diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 4e95843439..d0bd96a5e8 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Sun Jul 26 18:30:02 2009  Nobuyoshi Nakada  <nobu@ruby-lang.org>
+
+	* vm_insnhelper.c (vm_call_method): __send__ can call protected
+	  methods.  [ruby-core:24500]
+
 Sun Jul 26 01:09:14 2009  Alexander Zavorine  <alexandre.zavorine@nokia.com>
 
 	* ext/bigdecimal.c: moved BASE_FIG definition before it is used
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_module.rb b/test/ruby/test_module.rb
index 99b9849d98..066dd86011 100644
--- a/test/ruby/test_module.rb
+++ b/test/ruby/test_module.rb
@@ -104,12 +104,15 @@ class TestModule < Test::Unit::TestCase
     private_class_method :cm1, "cm3"
 
     def aClass
+      :aClass
     end
 
     def aClass1
+      :aClass1
     end
 
     def aClass2
+      :aClass2
     end
 
     private :aClass1
@@ -118,15 +121,18 @@ class TestModule < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
   class BClass < AClass
     def bClass1
+      :bClass1
     end
 
     private
 
     def bClass2
+      :bClass2
     end
 
     protected
     def bClass3
+      :bClass3
     end
   end
 
@@ -489,7 +495,7 @@ class TestModule < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
     c = Class.new
     assert_raise(NameError) do
-      c.instance_eval { attr_reader :"$" }
+      c.instance_eval { attr_reader :"." }
     end
   end
 
@@ -721,4 +727,18 @@ class TestModule < Test::Unit::TestCase
       }.call
     end
   end
+
+  def test_send
+    a = AClass.new
+    assert_equal(:aClass, a.__send__(:aClass))
+    assert_equal(:aClass1, a.__send__(:aClass1))
+    assert_equal(:aClass2, a.__send__(:aClass2))
+    b = BClass.new
+    assert_equal(:aClass, b.__send__(:aClass))
+    assert_equal(:aClass1, b.__send__(:aClass1))
+    assert_equal(:aClass2, b.__send__(:aClass2))
+    assert_equal(:bClass1, b.__send__(:bClass1))
+    assert_equal(:bClass2, b.__send__(:bClass2))
+    assert_equal(:bClass3, b.__send__(:bClass3))
+  end
 end
diff --git a/vm_insnhelper.c b/vm_insnhelper.c
index 97ba1baba6..4e7ce63f84 100644
--- a/vm_insnhelper.c
+++ b/vm_insnhelper.c
@@ -496,6 +496,7 @@ vm_call_method(rb_thread_t *th, rb_control_frame_t *cfp,
 	       ID id, const rb_method_entry_t *me, VALUE recv)
 {
     VALUE val;
+    int opt_send = 0;
 
   start_method_dispatch:
 
@@ -567,6 +568,7 @@ vm_call_method(rb_thread_t *th, rb_control_frame_t *cfp,
 		    num -= 1;
 		    DEC_SP(1);
 		    flag |= VM_CALL_FCALL_BIT;
+		    opt_send = 1;
 
 		    goto start_method_dispatch;
 		  }
@@ -605,7 +607,7 @@ vm_call_method(rb_thread_t *th, rb_control_frame_t *cfp,
 		}
 		val = vm_method_missing(th, id, recv, num, blockptr, stat);
 	    }
-	    else if ((me->flag & NOEX_MASK) & NOEX_PROTECTED) {
+	    else if (!opt_send && (me->flag & NOEX_MASK) & NOEX_PROTECTED) {
 		VALUE defined_class = me->klass;
 
 		if (TYPE(defined_class) == T_ICLASS) {