2 files changed, 22 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/cast.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/cast.rb
index 14ef07a75e..a9ef11aa83 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/cast.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/cast.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,15 @@ module ActiveRecord
           end
         end
 
+        def string_to_bit(value)
+          case value
+          when /^0x/i
+            value[2..-1].hex.to_s(2) # Hexadecimal notation
+          else
+            value                    # Bit-string notation
+          end
+        end
+
         def hstore_to_string(object)
           if Hash === object
             object.map { |k,v|
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/oid.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/oid.rb
index 51f377dfd7..1be116ce10 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/oid.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/oid.rb
@@ -18,8 +18,19 @@ module ActiveRecord
           end
         end
 
+        class Bit < Type
+          def type_cast(value)
+            if String === value
+              ConnectionAdapters::PostgreSQLColumn.string_to_bit value
+            else
+              value
+            end
+          end
+        end
+
         class Bytea < Type
           def type_cast(value)
+            return if value.nil?
             PGconn.unescape_bytea value
           end
         end
@@ -322,14 +333,14 @@ module ActiveRecord
         # FIXME: why are we keeping these types as strings?
         alias_type 'tsvector', 'text'
         alias_type 'interval', 'text'
-        alias_type 'bit',      'text'
-        alias_type 'varbit',   'text'
         alias_type 'macaddr',  'text'
         alias_type 'uuid',     'text'
 
         register_type 'money', OID::Money.new
         register_type 'bytea', OID::Bytea.new
         register_type 'bool', OID::Boolean.new
+        register_type 'bit', OID::Bit.new
+        register_type 'varbit', OID::Bit.new
 
         register_type 'float4', OID::Float.new
         alias_type 'float8', 'float4'