diff --git a/lib/capybara/node/actions.rb b/lib/capybara/node/actions.rb
index 29192469..affaa18f 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/node/actions.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/node/actions.rb
@@ -3,53 +3,53 @@ module Capybara
     module Actions
       def click_link_or_button(locator)
         msg = "no link or button '#{locator}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.link(locator).button(locator), msg).click
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.link(locator).button(locator), :message => msg).click
       end
 
       def click_link(locator)
         msg = "no link with title, id or text '#{locator}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.link(locator), msg).click
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.link(locator), :message => msg).click
       end
 
       def click_button(locator)
         msg = "no button with value or id or text '#{locator}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.button(locator), msg).click
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.button(locator), :message => msg).click
       end
 
       def fill_in(locator, options={})
         msg = "cannot fill in, no text field, text area or password field with id, name, or label '#{locator}' found"
         raise "Must pass a hash containing 'with'" if not options.is_a?(Hash) or not options.has_key?(:with)
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.fillable_field(locator), msg).set(options[:with])
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.fillable_field(locator), :message => msg).set(options[:with])
       end
 
       def choose(locator)
         msg = "cannot choose field, no radio button with id, name, or label '#{locator}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.radio_button(locator), msg).set(true)
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.radio_button(locator), :message => msg).set(true)
       end
 
       def check(locator)
         msg = "cannot check field, no checkbox with id, name, or label '#{locator}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.checkbox(locator), msg).set(true)
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.checkbox(locator), :message => msg).set(true)
       end
 
       def uncheck(locator)
         msg = "cannot uncheck field, no checkbox with id, name, or label '#{locator}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.checkbox(locator), msg).set(false)
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.checkbox(locator), :message => msg).set(false)
       end
 
       def select(value, options={})
         msg = "cannot select option, no select box with id, name, or label '#{options[:from]}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.select(options[:from]), msg).select_option(value)
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.select(options[:from]), :message => msg).select_option(value)
       end
 
       def unselect(value, options={})
         msg = "cannot unselect option, no select box with id, name, or label '#{options[:from]}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.select(options[:from]), msg).unselect_option(value)
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.select(options[:from]), :message => msg).unselect_option(value)
       end
 
       def attach_file(locator, path)
         msg = "cannot attach file, no file field with id, name, or label '#{locator}' found"
-        locate(:xpath, XPath.file_field(locator), msg).set(path)
+        locate(:xpath, XPath.file_field(locator), :message => msg).set(path)
       end
 
       def drag(source_locator, target_locator)
diff --git a/lib/capybara/node/finders.rb b/lib/capybara/node/finders.rb
index f49b6b13..c6f6efbf 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/node/finders.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/node/finders.rb
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ module Capybara
   class Node
     module Finders
       #return node identified by locator or raise ElementNotFound(using desc)
-      def locate(kind_or_locator, locator=nil, fail_msg = nil)
-        node = wait_conditionally_until { find(kind_or_locator, locator) }
+      def locate(*args)
+        node = wait_conditionally_until { find(*args) }
       ensure
-        raise Capybara::ElementNotFound, fail_msg || "Unable to locate '#{locator || kind_or_locator}'" unless node
+        options = if args.last.is_a?(Hash) then args.last else {} end
+        raise Capybara::ElementNotFound, options[:message] || "Unable to locate '#{args[1] || args[0]}'" unless node
         return node
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/capybara/session.rb b/lib/capybara/session.rb
index 5fc5444b..7c7f7e7f 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/session.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/session.rb
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ module Capybara
     end
 
     def within(kind, scope=nil)
-      new_scope = locate(kind, scope, "scope '#{scope || kind}' not found on page")
+      new_scope = locate(kind, scope, :message => "scope '#{scope || kind}' not found on page")
       begin
         scopes.push(new_scope)
         yield
diff --git a/lib/capybara/spec/session/locate_spec.rb b/lib/capybara/spec/session/locate_spec.rb
index c5608732..064dd063 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/spec/session/locate_spec.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/spec/session/locate_spec.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ shared_examples_for "locate" do
       @session.locate("//input[@id='test_field']")[:value].should == 'monkey'
     end
 
+    it "should find the first element using the given locator and options" do
+      @session.locate('//a', :text => 'Redirect')[:id].should == 'red'
+      @session.locate(:css, 'a', :text => 'A link')[:title].should == 'twas a fine link'
+    end
+
     context "with css selectors" do
       it "should find the first element using the given locator" do
         @session.locate(:css, 'h1').text.should == 'This is a test'
@@ -34,7 +39,7 @@ shared_examples_for "locate" do
 
     it "should raise ElementNotFound with specified fail message if nothing was found" do
       running do
-        @session.locate(:xpath, '//div[@id="nosuchthing"]', 'arghh').should be_nil
+        @session.locate(:xpath, '//div[@id="nosuchthing"]', :message => 'arghh').should be_nil
       end.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound, "arghh")
     end