diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb
index 4d038c29f2..1bb2ad7f67 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ module ActionDispatch
     end
 
     def call(env)
-      _run_call_callbacks do
+      run_callbacks :call do
         @app.call(env)
       end
     end
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/reloader.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/reloader.rb
index f6ab368ad8..29289a76b4 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/reloader.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/middleware/reloader.rb
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ module ActionDispatch
 
     # Execute all prepare callbacks.
     def self.prepare!
-      new(nil).send(:_run_prepare_callbacks)
+      new(nil).run_callbacks :prepare
     end
 
     # Execute all cleanup callbacks.
     def self.cleanup!
-      new(nil).send(:_run_cleanup_callbacks)
+      new(nil).run_callbacks :cleanup
     end
 
     def initialize(app)
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ module ActionDispatch
     end
 
     def call(env)
-      _run_prepare_callbacks
+      run_callbacks :prepare
       response = @app.call(env)
       response[2].extend(CleanupOnClose)
       response
     rescue Exception
-      _run_cleanup_callbacks
+      run_callbacks :cleanup
       raise
     end
   end
diff --git a/activemodel/README.rdoc b/activemodel/README.rdoc
index f3d4bf8fe3..d9a9bdae3e 100644
--- a/activemodel/README.rdoc
+++ b/activemodel/README.rdoc
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ modules:
       define_model_callbacks :create
 
       def create
-        _run_create_callbacks do
+        run_callbacks :create do
           # Your create action methods here
         end
       end
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/callbacks.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/callbacks.rb
index 7302a869c8..2a1f51a9a7 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/callbacks.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/callbacks.rb
@@ -24,14 +24,11 @@ module ActiveModel
   # you want callbacks on in a block so that the callbacks get a chance to fire:
   #
   #   def create
-  #     _run_create_callbacks do
+  #     run_callbacks :create do
   #       # Your create action methods here
   #     end
   #   end
   #
-  # The _run_<method_name>_callbacks methods are dynamically created when you extend
-  # the <tt>ActiveModel::Callbacks</tt> module.
-  #
   # Then in your class, you can use the +before_create+, +after_create+ and +around_create+
   # methods, just as you would in an Active Record module.
   #
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
index 6cb015a144..cdf23c7b1b 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ module ActiveModel
   protected
 
     def run_validations!
-      _run_validate_callbacks
+      run_callbacks :validate
       errors.empty?
     end
   end
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/callbacks.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/callbacks.rb
index 621518de5b..adc2867ad0 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/callbacks.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/callbacks.rb
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ module ActiveModel
 
       # Overwrite run validations to include callbacks.
       def run_validations!
-        _run_validation_callbacks { super }
+        run_callbacks(:validation) { super }
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/activemodel/test/cases/callbacks_test.rb b/activemodel/test/cases/callbacks_test.rb
index 069d907fb2..086e7266ff 100644
--- a/activemodel/test/cases/callbacks_test.rb
+++ b/activemodel/test/cases/callbacks_test.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class CallbacksTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
     end
 
     def create
-      _run_create_callbacks do
+      run_callbacks :create do
         @callbacks << :create
         @valid
       end
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class CallbacksTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
     def callback1; self.history << 'callback1'; end
     def callback2; self.history << 'callback2'; end
     def create
-      _run_create_callbacks {}
+      run_callbacks(:create) {}
       self
     end
   end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/base.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/base.rb
index 00324b14f2..220d861a27 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/base.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/base.rb
@@ -1400,7 +1400,7 @@ MSG
         self.attributes = attributes unless attributes.nil?
 
         result = yield self if block_given?
-        _run_initialize_callbacks
+        run_callbacks :initialize
         result
       end
 
@@ -1437,8 +1437,8 @@ MSG
         @aggregation_cache = {}
         @readonly = @destroyed = @marked_for_destruction = false
         @new_record = false
-        _run_find_callbacks
-        _run_initialize_callbacks
+        run_callbacks :find
+        run_callbacks :initialize
       end
 
       # Specifies how the record is dumped by +Marshal+.
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/callbacks.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/callbacks.rb
index 47428cfd0f..8f137e3b21 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/callbacks.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/callbacks.rb
@@ -237,25 +237,25 @@ module ActiveRecord
     end
 
     def destroy #:nodoc:
-      _run_destroy_callbacks { super }
+      run_callbacks(:destroy) { super }
     end
 
     def touch(*) #:nodoc:
-      _run_touch_callbacks { super }
+      run_callbacks(:touch) { super }
     end
 
   private
 
     def create_or_update #:nodoc:
-      _run_save_callbacks { super }
+      run_callbacks(:save) { super }
     end
 
     def create #:nodoc:
-      _run_create_callbacks { super }
+      run_callbacks(:create) { super }
     end
 
     def update(*) #:nodoc:
-      _run_update_callbacks { super }
+      run_callbacks(:update) { super }
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb
index cffa2387de..54f70c59f8 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       # calling +checkout+ on this pool.
       def checkin(conn)
         @connection_mutex.synchronize do
-          conn.send(:_run_checkin_callbacks) do
+          conn.run_callbacks :checkin do
             @checked_out.delete conn
             @queue.signal
           end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/transactions.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/transactions.rb
index 48d2f7c9a9..45a4425944 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/transactions.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/transactions.rb
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
     # Call the after_commit callbacks
     def committed! #:nodoc:
-      _run_commit_callbacks
+      run_callbacks :commit
     ensure
       clear_transaction_record_state
     end
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # Call the after rollback callbacks. The restore_state argument indicates if the record
     # state should be rolled back to the beginning or just to the last savepoint.
     def rolledback!(force_restore_state = false) #:nodoc:
-      _run_rollback_callbacks
+      run_callbacks :rollback
     ensure
       restore_transaction_record_state(force_restore_state)
     end
diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/testing/setup_and_teardown.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/testing/setup_and_teardown.rb
index b2d9ddfeb7..22e41fa905 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/testing/setup_and_teardown.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/testing/setup_and_teardown.rb
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ module ActiveSupport
         def run(runner)
           result = '.'
           begin
-            _run_setup_callbacks do
+            run_callbacks :setup do
               result = super
             end
           rescue Exception => e
             result = runner.puke(self.class, method_name, e)
           ensure
             begin
-              _run_teardown_callbacks
+              run_callbacks :teardown
             rescue Exception => e
               result = runner.puke(self.class, method_name, e)
             end
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ module ActiveSupport
 
           begin
             begin
-              _run_setup_callbacks do
+              run_callbacks :setup do
                 setup
                 __send__(@method_name)
                 mocha_verify(mocha_counter) if mocha_counter
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ module ActiveSupport
             ensure
               begin
                 teardown
-                _run_teardown_callbacks
+                run_callbacks :teardown
               rescue Test::Unit::AssertionFailedError => e
                 add_failure(e.message, e.backtrace)
               rescue Exception => e
diff --git a/activesupport/test/callback_inheritance_test.rb b/activesupport/test/callback_inheritance_test.rb
index 8caf000c5d..71249050fc 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/callback_inheritance_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/callback_inheritance_test.rb
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class EmptyParent
   end
 
   def dispatch
-    _run_dispatch_callbacks
+    run_callbacks :dispatch
     self
   end
 end
diff --git a/activesupport/test/callbacks_test.rb b/activesupport/test/callbacks_test.rb
index c89b03e243..cff914f4ae 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/callbacks_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/callbacks_test.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module CallbacksTest
     def after_save1; self.history << :after; end
 
     def save
-      self.send(:_run_save_callbacks) do
+      run_callbacks :save do
         raise 'boom'
       end
     end