diff --git a/rest_framework/compat.py b/rest_framework/compat.py
index 69fdd7936..ba26a3cd7 100644
--- a/rest_framework/compat.py
+++ b/rest_framework/compat.py
@@ -50,6 +50,16 @@ except ImportError:
     from django.http import HttpResponse as HttpResponseBase
 
 
+# request only provides `resolver_match` from 1.5 onwards.
+def get_resolver_match(request):
+    try:
+        return request.resolver_match
+    except AttributeError:
+        # Django < 1.5
+        from django.core.urlresolvers import resolve
+        return resolve(request.path_info)
+
+
 # django-filter is optional
 try:
     import django_filters
diff --git a/rest_framework/routers.py b/rest_framework/routers.py
index 1cb65b1c0..61f3ccab0 100644
--- a/rest_framework/routers.py
+++ b/rest_framework/routers.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from django.conf.urls import patterns, url
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.core.urlresolvers import NoReverseMatch
 from rest_framework import views
-from rest_framework.compat import OrderedDict
+from rest_framework.compat import get_resolver_match, OrderedDict
 from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.reverse import reverse
 from rest_framework.urlpatterns import format_suffix_patterns
@@ -292,7 +292,10 @@ class DefaultRouter(SimpleRouter):
 
             def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
                 ret = OrderedDict()
+                namespace = get_resolver_match(request).namespace
                 for key, url_name in api_root_dict.items():
+                    if namespace:
+                        url_name = namespace + ':' + url_name
                     try:
                         ret[key] = reverse(
                             url_name,
diff --git a/tests/test_routers.py b/tests/test_routers.py
index fc22a8d95..86113f5d7 100644
--- a/tests/test_routers.py
+++ b/tests/test_routers.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
-from django.conf.urls import patterns, url, include
+from django.conf.urls import url, include
 from django.db import models
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
@@ -12,7 +12,42 @@ from collections import namedtuple
 
 factory = APIRequestFactory()
 
-urlpatterns = patterns('',)
+
+class RouterTestModel(models.Model):
+    uuid = models.CharField(max_length=20)
+    text = models.CharField(max_length=200)
+
+
+class NoteSerializer(serializers.HyperlinkedModelSerializer):
+    url = serializers.HyperlinkedIdentityField(view_name='routertestmodel-detail', lookup_field='uuid')
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = RouterTestModel
+        fields = ('url', 'uuid', 'text')
+
+
+class NoteViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
+    queryset = RouterTestModel.objects.all()
+    serializer_class = NoteSerializer
+    lookup_field = 'uuid'
+
+
+class MockViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
+    queryset = None
+    serializer_class = None
+
+
+notes_router = SimpleRouter()
+notes_router.register(r'notes', NoteViewSet)
+
+namespaced_router = DefaultRouter()
+namespaced_router.register(r'example', MockViewSet, base_name='example')
+
+urlpatterns = [
+    url(r'^non-namespaced/', include(namespaced_router.urls)),
+    url(r'^namespaced/', include(namespaced_router.urls, namespace='example')),
+    url(r'^example/', include(notes_router.urls)),
+]
 
 
 class BasicViewSet(viewsets.ViewSet):
@@ -64,9 +99,26 @@ class TestSimpleRouter(TestCase):
                 self.assertEqual(route.mapping[method], endpoint)
 
 
-class RouterTestModel(models.Model):
-    uuid = models.CharField(max_length=20)
-    text = models.CharField(max_length=200)
+class TestRootView(TestCase):
+    urls = 'tests.test_routers'
+
+    def test_retrieve_namespaced_root(self):
+        response = self.client.get('/namespaced/')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            response.data,
+            {
+                "example": "http://testserver/namespaced/example/",
+            }
+        )
+
+    def test_retrieve_non_namespaced_root(self):
+        response = self.client.get('/non-namespaced/')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            response.data,
+            {
+                "example": "http://testserver/non-namespaced/example/",
+            }
+        )
 
 
 class TestCustomLookupFields(TestCase):
@@ -76,51 +128,29 @@ class TestCustomLookupFields(TestCase):
     urls = 'tests.test_routers'
 
     def setUp(self):
-        class NoteSerializer(serializers.HyperlinkedModelSerializer):
-            url = serializers.HyperlinkedIdentityField(view_name='routertestmodel-detail', lookup_field='uuid')
-
-            class Meta:
-                model = RouterTestModel
-                fields = ('url', 'uuid', 'text')
-
-        class NoteViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
-            queryset = RouterTestModel.objects.all()
-            serializer_class = NoteSerializer
-            lookup_field = 'uuid'
-
-        self.router = SimpleRouter()
-        self.router.register(r'notes', NoteViewSet)
-
-        from tests import test_routers
-        urls = getattr(test_routers, 'urlpatterns')
-        urls += patterns(
-            '',
-            url(r'^', include(self.router.urls)),
-        )
-
         RouterTestModel.objects.create(uuid='123', text='foo bar')
 
     def test_custom_lookup_field_route(self):
-        detail_route = self.router.urls[-1]
+        detail_route = notes_router.urls[-1]
         detail_url_pattern = detail_route.regex.pattern
         self.assertIn('<uuid>', detail_url_pattern)
 
     def test_retrieve_lookup_field_list_view(self):
-        response = self.client.get('/notes/')
+        response = self.client.get('/example/notes/')
         self.assertEqual(
             response.data,
             [{
-                "url": "http://testserver/notes/123/",
+                "url": "http://testserver/example/notes/123/",
                 "uuid": "123", "text": "foo bar"
             }]
         )
 
     def test_retrieve_lookup_field_detail_view(self):
-        response = self.client.get('/notes/123/')
+        response = self.client.get('/example/notes/123/')
         self.assertEqual(
             response.data,
             {
-                "url": "http://testserver/notes/123/",
+                "url": "http://testserver/example/notes/123/",
                 "uuid": "123", "text": "foo bar"
             }
         )