diff --git a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/allow_value_matcher.rb b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/allow_value_matcher.rb
index f63daa0d9..96853035a 100644
--- a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/allow_value_matcher.rb
+++ b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/allow_value_matcher.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def with_message(message)
         def matches?(instance)
           @instance = instance
           if Symbol === @expected_message
-            @expected_message = default_error_message(@expected_message)
+            @expected_message = default_error_message(@expected_message, :model_name => @instance.class.to_s.underscore, :attribute => @attribute)
           end
           @instance.send("#{@attribute}=", @value)
           !errors_match?
diff --git a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/helpers.rb b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/helpers.rb
index d735d4187..c06f17ec1 100644
--- a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_model/helpers.rb
@@ -16,11 +16,19 @@ def pretty_error_messages(obj) # :nodoc:
         #   default_error_message(:blank)
         #   default_error_message(:too_short, :count => 5)
         #   default_error_message(:too_long, :count => 60)
-        def default_error_message(key, values = {})
-          if Object.const_defined?(:I18n) # Rails >= 2.2           
-            I18n.translate(:"activerecord.errors.messages.#{key}", {:default => :"errors.messages.#{key}"}.merge(values))
+        #   default_error_message(:blank, :model_name => 'user', :attribute => 'name')
+        def default_error_message(key, options = {})
+          model_name = options.delete(:model_name)
+          attribute = options.delete(:attribute)
+          if Object.const_defined?(:I18n) # Rails >= 2.2
+            I18n.translate( :"activerecord.errors.models.#{model_name}.attributes.#{attribute}.#{key}", {
+              :default => [ :"activerecord.errors.models.#{model_name}.#{key}",
+                            :"activerecord.errors.messages.#{key}",
+                            :"errors.attributes.#{attribute}.#{key}",
+                            :"errors.messages.#{key}"
+                          ]}.merge(options))
           else # Rails <= 2.1.x
-            ::ActiveRecord::Errors.default_error_messages[key] % values[:count]
+            ::ActiveRecord::Errors.default_error_messages[key] % options[:count]
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/shoulda/active_model/helpers_spec.rb b/spec/shoulda/active_model/helpers_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22b17bd51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/shoulda/active_model/helpers_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+# encoding: UTF-8
+require "spec_helper"
+
+include Shoulda::Matchers::ActiveModel
+
+def store_translations(options = {:without => []})
+  options[:without] ||= []
+  options[:without] = [options[:without]] unless options[:without].is_a? Array
+  
+  translations = {
+    :activerecord => {
+      :errors => {
+        :models => {
+          :example => {
+            :attributes => {
+              :attr => {}
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        :messages => {}
+      }
+    },
+    :errors => {
+      :attributes => {
+        :attr => {}
+      },
+      :messages => {}
+    }}
+  translations[:activerecord][:errors][:models][:example][:attributes][:attr][:blank] = 'Don’t you do that to me!' unless options[:without].include?(:model_attribute)
+  translations[:activerecord][:errors][:models][:example][:blank] = 'Give it one more try!' unless options[:without].include?(:model)
+  translations[:activerecord][:errors][:messages][:blank] = 'Oh no!' unless options[:without].include?(:message)
+  translations[:errors][:attributes][:attr][:blank] = 'Seriously?' unless options[:without].include?(:attribute)
+  
+  I18n.backend.store_translations :en, translations
+end
+
+describe Shoulda::Matchers::ActiveModel::Helpers do
+  describe "default_error_message" do
+    before do
+      define_model :example, :attr => :string do
+        validates_presence_of :attr
+      end
+      @model = Example.new
+    end
+    
+    after { I18n.backend.reload! }
+    
+    context "if the translation for the model attribute’s error exists" do
+      it "provides the right error message" do
+        store_translations
+        @model.should validate_presence_of(:attr)
+      end
+    end
+    
+    context "if no translation for the model attribute’s error exists" do
+      context "and the translation for the model’s error exists" do
+        it "provides the right error message" do
+          store_translations :without => :model_attribute
+          @model.should validate_presence_of(:attr)
+        end
+      end
+      
+      context "and no translation for the model’s error exists" do
+        context "and the translation for the message exists" do
+          it "provides the right error message" do
+            store_translations :without => [:model_attribute, :model]
+            @model.should validate_presence_of(:attr)
+          end
+        end
+        
+        context "and no translation for the message exists" do
+          context "and the translation for the attribute exists" do
+            it "provides the right error message" do
+              store_translations :without => [:model_attribute, :model, :message]
+              @model.should validate_presence_of(:attr)
+            end
+          end
+          
+          context "and no translation for the attribute exists" do
+            it "provides the general error message" do
+              @model.should validate_presence_of(:attr)
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file