diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
index 40dc4b0833..ced3fa1504 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ abstract class Kernel implements KernelInterface, TerminableInterface
         $this->debug = (Boolean) $debug;
         $this->booted = false;
         $this->rootDir = $this->getRootDir();
-        $this->name = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9_]+/', '', basename($this->rootDir));
+        $this->name = $this->getName();
         $this->classes = array();
 
         if ($this->debug) {
@@ -354,6 +354,10 @@ abstract class Kernel implements KernelInterface, TerminableInterface
      */
     public function getName()
     {
+        if (null === $this->name) {
+            $this->name = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9_]+/', '', basename($this->rootDir));
+        }
+
         return $this->name;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelForOverrideName.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelForOverrideName.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..32c05f4ba6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelForOverrideName.php
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Symfony package.
+ *
+ * (c) Fabien Potencier <fabien@symfony.com>
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Tests\Fixtures;
+
+use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Kernel;
+use Symfony\Component\Config\Loader\LoaderInterface;
+
+class KernelForOverrideName extends Kernel
+{
+    protected $name = 'overridden';
+
+    public function registerBundles()
+    {
+
+    }
+
+    public function registerContainerConfiguration(LoaderInterface $loader)
+    {
+
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
index 86cec9fabc..0def224354 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernelInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Tests\Fixtures\KernelForTest;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Tests\Fixtures\KernelForOverrideName;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Tests\Fixtures\FooBarBundle;
 
 class KernelTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
@@ -310,6 +311,13 @@ EOF;
         $this->assertEquals('Fixtures', $kernel->getName());
     }
 
+    public function testOverrideGetName()
+    {
+        $kernel = new KernelForOverrideName('test', true);
+
+        $this->assertEquals('overridden', $kernel->getName());
+    }
+
     public function testSerialize()
     {
         $env = 'test_env';