3 files changed, 20 insertions, 5 deletions
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/deprecated_error_methods.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/deprecated_error_methods.rb
index dd8050c549..adc50773d9 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/deprecated_error_methods.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/deprecated_error_methods.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module ActiveModel
     end
 
     def add_to_base(msg)
-      ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn "Errors#add_to_base(msg) has been deprecated, use Errors#[:base] << msg instead"
+      ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn "Errors#add_to_base(msg) has been deprecated, use Errors#add(:base, msg) instead"
       self[:base] << msg
     end
 
diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/errors.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/errors.rb
index d943e044a7..ae7822d8d5 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/errors.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/errors.rb
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       defaults.flatten!
 
       key = defaults.shift
-      value = @base.send(:read_attribute_for_validation, attribute)
+      value = (attribute != :base ? @base.send(:read_attribute_for_validation, attribute) : nil)
 
       options = {
         :default => defaults,
diff --git a/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb b/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb
index af195af080..228c1c074f 100644
--- a/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb
+++ b/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb
@@ -83,10 +83,9 @@ class ValidationsTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
     r = Reply.new
     r.content = "Mismatch"
     r.valid?
-    r.errors[:base] << "Reply is not dignifying"
+    r.errors.add(:base, "Reply is not dignifying")
 
-    errors = []
-    r.errors.to_a.each { |error| errors << error }
+    errors = r.errors.to_a.inject([]) { |result, error| result + [error] }
 
     assert_equal ["Reply is not dignifying"], r.errors[:base]
 
@@ -95,6 +94,22 @@ class ValidationsTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
     assert_equal 2, r.errors.count
   end
 
+  def test_errors_on_base_with_symbol_message
+    r = Reply.new
+    r.content = "Mismatch"
+    r.valid?
+    r.errors.add(:base, :invalid)
+
+    errors = r.errors.to_a.inject([]) { |result, error| result + [error] }
+
+    assert_equal ["is invalid"], r.errors[:base]
+
+    assert errors.include?("Title is Empty")
+    assert errors.include?("is invalid")
+
+    assert_equal 2, r.errors.count
+  end
+
   def test_errors_empty_after_errors_on_check
     t = Topic.new
     assert t.errors[:id].empty?