diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb
index d56096818d..b23bb74f88 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
     # Returns the value of the cookie by +name+ -- or nil if no such cookie exist. You set new cookies using either the cookie method
     # or cookies[]= (for simple name/value cookies without options).
     def [](name)
-      @cookies[name].value if @cookies[name]
+      @cookies[name.to_s].value if @cookies[name.to_s]
     end
     
     def []=(name, options)
       if options.is_a?(Hash)
         options.each { |key, value| options[key.to_s] = value }
-        options["name"] = name
+        options["name"] = name.to_s
       else
         options = [ name, options ]
       end
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb
index 41dc3393f1..3f9dafacd6 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class CookieTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     def authenticate_for_fourten_days_with_symbols
-      cookies["user_name"] = { :value => "david", :expires => Time.local(2005, 10, 10) }
+      cookies[:user_name] = { :value => "david", :expires => Time.local(2005, 10, 10) }
       render_text "hello world"
     end