diff --git a/rest_framework/compat.py b/rest_framework/compat.py
index 0de7525b8..5fc6c6865 100644
--- a/rest_framework/compat.py
+++ b/rest_framework/compat.py
@@ -10,46 +10,17 @@ except ImportError:
     import StringIO
 
 
-# django.views.generic.View (Django >= 1.3)
-try:
+# First implementation of Django class-based views did not include head method
+# in base View class - https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/15668
+if django.VERSION >= (1, 4):
     from django.views.generic import View
-    if not hasattr(View, 'head'):
-        # First implementation of Django class-based views did not include head method
-        # in base View class - https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/15668
-        class ViewPlusHead(View):
-            def head(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
-                return self.get(request, *args, **kwargs)
-        View = ViewPlusHead
-
-except ImportError:
-    from django import http
+else:
+    from django.views.generic import View as _View
+    from django.utils.decorators import classonlymethod
     from django.utils.functional import update_wrapper
-    # from django.utils.log import getLogger
-    # from django.utils.decorators import classonlymethod
 
-    # logger = getLogger('django.request') - We'll just drop support for logger if running Django <= 1.2
-    # Might be nice to fix this up sometime to allow rest_framework.compat.View to match 1.3's View more closely
-
-    class View(object):
-        """
-        Intentionally simple parent class for all views. Only implements
-        dispatch-by-method and simple sanity checking.
-        """
-
-        http_method_names = ['get', 'post', 'put', 'delete', 'head', 'options', 'trace']
-
-        def __init__(self, **kwargs):
-            """
-            Constructor. Called in the URLconf; can contain helpful extra
-            keyword arguments, and other things.
-            """
-            # Go through keyword arguments, and either save their values to our
-            # instance, or raise an error.
-            for key, value in kwargs.iteritems():
-                setattr(self, key, value)
-
-        # @classonlymethod - We'll just us classmethod instead if running Django <= 1.2
-        @classmethod
+    class View(_View):
+        @classonlymethod
         def as_view(cls, **initkwargs):
             """
             Main entry point for a request-response process.
@@ -66,6 +37,8 @@ except ImportError:
 
             def view(request, *args, **kwargs):
                 self = cls(**initkwargs)
+                if hasattr(self, 'get') and not hasattr(self, 'head'):
+                    self.head = self.get
                 return self.dispatch(request, *args, **kwargs)
 
             # take name and docstring from class
@@ -76,32 +49,6 @@ except ImportError:
             update_wrapper(view, cls.dispatch, assigned=())
             return view
 
-        def dispatch(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
-            # Try to dispatch to the right method; if a method doesn't exist,
-            # defer to the error handler. Also defer to the error handler if the
-            # request method isn't on the approved list.
-            if request.method.lower() in self.http_method_names:
-                handler = getattr(self, request.method.lower(), self.http_method_not_allowed)
-            else:
-                handler = self.http_method_not_allowed
-            self.request = request
-            self.args = args
-            self.kwargs = kwargs
-            return handler(request, *args, **kwargs)
-
-        def http_method_not_allowed(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
-            allowed_methods = [m for m in self.http_method_names if hasattr(self, m)]
-            #logger.warning('Method Not Allowed (%s): %s' % (request.method, request.path),
-            #    extra={
-            #        'status_code': 405,
-            #        'request': self.request
-            #    }
-            #)
-            return http.HttpResponseNotAllowed(allowed_methods)
-
-        def head(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
-            return self.get(request, *args, **kwargs)
-
 # PUT, DELETE do not require CSRF until 1.4.  They should.  Make it better.
 if django.VERSION >= (1, 4):
     from django.middleware.csrf import CsrfViewMiddleware