diff --git a/lib/sinatra/base.rb b/lib/sinatra/base.rb
index 3970312b..0908669f 100644
--- a/lib/sinatra/base.rb
+++ b/lib/sinatra/base.rb
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ module Sinatra
         builder = Rack::Builder.new
         builder.use Rack::Session::Cookie if sessions?
         builder.use Rack::CommonLogger    if logging?
-        builder.use Rack::MethodOverride  if methodoverride?
+        builder.use Rack::MethodOverride  if method_override?
         builder.use ShowExceptions        if show_exceptions?
         middleware.each { |c,a,b| builder.use(c, *a, &b) }
 
@@ -1030,7 +1030,12 @@ module Sinatra
     set :clean_trace, true
     set :sessions, false
     set :logging, false
-    set :methodoverride, false
+    set :method_override, false
+
+    class << self
+      alias_method :methodoverride?, :method_override?
+      alias_method :methodoverride=, :method_override=
+    end
 
     set :run, false                       # start server via at-exit hook?
     set :running, false                   # is the built-in server running now?
@@ -1099,7 +1104,7 @@ module Sinatra
     set :dump_errors, true
     set :sessions, false
     set :logging, Proc.new { ! test? }
-    set :methodoverride, true
+    set :method_override, true
     set :run, Proc.new { ! test? }
     set :static, true
 
diff --git a/test/settings_test.rb b/test/settings_test.rb
index 156377f4..610f55b5 100644
--- a/test/settings_test.rb
+++ b/test/settings_test.rb
@@ -93,28 +93,33 @@ class SettingsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert !@base.bar
   end
 
-
   it 'is accessible from instances via #settings' do
     assert_equal :foo, @base.new.settings.environment
   end
 
   describe 'methodoverride' do
     it 'is disabled on Base' do
-      assert ! @base.methodoverride?
+      assert ! @base.method_override?
     end
 
     it 'is enabled on Application' do
-      assert @application.methodoverride?
+      assert @application.method_override?
     end
 
     it 'enables MethodOverride middleware' do
-      @base.set :methodoverride, true
+      @base.set :method_override, true
       @base.put('/') { 'okay' }
       @app = @base
       post '/', {'_method'=>'PUT'}, {}
       assert_equal 200, status
       assert_equal 'okay', body
     end
+
+    it 'is backward compatible with methodoverride' do
+      assert ! @base.methodoverride?
+      @base.enable :methodoverride
+      assert @base.methodoverride?
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'clean_trace' do