diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/render/layouts.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/render/layouts.rb
index a474783a20a21..8882acca31cb7 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/render/layouts.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/render/layouts.rb
@@ -47,11 +47,15 @@ module Layouts
     #     Hello David
     #   </html>
     #
-    def _layout_for(name = nil, &block) #:nodoc:
-      if !block || name
-        @_content_for[name || :layout].html_safe
+    def _layout_for(*args, &block) #:nodoc:
+      name = args.first
+
+      if name.is_a?(Symbol)
+        @_content_for[name].html_safe
+      elsif block
+        capture(*args, &block)
       else
-        capture(&block)
+        @_content_for[:layout].html_safe
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/test/fixtures/layouts/_customers.erb b/actionpack/test/fixtures/layouts/_customers.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ae63f13cd355e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actionpack/test/fixtures/layouts/_customers.erb
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<title><%= yield Struct.new(:name).new("David") %></title>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/actionpack/test/fixtures/test/layout_render_object.erb b/actionpack/test/fixtures/test/layout_render_object.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..acc4453c080c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actionpack/test/fixtures/test/layout_render_object.erb
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<%= render :layout => "layouts/customers" do |customer| %><%= customer.name %><% end %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb b/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb
index 059dcedad886d..60d4d9f4a74e5 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb
@@ -252,6 +252,11 @@ def test_render_with_file_in_layout
     assert_equal %(\n<title>title</title>\n\n),
       @view.render(:file => "test/layout_render_file.erb")
   end
+
+  def test_render_layout_with_object
+    assert_equal %(<title>David</title>),
+      @view.render(:file => "test/layout_render_object.erb")
+  end
 end
 
 class CachedViewRenderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase