diff --git a/includes/menu.inc b/includes/menu.inc
index 735f83f73d8..75e4ced08f9 100644
--- a/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/includes/menu.inc
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ function _menu_check_access(&$item, $map) {
  */
 function _menu_item_localize(&$item, $map, $link_translate = FALSE) {
   $callback = $item['title_callback'];
+  $item['localized_options'] = $item['options'];
   // If we are not doing link translation or if the title matches the
   // link title of its router item, localize it.
   if (!$link_translate || (!empty($item['title']) && ($item['title'] == $item['link_title']))) {
@@ -502,7 +503,7 @@ function _menu_item_localize(&$item, $map, $link_translate = FALSE) {
       }
       // Avoid calling check_plain again on l() function.
       if ($callback == 'check_plain') {
-        $item['options']['html'] = TRUE;
+        $item['localized_options']['html'] = TRUE;
       }
     }
   }
@@ -515,7 +516,7 @@ function _menu_item_localize(&$item, $map, $link_translate = FALSE) {
     $original_description = $item['description'];
     $item['description'] = t($item['description']);
     if ($link_translate && $item['options']['attributes']['title'] == $original_description) {
-      $item['options']['attributes']['title'] = $item['description'];
+      $item['localized_options']['attributes']['title'] = $item['description'];
     }
   }
 }
@@ -619,7 +620,7 @@ function menu_tail_to_arg($arg, $map, $index) {
  *   $item['href'] is generated from link_path, possibly by to_arg functions.
  *   $item['title'] is generated from link_title, and may be localized.
  *   $item['options'] is unserialized; it is also changed within the call here 
- *   to _menu_item_localize().
+ *   to $item['localized_options'] by _menu_item_localize().
  */
 function _menu_link_translate(&$item) {
   $item['options'] = unserialize($item['options']);
@@ -1061,11 +1062,11 @@ function _menu_tree_data($result, $parents, $depth, $previous_element = '') {
  * @ingroup themeable
  */
 function theme_menu_item_link($link) {
-  if (empty($link['options'])) {
-    $link['options'] = array();
+  if (empty($link['localized_options'])) {
+    $link['localized_options'] = array();
   }
 
-  return l($link['title'], $link['href'], $link['options']);
+  return l($link['title'], $link['href'], $link['localized_options']);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1216,7 +1217,7 @@ function menu_navigation_links($menu_name, $level = 0) {
   $links = array();
   foreach ($tree as $item) {
     if (!$item['link']['hidden']) {
-      $l = $item['link']['options'];
+      $l = $item['link']['localized_options'];
       $l['href'] = $item['link']['href'];
       $l['title'] = $item['link']['title'];
       // Keyed with unique menu id to generate classes from theme_links().
@@ -1442,7 +1443,7 @@ function menu_set_active_trail($new_trail = NULL) {
   }
   elseif (!isset($trail)) {
     $trail = array();
-    $trail[] = array('title' => t('Home'), 'href' => '<front>', 'options' => array(), 'type' => 0);
+    $trail[] = array('title' => t('Home'), 'href' => '<front>', 'localized_options' => array(), 'type' => 0);
     $item = menu_get_item();
 
     // Check whether the current item is a local task (displayed as a tab).
@@ -1517,7 +1518,7 @@ function menu_get_active_breadcrumb() {
     $active_trail = menu_get_active_trail();
 
     foreach ($active_trail as $parent) {
-      $breadcrumb[] = l($parent['title'], $parent['href'], $parent['options']);
+      $breadcrumb[] = l($parent['title'], $parent['href'], $parent['localized_options']);
     }
     $end = end($active_trail);
 
diff --git a/modules/menu/menu.admin.inc b/modules/menu/menu.admin.inc
index be5cd820fac..185fe78f10b 100644
--- a/modules/menu/menu.admin.inc
+++ b/modules/menu/menu.admin.inc
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ function menu_overview_page() {
   $content = array();
   while ($menu = db_fetch_array($result)) {
     $menu['href'] = 'admin/build/menu-customize/'. $menu['menu_name'];
-    $menu['options'] = array();
+    $menu['localized_options'] = array();
     $content[] = $menu;
   }
   return theme('admin_block_content', $content);
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ function menu_overview_page() {
 function menu_overview_form(&$form_state, $menu) {
   global $menu_admin;
   $sql = "
-    SELECT m.load_functions, m.to_arg_functions, m.access_callback, m.access_arguments, m.page_callback, m.page_arguments, m.title, m.title_callback, m.title_arguments, m.type, ml.*
+    SELECT m.load_functions, m.to_arg_functions, m.access_callback, m.access_arguments, m.page_callback, m.page_arguments, m.title, m.title_callback, m.title_arguments, m.type, m.description, ml.*
     FROM {menu_links} ml LEFT JOIN {menu_router} m ON m.path = ml.router_path
     WHERE ml.menu_name = '%s'
     ORDER BY p1 ASC, p2 ASC, p3 ASC, p4 ASC, p5 ASC, p6 ASC, p7 ASC, p8 ASC, p9 ASC";
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function _menu_overview_tree_form($tree) {
       $mlid = 'mlid:'. $item['mlid'];
       $form[$mlid]['#item'] = $item;
       $form[$mlid]['#attributes'] = $item['hidden'] ? array('class' => 'menu-disabled') : array('class' => 'menu-enabled');
-      $form[$mlid]['title']['#value'] = l($item['title'], $item['href'], $item['options']) . ($item['hidden'] ? ' ('. t('disabled') .')' : '');
+      $form[$mlid]['title']['#value'] = l($item['title'], $item['href'], $item['localized_options']) . ($item['hidden'] ? ' ('. t('disabled') .')' : '');
       $form[$mlid]['hidden'] = array(
         '#type' => 'checkbox',
         '#default_value' => !$item['hidden'],
diff --git a/modules/system/system.admin.inc b/modules/system/system.admin.inc
index d1200a7b5ce..928412531f1 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.admin.inc
+++ b/modules/system/system.admin.inc
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ function system_main_admin_page($arg = NULL) {
       }
       // The link 'description' either derived from the hook_menu 'description'
       // or entered by the user via menu module is saved as the title attribute.
-      if (!empty($item['options']['attributes']['title'])) {
-        $item['description'] = $item['options']['attributes']['title'];
+      if (!empty($item['localized_options']['attributes']['title'])) {
+        $item['description'] = $item['localized_options']['attributes']['title'];
       }
       $block = $item;
       $block['content'] = '';
@@ -1856,18 +1856,14 @@ function theme_admin_block_content($content) {
   if (system_admin_compact_mode()) {
     $output = '<ul class="menu">';
     foreach ($content as $item) {
-      if (empty($item['attributes'])) {
-        $item['attributes'] = array();
-      }
-      $item['attributes'] += array('title' => $item['description']);
-      $output .= '<li class="leaf">'. l($item['title'], $item['href'], $item['options']) .'</li>';
+      $output .= '<li class="leaf">'. l($item['title'], $item['href'], $item['localized_options']) .'</li>';
     }
     $output .= '</ul>';
   }
   else {
     $output = '<dl class="admin-list">';
     foreach ($content as $item) {
-      $output .= '<dt>'. l($item['title'], $item['href'], $item['options']) .'</dt>';
+      $output .= '<dt>'. l($item['title'], $item['href'], $item['localized_options']) .'</dt>';
       $output .= '<dd>'. $item['description'] .'</dd>';
     }
     $output .= '</dl>';
diff --git a/modules/system/system.module b/modules/system/system.module
index a7619c207ca..329cc03e3f0 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/modules/system/system.module
@@ -629,8 +629,8 @@ function system_admin_menu_block($item) {
     }
     // The link 'description' either derived from the hook_menu 'description' or
     // entered by the user via menu module is saved as the title attribute.
-    if (!empty($item['options']['attributes']['title'])) {
-      $item['description'] = $item['options']['attributes']['title'];
+    if (!empty($item['localized_options']['attributes']['title'])) {
+      $item['description'] = $item['localized_options']['attributes']['title'];
     }
     // Prepare for sorting as in function _menu_tree_check_access().
     // The weight is offset so it is always positive, with a uniform 5-digits.