diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/deprecated_assertions.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/deprecated_assertions.rb
index 07adb83695..c7d2eec66c 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/deprecated_assertions.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/assertions/deprecated_assertions.rb
@@ -215,14 +215,14 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
         end
 
         def find_record_in_template(key = nil)
-          assert_template_has(key)
+          assert_not_nil assigns(key)
           record = @response.template_objects[key]
 
           assert_not_nil(record)
           assert_kind_of ActiveRecord::Base, record
 
           return record
-        end      
+        end
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/actionpack/test/activerecord/active_record_assertions_test.rb b/actionpack/test/activerecord/active_record_assertions_test.rb
index 6662d3d10c..9a3c1127a2 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/activerecord/active_record_assertions_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/activerecord/active_record_assertions_test.rb
@@ -50,34 +50,43 @@ class ActiveRecordAssertionsControllerTest < ActiveRecordTestCase
   # test for 1 bad apple column
   def test_some_invalid_columns
     process :nasty_columns_1
-    assert_success
-    assert_invalid_record 'company'
-    assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', 'rating'
-    assert_valid_column_on_record 'company', 'name'
-    assert_valid_column_on_record 'company', %w(name id)
+    assert_response :success
+
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_invalid_record 'company' }
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', 'rating' }
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_valid_column_on_record 'company', 'name' }
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_valid_column_on_record 'company', %w(name id) }
   end
 
   # test for 2 bad apples columns
   def test_all_invalid_columns
     process :nasty_columns_2
-    assert_success
-    assert_invalid_record 'company'
-    assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', 'rating'
-    assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', 'name'
-    assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', %w(name rating)
+    assert_response :success
+
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_invalid_record 'company' }
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', 'rating' }
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', 'name' }
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_invalid_column_on_record 'company', %w(name rating) }
   end
 
   # ensure we have no problems with an ActiveRecord
   def test_valid_record
     process :good_company
-    assert_success
-    assert_valid_record 'company'
+    assert_response :success
+
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_valid_record 'company' }
   end
 
   # ensure we have problems with an ActiveRecord
   def test_invalid_record
     process :bad_company
-    assert_success
-    assert_invalid_record 'company'
+    assert_response :success
+
+    assert_deprecated_assertion { assert_invalid_record 'company' }
   end
+
+  protected
+    def assert_deprecated_assertion(message = nil, &block)
+      assert_deprecated(/assert_.*from test_/, &block)
+    end
 end