diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5eec2f8a..083f62e8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ recommendations of [keepachangelog.com](http://keepachangelog.com/).
 
 ### Fixed
 
-- None
+- [#956](https://github.com/airblade/paper_trail/pull/956) -
+  Fix ActiveRecord >= 5.1 version check 
 
 ## 7.0.1 (2017-04-10)
 
diff --git a/lib/paper_trail/record_trail.rb b/lib/paper_trail/record_trail.rb
index b0f5f97e..a6fa492b 100644
--- a/lib/paper_trail/record_trail.rb
+++ b/lib/paper_trail/record_trail.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 module PaperTrail
   # Represents the "paper trail" for a single record.
   class RecordTrail
-    RAILS_GTE_5_1 = ::ActiveRecord::VERSION::MAJOR >= 5 && ::ActiveRecord::VERSION::MINOR >= 1
+    RAILS_GTE_5_1 = ::ActiveRecord.respond_to?(:gem_version) &&
+      ::ActiveRecord.gem_version >= ::Gem::Version.new("5.1.0.beta1")
 
     def initialize(record)
       @record = record