diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
index b44ab26a73..958821add6 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb
@@ -1097,7 +1097,8 @@ module ActiveRecord
       #   alongside this object by calling their +destroy+ method. If set to <tt>:delete_all</tt> all associated
       #   objects are deleted *without* calling their +destroy+ method. If set to <tt>:nullify</tt> all associated
       #   objects' foreign keys are set to +NULL+ *without* calling their +save+ callbacks. If set to
-      #   <tt>:restrict</tt> this object cannot be deleted if it has any associated objects.
+      #   <tt>:restrict</tt> an error will be added to the object, preventing its deletion, if any associated 
+      #   objects are present.
       #
       #   If using with the <tt>:through</tt> option, the association on the join model must be
       #   a +belongs_to+, and the records which get deleted are the join records, rather than
@@ -1250,7 +1251,8 @@ module ActiveRecord
       #   If set to <tt>:destroy</tt>, the associated object is destroyed when this object is. If set to
       #   <tt>:delete</tt>, the associated object is deleted *without* calling its destroy method.
       #   If set to <tt>:nullify</tt>, the associated object's foreign key is set to +NULL+.
-      #   If set to <tt>:restrict</tt>, this object cannot be deleted if it has any associated object.
+      #   If set to <tt>:restrict</tt>, an error will be added to the object, preventing its deletion, if an
+      #   associated object is present.
       # [:foreign_key]
       #   Specify the foreign key used for the association. By default this is guessed to be the name
       #   of this class in lower-case and "_id" suffixed. So a Person class that makes a +has_one+ association
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/association.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/association.rb
index 45d3f37089..ba2fcf5ed7 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/association.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/association.rb
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ module ActiveRecord::Associations::Builder
             if dependent_restrict_raises?
               raise ActiveRecord::DeleteRestrictionError.new(name)
             else
-              errors.add(:base, :restrict_dependent_destroy, :model => name)
+              errors.add(:base, :restrict_dependent_destroy, :model => name.to_s.singularize)
               return false
             end
           end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/locale/en.yml b/activerecord/lib/active_record/locale/en.yml
index 88edabfd41..8892f7ef2f 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/locale/en.yml
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/locale/en.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ en:
       messages:
         taken: "has already been taken"
         record_invalid: "Validation failed: %{errors}"
-        restrict_dependent_destroy: "Cannot delete record because dependent %{model} exist"
+        restrict_dependent_destroy: "Cannot delete record because dependent %{model} exists"
         # Append your own errors here or at the model/attributes scope.
 
       # You can define own errors for models or model attributes.
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb
index a710900054..8c7956406a 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb
@@ -1170,7 +1170,7 @@ class HasManyAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
 
     assert !firm.errors.empty?
 
-    assert_equal "Cannot delete record because dependent companies exist", firm.errors[:base].first
+    assert_equal "Cannot delete record because dependent company exists", firm.errors[:base].first
     assert RestrictedFirm.exists?(:name => 'restrict')
     assert firm.companies.exists?(:name => 'child')
   ensure
@@ -1676,20 +1676,9 @@ class HasManyAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_building_has_many_association_with_restrict_dependency
-    assert_deprecated do
-      class_eval <<-EOF
-        class RestrictedFirm < ActiveRecord::Base
-          has_many :companies, :dependent => :restrict
-        end
-      EOF
-    end
-
-    assert_not_deprecated do
-      class_eval <<-EOF
-        class Firm < ActiveRecord::Base
-          has_many :companies
-        end
-      EOF
-    end
+    klass = Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base)
+    
+    assert_deprecated     { klass.has_many :companies, :dependent => :restrict }  
+    assert_not_deprecated { klass.has_many :companies }
   end
 end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_one_associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_one_associations_test.rb
index a17f33c8df..7c6736fb95 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_one_associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_one_associations_test.rb
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class HasOneAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
     firm.destroy
 
     assert !firm.errors.empty?
-    assert_equal "Cannot delete record because dependent account exist", firm.errors[:base].first
+    assert_equal "Cannot delete record because dependent account exists", firm.errors[:base].first
     assert RestrictedFirm.exists?(:name => 'restrict')
     assert firm.account.present?
   ensure
@@ -484,20 +484,9 @@ class HasOneAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_building_has_one_association_with_dependent_restrict
-    assert_deprecated do
-      class_eval <<-EOF
-        class RestrictedFirm < ActiveRecord::Base
-          has_one :account, :dependent => :restrict
-        end
-      EOF
-    end
-
-    assert_not_deprecated do
-      class_eval <<-EOF
-        class Firm < ActiveRecord::Base
-          has_one :account
-        end
-      EOF
-    end
+    klass = Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base)
+    
+    assert_deprecated     { klass.has_one :account, :dependent => :restrict }
+    assert_not_deprecated { klass.has_one :account }
   end
 end