Index: includes/ajax.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/ajax.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.36
diff -u -p -r1.36 ajax.inc
--- includes/ajax.inc	6 Oct 2010 23:03:39 -0000	1.36
+++ includes/ajax.inc	20 Oct 2010 18:58:47 -0000
@@ -515,7 +515,26 @@ function ajax_footer() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Add AJAX information about a form element to the page to communicate with JavaScript.
+ * Form element process callback to handle #ajax.
+ *
+ * @param $element
+ *   An associative array containing the properties of the element.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   The processed element.
+ *
+ * @see ajax_pre_render_element()
+ */
+function ajax_process_form($element, &$form_state) {
+  $element = ajax_pre_render_element($element);
+  if (!empty($element['#ajax_processed'])) {
+    $form_state['cache'] = TRUE;
+  }
+  return $element;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Add AJAX information about an element to the page to communicate with JavaScript.
  *
  * If #ajax['path'] is set on an element, this additional JavaScript is added
  * to the page header to attach the AJAX behaviors. See ajax.js for more
@@ -526,15 +545,22 @@ function ajax_footer() {
  *   Properties used:
  *   - #ajax['event']
  *   - #ajax['path']
+ *   - #ajax['options']
  *   - #ajax['wrapper']
  *   - #ajax['parameters']
  *   - #ajax['effect']
  *
  * @return
- *   None. Additional code is added to the header of the page using
- *   drupal_add_js().
+ *   The processed element with the necessary JavaScript attached to it.
  */
-function ajax_process_form($element, &$form_state) {
+function ajax_pre_render_element($element) {
+  // Skip already processed elements.
+  if (isset($element['#ajax_processed'])) {
+    return $element;
+  }
+  // Initialize #ajax_processed, so we do not process this element again.
+  $element['#ajax_processed'] = FALSE;
+
   // Nothing to do if there is neither a callback nor a path.
   if (!(isset($element['#ajax']['callback']) || isset($element['#ajax']['path']))) {
     return $element;
@@ -567,6 +593,10 @@ function ajax_process_form($element, &$f
         $element['#ajax']['event'] = 'change';
         break;
 
+      case 'link':
+        $element['#ajax']['event'] = 'click';
+        break;
+
       default:
         return $element;
     }
@@ -581,6 +611,8 @@ function ajax_process_form($element, &$f
 
     // Assign default settings.
     $settings += array(
+      'path' => 'system/ajax',
+      'options' => array(),
       'selector' => '#' . $element['#id'],
       'effect' => 'none',
       'speed' => 'none',
@@ -593,9 +625,9 @@ function ajax_process_form($element, &$f
       $settings['method'] = 'replaceWith';
     }
 
-    // Change path to url.
-    $settings['url'] = isset($settings['path']) ? url($settings['path']) : url('system/ajax');
-    unset($settings['path']);
+    // Change path to URL.
+    $settings['url'] = url($settings['path'], $settings['options']);
+    unset($settings['path'], $settings['options']);
 
     // Add special data to $settings['submit'] so that when this element
     // triggers an AJAX submission, Drupal's form processing can determine which
@@ -614,7 +646,7 @@ function ajax_process_form($element, &$f
       }
       unset($settings['trigger_as']);
     }
-    else {
+    elseif (isset($element['#name'])) {
       // Most of the time, elements can submit as themselves, in which case the
       // 'trigger_as' key isn't needed, and the element's name is used.
       $settings['submit']['_triggering_element_name'] = $element['#name'];
@@ -645,7 +677,8 @@ function ajax_process_form($element, &$f
       'data' => array('ajax' => array($element['#id'] => $settings)),
     );
 
-    $form_state['cache'] = TRUE;
+    // Indicate that AJAX processing was successful.
+    $element['#ajax_processed'] = TRUE;
   }
   return $element;
 }
Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/common.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.1242
diff -u -p -r1.1242 common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	20 Oct 2010 00:45:39 -0000	1.1242
+++ includes/common.inc	20 Oct 2010 19:32:55 -0000
@@ -5206,10 +5206,44 @@ function drupal_pre_render_conditional_c
  * @return
  *   The passed in elements containing a rendered link in '#markup'.
  */
-function drupal_pre_render_link($elements) {
-  $options = isset($elements['#options']) ? $elements['#options'] : array();
-  $elements['#markup'] = l($elements['#title'], $elements['#href'], $options);
-  return $elements;
+function drupal_pre_render_link($element) {
+  // By default, link options to pass to l() are normally set in #options.
+  $element += array('#options' => array());
+  // However, within the scope of renderable elements, #attributes is a valid
+  // way to specify attributes, too. Take them into account, but do not override
+  // attributes from #options.
+  if (isset($element['#attributes'])) {
+    $element['#options'] += array('attributes' => array());
+    $element['#options']['attributes'] += $element['#attributes'];
+  }
+
+  // This #pre_render callback can be invoked from inside or outside of a Form
+  // API context, and depending on that, a HTML ID may be already set in
+  // different locations. #options should have precedence over Form API's #id.
+  // #attributes have been taken over into #options above already.
+  if (isset($element['#options']['attributes']['id'])) {
+    $element['#id'] = $element['#options']['attributes']['id'];
+  }
+  elseif (isset($element['#id'])) {
+    $element['#options']['attributes']['id'] = $element['#id'];
+  }
+
+  // Conditionally invoke ajax_pre_render_element(), if #ajax is set.
+  if (isset($element['#ajax']) && !isset($element['#ajax_processed'])) {
+    // If no HTML ID was found above, automatically create one.
+    if (!isset($element['#id'])) {
+      $element['#id'] = $element['#options']['attributes']['id'] = drupal_html_id('ajax-link');
+    }
+    // If #ajax['path] was not specified, use the href as AJAX request URL.
+    if (!isset($element['#ajax']['path'])) {
+      $element['#ajax']['path'] = $element['#href'];
+      $element['#ajax']['options'] = $element['#options'];
+    }
+    $element = ajax_pre_render_element($element);
+  }
+
+  $element['#markup'] = l($element['#title'], $element['#href'], $element['#options']);
+  return $element;
 }
 
 /**
Index: includes/theme.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/theme.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.619
diff -u -p -r1.619 theme.inc
--- includes/theme.inc	8 Oct 2010 05:07:53 -0000	1.619
+++ includes/theme.inc	20 Oct 2010 18:30:58 -0000
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ function drupal_theme_initialize() {
   // @see ajax_base_page_theme()
   $setting['ajaxPageState'] = array(
     'theme' => $theme_key,
-    'themeToken' => drupal_get_token($theme_key),
+    'theme_token' => drupal_get_token($theme_key),
   );
   drupal_add_js($setting, 'setting');
 }
Index: misc/ajax.js
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/misc/ajax.js,v
retrieving revision 1.24
diff -u -p -r1.24 ajax.js
--- misc/ajax.js	13 Oct 2010 13:46:50 -0000	1.24
+++ misc/ajax.js	20 Oct 2010 18:30:58 -0000
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ Drupal.ajax = function (base, element, e
         ajax.form.ajaxSubmit(ajax.options);
       }
       else {
+        ajax.beforeSerialize(ajax.element, ajax.options);
         $.ajax(ajax.options);
       }
     }
@@ -216,31 +217,35 @@ Drupal.ajax.prototype.beforeSerialize = 
     var settings = this.settings || Drupal.settings;
     Drupal.detachBehaviors(this.form, settings, 'serialize');
   }
-};
-
-/**
- * Handler for the form redirection submission.
- */
-Drupal.ajax.prototype.beforeSubmit = function (form_values, element, options) {
-  // Disable the element that received the change.
-  $(this.element).addClass('progress-disabled').attr('disabled', true);
 
   // Prevent duplicate HTML ids in the returned markup.
   // @see drupal_html_id()
+  options.data['ajax_html_ids[]'] = [];
   $('[id]').each(function () {
-    form_values.push({ name: 'ajax_html_ids[]', value: this.id });
+    options.data['ajax_html_ids[]'].push(this.id);
   });
 
   // Allow Drupal to return new JavaScript and CSS files to load without
   // returning the ones already loaded.
-  form_values.push({ name: 'ajax_page_state[theme]', value: Drupal.settings.ajaxPageState.theme });
-  form_values.push({ name: 'ajax_page_state[theme_token]', value: Drupal.settings.ajaxPageState.themeToken });
+  // @see ajax_base_page_theme()
+  // @see drupal_get_css()
+  // @see drupal_get_js()
+  options.data['ajax_page_state[theme]'] = Drupal.settings.ajaxPageState.theme;
+  options.data['ajax_page_state[theme_token]'] = Drupal.settings.ajaxPageState.theme_token;
   for (var key in Drupal.settings.ajaxPageState.css) {
-    form_values.push({ name: 'ajax_page_state[css][' + key + ']', value: 1 });
+    options.data['ajax_page_state[css][' + key + ']'] = 1;
   }
   for (var key in Drupal.settings.ajaxPageState.js) {
-    form_values.push({ name: 'ajax_page_state[js][' + key + ']', value: 1 });
+    options.data['ajax_page_state[js][' + key + ']'] = 1;
   }
+};
+
+/**
+ * Handler for the form redirection submission.
+ */
+Drupal.ajax.prototype.beforeSubmit = function (form_values, element, options) {
+  // Disable the element that received the change.
+  $(this.element).addClass('progress-disabled').attr('disabled', true);
 
   // Insert progressbar or throbber.
   if (this.progress.type == 'bar') {
@@ -279,7 +284,7 @@ Drupal.ajax.prototype.success = function
 
   Drupal.freezeHeight();
 
-  for (i in response) {
+  for (var i in response) {
     if (response[i]['command'] && this.commands[response[i]['command']]) {
       this.commands[response[i]['command']](this, response[i], status);
     }
Index: modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test,v
retrieving revision 1.19
diff -u -p -r1.19 ajax.test
--- modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test	4 Oct 2010 17:46:01 -0000	1.19
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test	20 Oct 2010 21:47:31 -0000
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ class AJAXTestCase extends DrupalWebTest
  * Tests primary AJAX framework functions.
  */
 class AJAXFrameworkTestCase extends AJAXTestCase {
+  protected $profile = 'testing';
+
   public static function getInfo() {
     return array(
       'name' => 'AJAX framework',
@@ -84,6 +86,12 @@ class AJAXFrameworkTestCase extends AJAX
       'settings' => array('basePath' => base_path(), 'ajax' => 'test'),
     );
     $this->assertCommand($commands, $expected, t('ajax_render() loads settings added with drupal_add_js().'));
+
+    // Verify that AJAX settings are loaded for #type 'link'.
+    $this->drupalGet('ajax-test/link');
+    $settings = $this->drupalGetSettings();
+    $this->assertEqual($settings['ajax']['ajax-link']['url'], url('filter/tips'));
+    $this->assertEqual($settings['ajax']['ajax-link']['wrapper'], 'block-system-main');
   }
 
   /**
Index: modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_test.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_test.module,v
retrieving revision 1.4
diff -u -p -r1.4 ajax_test.module
--- modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_test.module	4 Oct 2010 17:46:01 -0000	1.4
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_test.module	20 Oct 2010 21:45:09 -0000
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ function ajax_test_menu() {
     'access callback' => TRUE,
     'type' => MENU_CALLBACK,
   );
+  $items['ajax-test/link'] = array(
+    'title' => 'AJAX Link',
+    'page callback' => 'ajax_test_link',
+    'access callback' => TRUE,
+  );
   return $items;
 }
 
@@ -49,3 +54,19 @@ function ajax_test_error() {
   }
   return array('#type' => 'ajax', '#error' => $message);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Menu callback; Renders a #type link with #ajax.
+ */
+function ajax_test_link() {
+  $build['link'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'link',
+    '#title' => 'Show help',
+    '#href' => 'filter/tips',
+    '#ajax' => array(
+      'wrapper' => 'block-system-main',
+    ),
+  );
+  return $build;
+}
+