diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
index 9523b7a3ca997..b8c4e177ee3b9 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
@@ -466,6 +466,17 @@ protected function initializeBundles()
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The extension point similar to the Bundle::build() method.
+     *
+     * Use this method to register compiler passes and manipulate the container during the building process.
+     *
+     * @param ContainerBuilder $container
+     */
+    protected function build(ContainerBuilder $container)
+    {
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets the container class.
      *
@@ -625,10 +636,13 @@ protected function prepareContainer(ContainerBuilder $container)
                 $container->addObjectResource($bundle);
             }
         }
+
         foreach ($this->bundles as $bundle) {
             $bundle->build($container);
         }
 
+        $this->build($container);
+
         // ensure these extensions are implicitly loaded
         $container->getCompilerPassConfig()->setMergePass(new MergeExtensionConfigurationPass($extensions));
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelWithoutBundles.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelWithoutBundles.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..cee1b09fb2253
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelWithoutBundles.php
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?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\Config\Loader\LoaderInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Kernel;
+
+class KernelWithoutBundles extends Kernel
+{
+    public function registerBundles()
+    {
+        return array();
+    }
+
+    public function registerContainerConfiguration(LoaderInterface $loader)
+    {
+    }
+
+    protected function build(ContainerBuilder $container)
+    {
+        $container->setParameter('test_executed', true);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
index e7b4bc98593ac..7e77903c5de4c 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 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\KernelWithoutBundles;
 
 class KernelTest extends TestCase
 {
@@ -725,6 +726,14 @@ public function testTerminateDelegatesTerminationOnlyForTerminableInterface()
         $kernel->terminate(Request::create('/'), new Response());
     }
 
+    public function testKernelWithoutBundles()
+    {
+        $kernel = new KernelWithoutBundles('test', true);
+        $kernel->boot();
+
+        $this->assertTrue($kernel->getContainer()->getParameter('test_executed'));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns a mock for the BundleInterface.
      *