diff --git a/ext/v8/rr.h b/ext/v8/rr.h
index c9e6552..d207769 100644
--- a/ext/v8/rr.h
+++ b/ext/v8/rr.h
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ class String: public Ref<v8::String> {
 public:
   static void Init();
   static VALUE New(VALUE self, VALUE value);
+  static VALUE NewSymbol(VALUE self, VALUE string);
   static VALUE Utf8Value(VALUE self);
   static VALUE Concat(VALUE self, VALUE left, VALUE right);
 
diff --git a/ext/v8/string.cc b/ext/v8/string.cc
index 6c5274f..adab7b7 100644
--- a/ext/v8/string.cc
+++ b/ext/v8/string.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ namespace rr {
 void String::Init() {
   ClassBuilder("String", Primitive::Class).
     defineSingletonMethod("New", &New).
+    defineSingletonMethod("NewSymbol", &NewSymbol).
     defineSingletonMethod("Concat", &Concat).
     defineMethod("Utf8Value", &Utf8Value).
     store(&Class);
@@ -14,6 +15,10 @@ VALUE String::New(VALUE StringClass, VALUE string) {
   return String(v8::String::New(RSTRING_PTR(string), (int)RSTRING_LEN(string)));
 }
 
+VALUE String::NewSymbol(VALUE self, VALUE string) {
+  return String(v8::String::NewSymbol(RSTRING_PTR(string), (int)RSTRING_LEN(string)));
+}
+
 VALUE String::Utf8Value(VALUE self) {
   String str(self);
   #ifdef HAVE_RUBY_ENCODING_H
diff --git a/lib/v8/conversion.rb b/lib/v8/conversion.rb
index 9751738..b7e3721 100644
--- a/lib/v8/conversion.rb
+++ b/lib/v8/conversion.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ class String
   end
 end
 
+class Symbol
+  def to_v8
+    V8::C::String::NewSymbol(to_s)
+  end
+end
+
 class V8::C::Date
   def to_ruby
     Time.at(self.NumberValue() / 1000)