diff --git a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record.rb b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record.rb
index 9c38cc89..67eaaf59 100644
--- a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record.rb
+++ b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ require 'shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matcher'
 require 'shoulda/matchers/active_record/have_db_column_matcher'
 require 'shoulda/matchers/active_record/have_db_index_matcher'
 require 'shoulda/matchers/active_record/have_readonly_attribute_matcher'
-
+require 'shoulda/matchers/active_record/serialize_matcher'
 
 module Shoulda
   module Matchers
diff --git a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record/serialize_matcher.rb b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record/serialize_matcher.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ccb4aa43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record/serialize_matcher.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+module Shoulda # :nodoc:
+  module Matchers
+    module ActiveRecord # :nodoc:
+
+      # Ensure that the field becomes serialized.
+      #
+      # Options:
+      # * <tt>:as</tt> - tests that the association makes use of the class_name option.
+      #
+      # Example:
+      #   it { should serialize(:details) }
+      #   it { should serialize(:details).as(Hash) }
+      #
+      def serialize(name)
+        SerializeMatcher.new(name)
+      end
+
+      class SerializeMatcher # :nodoc:
+        def initialize(name)
+          @name = name.to_s
+        end
+
+        def as(type)
+          @type = type
+          self
+        end
+
+        def matches?(subject)
+          @subject = subject
+          serialization_valid? && type_valid?
+        end
+
+        def failure_message
+          "Expected #{expectation} (#{@missing})"
+        end
+
+        def negative_failure_message
+          "Did not expect #{expectation}"
+        end
+
+        def description
+          description = "serialize :#{@name}"
+          description += " class_name => #{@type}" if @type
+          description
+        end
+
+        protected
+
+        def model_class
+          @subject.class
+        end
+
+        def serialization_valid?
+          if model_class.serialized_attributes.keys.include?(@name)
+            true
+          else
+            @missing = "no serialized attribute called :#{@name}"
+            false
+          end
+        end
+
+        def type_valid?
+          if @type
+            klass = model_class.serialized_attributes[@name]
+
+            if klass == @type
+              true
+            else
+              if klass.object_class == @type
+                true
+              else
+                @missing = ":#{@name} should be a type of #{@type}"
+                false
+              end
+            end
+          else
+            true
+          end
+        end
+
+        def expectation
+          expectation = "#{model_class.name} to serialize the attribute called :#{@name}"
+          expectation += " with a type of #{@type}" if @type
+          expectation
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/shoulda/active_record/serialize_matcher_spec.rb b/spec/shoulda/active_record/serialize_matcher_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..905b8df4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/shoulda/active_record/serialize_matcher_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Shoulda::Matchers::ActiveRecord::SerializeMatcher do
+	context "an attribute that should be serialized" do
+		before do
+	    define_model :example, :attr => :string do
+	      serialize :attr
+	    end
+	    @model = Example.new
+	  end
+
+	  it "should be serialized" do
+      @model.should serialize(:attr)
+    end
+	end
+
+	context "an attribute that should be serialized with a type of Hash" do
+		before do
+	    define_model :example, :attr => :string do
+	      serialize :attr, Hash
+	    end
+	    @model = Example.new
+	  end
+
+	  it "should be serialized" do
+      @model.should serialize(:attr).as(Hash)
+    end
+	end
+
+	context "an attribute that should be serialized with a type of Array" do
+		before do
+	    define_model :example, :attr => :string, :attr2 => :string do
+	      serialize :attr, Array
+	      serialize :attr2, Array
+	    end
+	    @model = Example.new
+	  end
+
+	  it "should be serialized" do
+      @model.should serialize(:attr).as(Array)
+    end
+	end
+
+	context "an attribute that should be serialized but isn't" do
+		before do
+	    define_model :example, :attr => :string
+	    @model = Example.new
+	  end
+
+    it "should assign a failure message" do
+    	matcher = serialize(:attr)
+      matcher.matches?(@model).should == false
+      matcher.failure_message.should_not be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "should assign a failure message with 'as'" do
+    	matcher = serialize(:attr).as(Hash)
+      matcher.matches?(@model).should == false
+      matcher.failure_message.should_not be_nil
+    end
+	end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 2e318b1f..114500e7 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # Create Rails environment based on the version given from Appraisal
 TESTAPP_ROOT = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'tmp', 'aruba', 'testapp')
+puts TESTAPP_ROOT
 FileUtils.rm_rf(TESTAPP_ROOT) if File.exists?(TESTAPP_ROOT)
 `rails new #{TESTAPP_ROOT}`