diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb
index 78815b7bc4..d56096818d 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/cookies.rb
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
   # itself back -- just the value it holds). Examples for writting:
   #
   #   cookies["user_name"] = "david" # => Will set a simple session cookie
-  #   cookies["login"] = { "value" => "XJ-122", "expires" => Time.now + 360} # => Will set a cookie that expires in 1 hour
+  #   cookies["login"] = { :value => "XJ-122", :expires => Time.now + 360} # => Will set a cookie that expires in 1 hour
   #   
   # Examples for reading:
   #
   #   cookies["user_name"] # => "david"
   #   cookies.size         # => 2
   #
-  # All the options for setting cookies are:
+  # All the option symbols for setting cookies are:
   #
   # value:: the cookie's value or list of values (as an array).
   # path:: the path for which this cookie applies.  Defaults to the root of the application.
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ module ActionController #:nodoc:
     
     def []=(name, options)
       if options.is_a?(Hash)
+        options.each { |key, value| options[key.to_s] = value }
         options["name"] = name
       else
         options = [ name, options ]
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb
index 1bd17c5c2f..41dc3393f1 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/cookie_test.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ class CookieTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       render_text "hello world"
     end
 
+    def authenticate_for_fourten_days_with_symbols
+      cookies["user_name"] = { :value => "david", :expires => Time.local(2005, 10, 10) }
+      render_text "hello world"
+    end
+
     def set_multiple_cookies
       cookies["user_name"] = { "value" => "david", "expires" => Time.local(2005, 10, 10) }
       cookies["login"]     = "XJ-122"
@@ -52,6 +57,11 @@ class CookieTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal [ CGI::Cookie::new("name" => "user_name", "value" => "david", "expires" => Time.local(2005, 10, 10)) ], process_request.headers["cookie"]
   end
 
+  def test_setting_cookie_for_fourteen_days_with_symbols
+    @request.action = "authenticate_for_fourten_days"
+    assert_equal [ CGI::Cookie::new("name" => "user_name", "value" => "david", "expires" => Time.local(2005, 10, 10)) ], process_request.headers["cookie"]
+  end
+
   def test_multiple_cookies
     @request.action = "set_multiple_cookies"
     assert_equal 2, process_request.headers["cookie"].size