        }
+EOD;
+      eval($declaration);
+    }
+    else {
+      // Since we can't create an override function, we simply add a template
+      // suggestion that contains the sub-theme directory.
+  	  $vars['template_file'] = "$theme_key/$hook";
+  	}
+  }
+}
+
 /*
- * Rather than let _phptemplate_variables() dynamically, and slowly, define
- * override functions for functions we will definitely need, we define them
- * explicitly here.
+ * Rather than let _zen_hook() dynamically, and slowly, define override
+ * functions for functions we will definitely need, we define them explicitly.
  */
 function _phptemplate_page($vars, $suggestions) {
   return _zen_default('page', $vars, $suggestions);
diff --git a/template.php b/template.php
index 9be62ff864763b9c6812e85791b6c68e4a6dd8dd..aeaf1169dceca79de268528cb8ee4223256f2e24 100644
--- a/template.php
+++ b/template.php
@@ -321,32 +321,14 @@ function _phptemplate_variables($hook, $vars = array()) {
       break;
   }
 
-  /* To override _phptemplate_default(), we need to dynamically define a
-   * _phptemplate_HOOK() function.
-   */
-  if (!function_exists("_phptemplate_$hook")) {
-  	// Only create a function if $hook contains letters and underscores.
-  	if (!preg_match('/\W/', $hook)) {
-      $declaration = <<<EOD
-        function _phptemplate_$hook(\$vars, \$suggestions = array()) {
-          return _zen_default('$hook', \$vars, \$suggestions);
-        }
-EOD;
-      eval($declaration);
-    }
-    else {
-      // Since we can't create an override function, we simply add a template
-      // suggestion that contains the sub-theme directory.
-  	  $vars['template_file'] = "$theme_key/$hook";
-  	}
-  }
-
   // The following is a deprecated function included for backwards compatibility
   // with Zen 5.x-0.8 and earlier. New sub-themes should not use this function.
   if (function_exists('zen_variables')) {
     $vars = zen_variables($hook, $vars);
   }
 
+  _zen_hook($hook); // Add support for sub-theme template files
+
   return $vars;
 }