diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Controller/ControllerResolver.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Controller/ControllerResolver.php
index bbe7746734..047ade1062 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Controller/ControllerResolver.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Controller/ControllerResolver.php
@@ -76,13 +76,13 @@ class ControllerResolver implements ControllerResolverInterface
             }
         }
 
-        list($controller, $method) = $this->createController($controller);
+        $callable = $this->createController($controller);
 
-        if (!method_exists($controller, $method)) {
-            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('Method "%s::%s" does not exist.', get_class($controller), $method));
+        if (!is_callable($callable)) {
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('The controller for URI "%s" is not callable.', $request->getPathInfo()));
         }
 
-        return array($controller, $method);
+        return $callable;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Controller/ControllerResolverTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Controller/ControllerResolverTest.php
index c19af8216d..aa401f44d6 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Controller/ControllerResolverTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Controller/ControllerResolverTest.php
@@ -150,6 +150,16 @@ class ControllerResolverTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertEquals(array($request), $resolver->getArguments($request, $controller), '->getArguments() injects the request');
     }
 
+    public function testCreateControllerCanReturnAnyCallable()
+    {
+        $mock = $this->getMock('Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Controller\ControllerResolver', array('createController'));
+        $mock->expects($this->once())->method('createController')->will($this->returnValue('Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Tests\some_controller_function'));
+
+        $request = Request::create('/');
+        $request->attributes->set('_controller', 'foobar');
+        $mock->getController($request);
+    }
+
     public function __invoke($foo, $bar = null)
     {
     }