diff --git a/lib/arel/crud.rb b/lib/arel/crud.rb
index 2bf5f85823..ac5f70673b 100644
--- a/lib/arel/crud.rb
+++ b/lib/arel/crud.rb
@@ -6,22 +6,21 @@ module Arel
     def update values
       um = UpdateManager.new @engine
 
-      if String === values
-        values = SqlLiteral.new values
+      if Nodes::SqlLiteral === values
         um.table @ctx.froms.last
       else
         um.table values.first.first.relation
       end
       um.set values
       um.wheres = @ctx.wheres
-      @engine.connection.execute um.to_sql
+      @engine.connection.update um.to_sql, 'AREL'
     end
 
     # FIXME: this method should go away
     def insert values
       im = InsertManager.new @engine
       im.insert values
-      @engine.connection.execute im.to_sql
+      @engine.connection.insert im.to_sql
     end
 
     def delete
diff --git a/spec/arel/crud_spec.rb b/spec/arel/crud_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca1b92a041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/arel/crud_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+module Arel
+  class FakeCrudder < SelectManager
+    class FakeEngine
+      attr_reader :calls
+
+      def initialize
+        @calls = []
+      end
+
+      def connection; self end
+
+      def method_missing name, *args
+        @calls << [name, args]
+      end
+    end
+
+    include Crud
+
+    attr_reader :engine
+    attr_accessor :ctx
+
+    def initialize engine = FakeEngine.new
+      super
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'crud' do
+    describe 'insert' do
+      it 'should call insert on the connection' do
+        table = Table.new :users
+        fc = FakeCrudder.new
+        fc.insert [[table[:id], 'foo']]
+        fc.engine.calls.find { |method, _|
+          method == :insert
+        }.should_not be_nil
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe 'update' do
+      it 'should call update on the connection' do
+        table = Table.new :users
+        fc = FakeCrudder.new
+        fc.from table
+        fc.update [[table[:id], 'foo']]
+        fc.engine.calls.find { |method, _|
+          method == :update
+        }.should_not be_nil
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/arel/select_manager_spec.rb b/spec/arel/select_manager_spec.rb
index c29754cb55..b6e09ea65e 100644
--- a/spec/arel/select_manager_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/arel/select_manager_spec.rb
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ module Arel
     def quote_column_name thing; @engine.connection.quote_column_name thing end
     def quote thing, column; @engine.connection.quote thing, column end
 
-    def execute sql
+    def execute sql, name = nil
       @executed << sql
     end
+    alias :update :execute
   end
 
   describe 'select manager' do