diff --git a/lib/base_controller.js b/lib/base_controller.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/base_controller.js
+++ b/lib/base_controller.js
@@ -629,6 +629,14 @@ controller.BaseController.prototype = new (function () {
       callback(content);
     });
 
+    // Mix in controller instance-vars -- don't overwrite
+    // data properties, and don't use inherited props
+    for (var p in this) {
+      if (this.hasOwnProperty(p) && !data[p]) {
+        data[p] = this[p];
+      }
+    };
+
     templater.render(data, {
         layout: this.layout
       , template: this.template
Mix controller instance-vars into view-data