diff --git a/hugolib/site.go b/hugolib/site.go
index 0a1e2090e..a4804de95 100644
--- a/hugolib/site.go
+++ b/hugolib/site.go
@@ -1314,7 +1314,9 @@ func (s *Site) RenderHomePage() error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// TODO(bep) reusing the Home Node smells trouble
 	n.URL = helpers.URLize("404.html")
+	n.IsHome = false
 	n.Title = "404 Page not found"
 	n.Permalink = s.permalink("404.html")
 
diff --git a/hugolib/site_test.go b/hugolib/site_test.go
index 5acff8c2a..6ee9287cf 100644
--- a/hugolib/site_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/site_test.go
@@ -398,9 +398,9 @@ func doTest404ShouldAlwaysHaveUglyUrls(t *testing.T, uglyURLs bool) {
 	s.initializeSiteInfo()
 	templatePrep(s)
 
-	must(s.addTemplate("index.html", "Home Sweet Home"))
-	must(s.addTemplate("_default/single.html", "{{.Content}}"))
-	must(s.addTemplate("404.html", "Page Not Found"))
+	must(s.addTemplate("index.html", "Home Sweet Home. IsHome={{ .IsHome  }}"))
+	must(s.addTemplate("_default/single.html", "{{.Content}} IsHome={{ .IsHome  }}"))
+	must(s.addTemplate("404.html", "Page Not Found. IsHome={{ .IsHome  }}"))
 
 	// make sure the XML files also end up with ugly urls
 	must(s.addTemplate("rss.xml", "<root>RSS</root>"))
@@ -421,9 +421,9 @@ func doTest404ShouldAlwaysHaveUglyUrls(t *testing.T, uglyURLs bool) {
 		doc      string
 		expected string
 	}{
-		{filepath.FromSlash("index.html"), "Home Sweet Home"},
-		{filepath.FromSlash(expectedPagePath), "\n\n<h1 id=\"title:5d74edbb89ef198cd37882b687940cda\">title</h1>\n\n<p>some <em>content</em></p>\n"},
-		{filepath.FromSlash("404.html"), "Page Not Found"},
+		{filepath.FromSlash("index.html"), "Home Sweet Home. IsHome=true"},
+		{filepath.FromSlash(expectedPagePath), "\n\n<h1 id=\"title:5d74edbb89ef198cd37882b687940cda\">title</h1>\n\n<p>some <em>content</em></p>\n IsHome=false"},
+		{filepath.FromSlash("404.html"), "Page Not Found. IsHome=false"},
 		{filepath.FromSlash("index.xml"), "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"yes\" ?>\n<root>RSS</root>"},
 		{filepath.FromSlash("sitemap.xml"), "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"yes\" ?>\n<root>SITEMAP</root>"},
 	}