diff -u b/core/includes/theme.inc b/core/includes/theme.inc
--- b/core/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/core/includes/theme.inc
@@ -1707,46 +1707,15 @@
 }
 
 /**
- * Builds a render array for theme_dropbutton().
- */
-function template_preprocess_dropbutton(&$variables) {
-  $variables['attributes']['class'][] = 'dropbutton';
-  $variables['element'] = array(
-    '#theme' => 'links',
-    '#links' => $variables['links'],
-    '#attributes' => $variables['attributes'],
-    '#attached' => array(
-      'library' => array(
-        array('system', 'drupal.dropbutton'),
-      ),
-    ),
-  );
-  if (!empty($variables['links'])) {
-    $variables['element']['#prefix'] = '<div class="dropbutton-wrapper"><div class="dropbutton-widget">';
-    $variables['element']['#suffix'] = '</div></div>';
-  }
-  // Pass through title to the dropbutton options.
-  if (isset($variables['title'])) {
-    $variables['element']['#attached']['js'][] = array(
-      'type' => 'setting',
-      'data' => array('dropbutton' => array('title' => $variables['title'])),
-    );
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Creates a dropbutton menu.
+ * Returns HTML for wrapping a dropbutton menu.
  *
  * @param array $variables
  *   An associative array containing:
- *   - title: (optional) The text placed in the clickable area to activate the
- *     dropbutton. Defaults to 'Open dropbutton'.
- *   - links: An array of links to provide in the dropbutton.
- *   - attributes: (optional) An associative array of HTML attributes to apply
- *     to the dropbutton.
+ *   - element: An associative array containing the properties and children of
+ *     the dropbutton menu. Properties used: #children.
  */
-function theme_dropbutton($variables) {
-  return render($variables['element']);
+function theme_dropbutton_wrapper($variables) {
+  return '<div class="dropbutton-wrapper"><div class="dropbutton-widget">' . $variables['element']['#children'] . '</div></div>';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2947,8 +2916,8 @@
     'links' => array(
       'variables' => array('links' => array(), 'attributes' => array('class' => array('links')), 'heading' => array()),
     ),
-    'dropbutton' => array(
-      'variables' => array('title' => NULL, 'links' => array(), 'attributes' => array()),
+    'dropbutton_wrapper' => array(
+      'render element' => 'element',
     ),
     'image' => array(
       // HTML 4 and XHTML 1.0 always require an alt attribute. The HTML 5 draft
diff -u b/core/modules/node/node.admin.inc b/core/modules/node/node.admin.inc
--- b/core/modules/node/node.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/node/node.admin.inc
@@ -539,9 +539,9 @@
       // Render an unordered list of operations links.
       $options[$node->nid]['operations'] = array(
         'data' => array(
-          '#theme' => 'dropbutton__node_operations',
+          '#type' => 'operations',
+          '#subtype' => 'node',
           '#links' => $operations,
-          '#attributes' => array('class' => array('links', 'inline')),
         ),
       );
     }
diff -u b/core/modules/system/system.module b/core/modules/system/system.module
--- b/core/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.module
@@ -535,6 +535,14 @@
     '#default_tab' => '',
     '#process' => array('form_process_vertical_tabs'),
   );
+  $types['dropbutton'] = array(
+    '#theme' => 'links__dropbutton',
+    '#pre_render' => array('drupal_pre_render_dropbutton'),
+  );
+  $types['operations'] = array(
+    '#theme' => 'links__dropbutton__operations',
+    '#pre_render' => array('drupal_pre_render_dropbutton'),
+  );
 
   $types['container'] = array(
     '#theme_wrappers' => array('container'),
diff -u b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/theme_test/theme_test.module b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/theme_test/theme_test.module
--- b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/theme_test/theme_test.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/theme_test/theme_test.module
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@
   $build['#rows']['long']['created'] = format_interval(3200);
   $build['#rows']['long']['operations'] = array(
     'data' => array(
-      '#theme' => 'dropbutton__node_operations',
+      '#type' => 'operations',
+      '#subtype' => 'node',
       '#links' => array(
         'edit' => array(
           'title' => 'edit',
@@ -206,7 +207,8 @@
   $build['#rows']['one']['created'] = format_interval(12400);
   $build['#rows']['one']['operations'] = array(
     'data' => array(
-      '#theme' => 'dropbutton__node_operations',
+      '#type' => 'operations',
+      '#subtype' => 'node',
       '#links' => array(
         'edit' => array(
           'title' => 'edit',
@@ -221,7 +223,8 @@
   $build['#rows']['view']['created'] = format_interval(12400);
   $build['#rows']['view']['operations'] = array(
     'data' => array(
-      '#theme' => 'dropbutton__node_operations',
+      '#type' => 'operations',
+      '#subtype' => 'node',
       '#links' => array(),
     ),
   );
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -5461,6 +5461,26 @@ function drupal_pre_render_links($element) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Pre-render callback: Attaches the dropbutton library and required markup.
+ */
+function drupal_pre_render_dropbutton($element) {
+  $element['#attached']['library'][] = array('system', 'drupal.dropbutton');
+  $element['#attributes']['class'][] = 'dropbutton';
+  if (!isset($element['#theme_wrappers'])) {
+    $element['#theme_wrappers'] = array();
+  }
+  array_unshift($element['#theme_wrappers'], 'dropbutton_wrapper');
+
+  // Enable targeted theming of specific dropbuttons (e.g., 'operations' or
+  // 'operations__node').
+  if (isset($element['#subtype'])) {
+    $element['#theme'] .= '__' . $element['#subtype'];
+  }
+
+  return $element;
+}
+
+/**
  * Pre-render callback: Appends contents in #markup to #children.
  *
  * This needs to be a #pre_render callback, because eventually assigned