diff --git a/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md b/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md
index b44df1b8a9..1d6d80808b 100644
--- a/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+*   Fix parsing bugs in `XmlMini`
+
+    Symbols or boolean parsing would raise an error for non string values (e.g. 
+    integers). Decimal parsing would fail due to a missing requirement.
+
+    *Birkir A. Barkarson*
+
 *   Maintain the current timezone when calling `wrap_with_time_zone`
 
     Extend the solution from the fix for #12163 to the general case where `Time`
diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/xml_mini.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/xml_mini.rb
index d082a0a499..009ee4db90 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/xml_mini.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/xml_mini.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 require 'time'
 require 'base64'
+require 'bigdecimal'
 require 'active_support/core_ext/module/delegation'
 require 'active_support/core_ext/string/inflections'
+require 'active_support/core_ext/date_time/calculations'
 
 module ActiveSupport
   # = XmlMini
@@ -56,13 +58,13 @@ module ActiveSupport
     # TODO use regexp instead of Date.parse
     unless defined?(PARSING)
       PARSING = {
-        "symbol"       => Proc.new { |symbol|  symbol.to_sym },
+        "symbol"       => Proc.new { |symbol|  symbol.to_s.to_sym },
         "date"         => Proc.new { |date|    ::Date.parse(date) },
         "datetime"     => Proc.new { |time|    Time.xmlschema(time).utc rescue ::DateTime.parse(time).utc },
         "integer"      => Proc.new { |integer| integer.to_i },
         "float"        => Proc.new { |float|   float.to_f },
         "decimal"      => Proc.new { |number|  BigDecimal(number) },
-        "boolean"      => Proc.new { |boolean| %w(1 true).include?(boolean.strip) },
+        "boolean"      => Proc.new { |boolean| %w(1 true).include?(boolean.to_s.strip) },
         "string"       => Proc.new { |string|  string.to_s },
         "yaml"         => Proc.new { |yaml|    YAML::load(yaml) rescue yaml },
         "base64Binary" => Proc.new { |bin|     ::Base64.decode64(bin) },
diff --git a/activesupport/test/xml_mini_test.rb b/activesupport/test/xml_mini_test.rb
index d992028323..753effb54e 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/xml_mini_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/xml_mini_test.rb
@@ -169,4 +169,128 @@ module XmlMiniTest
       end
     end
   end
+
+  class ParsingTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+    def setup
+      @parsing = ActiveSupport::XmlMini::PARSING
+    end
+
+    def test_symbol
+      parser = @parsing['symbol']
+      assert_equal :symbol, parser.call('symbol')
+      assert_equal :symbol, parser.call(:symbol)
+      assert_equal :'123', parser.call(123)
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call(Date.new(2013,11,12,02,11)) }
+    end
+
+    def test_date
+      parser = @parsing['date']
+      assert_equal Date.new(2013,11,12), parser.call("2013-11-12T0211Z")
+      assert_raises(TypeError) { parser.call(1384190018) }
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call("not really a date") }
+    end
+
+    def test_datetime
+      parser = @parsing['datetime']
+      assert_equal Time.new(2013,11,12,02,11,00,0), parser.call("2013-11-12T02:11:00Z")
+      assert_equal DateTime.new(2013,11,12), parser.call("2013-11-12T0211Z")
+      assert_equal DateTime.new(2013,11,12,02,11), parser.call("2013-11-12T02:11Z")
+      assert_equal DateTime.new(2013,11,12,02,11), parser.call("2013-11-12T11:11+9")
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call("1384190018") }
+    end
+
+    def test_integer
+      parser = @parsing['integer']
+      assert_equal 123, parser.call(123)
+      assert_equal 123, parser.call(123.003)
+      assert_equal 123, parser.call("123")
+      assert_equal 0, parser.call("")
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call(Date.new(2013,11,12,02,11)) }
+    end
+
+    def test_float
+      parser = @parsing['float']
+      assert_equal 123, parser.call("123")
+      assert_equal 123.003, parser.call("123.003")
+      assert_equal 123.0, parser.call("123,003")
+      assert_equal 0.0, parser.call("")
+      assert_equal 123, parser.call(123)
+      assert_equal 123.05, parser.call(123.05)
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call(Date.new(2013,11,12,02,11)) }
+    end
+
+    def test_decimal
+      parser = @parsing['decimal']
+      assert_equal 123, parser.call("123")
+      assert_equal 123.003, parser.call("123.003")
+      assert_equal 123.0, parser.call("123,003")
+      assert_equal 0.0, parser.call("")
+      assert_equal 123, parser.call(123)
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call(123.04) }
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call(Date.new(2013,11,12,02,11)) }
+    end
+
+    def test_boolean
+      parser = @parsing['boolean']
+      [1, true, "1"].each do |value|
+        assert parser.call(value)
+      end
+
+      [0, false, "0"].each do |value|
+        assert_not parser.call(value)
+      end
+    end
+
+    def test_string
+      parser = @parsing['string']
+      assert_equal "123", parser.call(123)
+      assert_equal "123", parser.call("123")
+      assert_equal "[]", parser.call("[]")
+      assert_equal "[]", parser.call([])
+      assert_equal "{}", parser.call({})
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError) { parser.call(Date.new(2013,11,12,02,11)) }
+    end
+
+    def test_yaml
+      yaml = <<YAML
+product:
+  - sku         : BL394D
+    quantity    : 4
+    description : Basketball
+YAML
+      expected = {
+        "product"=> [
+          {"sku"=>"BL394D", "quantity"=>4, "description"=>"Basketball"}
+        ]
+      }
+      parser = @parsing['yaml']
+      assert_equal(expected, parser.call(yaml))
+      assert_equal({1 => 'test'}, parser.call({1 => 'test'}))
+      assert_equal({"1 => 'test'"=>nil}, parser.call("{1 => 'test'}"))
+    end
+
+    def test_base64Binary_and_binary
+      base64 = <<BASE64
+TWFuIGlzIGRpc3Rpbmd1aXNoZWQsIG5vdCBvbmx5IGJ5IGhpcyByZWFzb24sIGJ1dCBieSB0aGlz
+IHNpbmd1bGFyIHBhc3Npb24gZnJvbSBvdGhlciBhbmltYWxzLCB3aGljaCBpcyBhIGx1c3Qgb2Yg
+dGhlIG1pbmQsIHRoYXQgYnkgYSBwZXJzZXZlcmFuY2Ugb2YgZGVsaWdodCBpbiB0aGUgY29udGlu
+dWVkIGFuZCBpbmRlZmF0aWdhYmxlIGdlbmVyYXRpb24gb2Yga25vd2xlZGdlLCBleGNlZWRzIHRo
+ZSBzaG9ydCB2ZWhlbWVuY2Ugb2YgYW55IGNhcm5hbCBwbGVhc3VyZS4=
+BASE64
+      expected_base64 = <<EXPECTED
+Man is distinguished, not only by his reason, but by this singular passion from
+other animals, which is a lust of the mind, that by a perseverance of delight
+in the continued and indefatigable generation of knowledge, exceeds the short
+vehemence of any carnal pleasure.
+EXPECTED
+
+      parser = @parsing['base64Binary']
+      assert_equal expected_base64.gsub(/\n/," ").strip, parser.call(base64)
+      parser.call("NON BASE64 INPUT")
+
+      parser = @parsing['binary']
+      assert_equal expected_base64.gsub(/\n/," ").strip, parser.call(base64, 'encoding' => 'base64')
+      assert_equal "IGNORED INPUT", parser.call("IGNORED INPUT", {})
+    end
+  end
 end