diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/buffers.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/buffers.rb
index 2372d3c433..361a0dccbe 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/buffers.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/buffers.rb
@@ -8,9 +8,15 @@ module ActionView
     end
 
     def <<(value)
+      return self if value.nil?
       super(value.to_s)
     end
     alias :append= :<<
+
+    def safe_concat(value)
+      return self if value.nil?
+      super(value.to_s)
+    end
     alias :safe_append= :safe_concat
   end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/template/handlers/erb.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/template/handlers/erb.rb
index 5aaafc15c1..52534655eb 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/template/handlers/erb.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/template/handlers/erb.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ module ActionView
 
         def add_text(src, text)
           return if text.empty?
-          src << "@output_buffer.safe_concat('" << escape_text(text) << "');"
+          src << "@output_buffer.safe_append='" << escape_text(text) << "';"
         end
 
         # Erubis toggles <%= and <%== behavior when escaping is enabled.
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ module ActionView
           if code =~ BLOCK_EXPR
             src << '@output_buffer.append= ' << code
           else
-            src << '@output_buffer.append= (' << code << ');'
+            src << '@output_buffer.append=(' << code << ');'
           end
         end
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ module ActionView
           if code =~ BLOCK_EXPR
             src << "@output_buffer.safe_append= " << code
           else
-            src << "@output_buffer.safe_concat((" << code << ").to_s);"
+            src << "@output_buffer.safe_append=(" << code << ");"
           end
         end