diff --git a/actionpack/CHANGELOG b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
index 9187bd6128..5906ab1f16 100644
--- a/actionpack/CHANGELOG
+++ b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 *2.3.0 [Edge]*
 
+* Make ActionController#render(string) work as a shortcut for render :file => string. [#1435] [Pratik Naik] Examples:
+
+  # Instead of render(:file => '/Users/lifo/home.html.erb')
+  render('/Users/lifo/home.html.erb')
+
+  Note : Filename must begin with a forward slash ('/')
+
 * Add :prompt option to date/time select helpers. #561 [Sam Oliver]
 
 * Fixed that send_file shouldn't set an etag #1578 [Hongli Lai]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
index 552075025f..9bf044b6c0 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
@@ -865,6 +865,13 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
           return render(:file => default_template, :layout => true)
         elsif options == :update
           options = extra_options.merge({ :update => true })
+        elsif options.is_a?(String)
+          case options.index('/')
+          when 0
+            extra_options[:file] = options
+          end
+
+          options = extra_options
         end
 
         layout = pick_layout(options)
@@ -1183,7 +1190,7 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
       end
 
       def validate_render_arguments(options, extra_options)
-        if options && options != :update && !options.is_a?(Hash)
+        if options && options != :update && !options.is_a?(String) && !options.is_a?(Hash)
           raise RenderError, "You called render with invalid options : #{options.inspect}"
         end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/render_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/render_test.rb
index 57827aaab7..f2393e695a 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/render_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/render_test.rb
@@ -104,6 +104,12 @@ class TestController < ActionController::Base
     render :file => path
   end
 
+  def render_file_as_string_with_instance_variables
+    @secret = 'in the sauce'
+    path = File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../fixtures/test/render_file_with_ivar.erb'))
+    render path
+  end
+
   def render_file_not_using_full_path
     @secret = 'in the sauce'
     render :file => 'test/render_file_with_ivar'
@@ -124,6 +130,11 @@ class TestController < ActionController::Base
     render :file => path, :locals => {:secret => 'in the sauce'}
   end
 
+  def render_file_as_string_with_locals
+    path = File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../fixtures/test/render_file_with_locals.erb'))
+    render path, :locals => {:secret => 'in the sauce'}
+  end
+
   def accessing_request_in_template
     render :inline =>  "Hello: <%= request.host %>"
   end
@@ -182,10 +193,6 @@ class TestController < ActionController::Base
     render :text => "appended"
   end
 
-  def render_invalid_args
-    render("test/hello")
-  end
-
   def render_vanilla_js_hello
     render :js => "alert('hello')"
   end
@@ -751,6 +758,11 @@ class RenderTest < ActionController::TestCase
     assert_equal "The secret is in the sauce\n", @response.body
   end
 
+  def test_render_file_as_string_with_instance_variables
+    get :render_file_as_string_with_instance_variables
+    assert_equal "The secret is in the sauce\n", @response.body
+  end
+
   def test_render_file_not_using_full_path
     get :render_file_not_using_full_path
     assert_equal "The secret is in the sauce\n", @response.body
@@ -766,6 +778,11 @@ class RenderTest < ActionController::TestCase
     assert_equal "The secret is in the sauce\n", @response.body
   end
 
+  def test_render_file_as_string_with_locals
+    get :render_file_as_string_with_locals
+    assert_equal "The secret is in the sauce\n", @response.body
+  end
+
   def test_render_file_from_template
     get :render_file_from_template
     assert_equal "The secret is in the sauce\n", @response.body
@@ -831,10 +848,6 @@ class RenderTest < ActionController::TestCase
     assert_equal 'appended', @response.body
   end
 
-  def test_attempt_to_render_with_invalid_arguments
-    assert_raises(ActionController::RenderError) { get :render_invalid_args }
-  end
-
   def test_attempt_to_access_object_method
     assert_raises(ActionController::UnknownAction, "No action responded to [clone]") { get :clone }
   end