diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6d5c73bd..d1a734a7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
  * Alias to\_msgpack to to\_mpac
  * Cache template sources for faster partial lookups (thanks cj)
  * Adds BSON format support (thanks Antiarchitect)
- * Use Rails template lookup mechanism to find templates (in Rails 3)
+ * Use template lookup mechanism to find templates in Rails 3 (thanks blakewatters)
+ * Adds a 'object_root' option to collection (thanks blakewatters)
+ * Adds a 'root_name' option to collection
 
 ## 0.5.4
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2b6e8fb6..06fc70e9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -216,13 +216,20 @@ collection @users
 # => [ { "user" : { ... } } ]
 ```
 
-or even specify a root node label for the collection:
+or specify a root node label for the collection:
 
 ```ruby
 collection @users => :people
 # => { "people" : [ { "person" : { ... } } ] }
 ```
 
+or even specify both the child and root labels for a collection:
+
+```ruby
+collection @users, :root_name => "people", :object_root => "user"
+# => { "people" : [ { "user" : { ... } } ] }
+```
+
 and this will be used as the default data for the rendering.
 
 There can also be odd cases where the root-level of the response doesn't map directly to any object:
diff --git a/lib/rabl/builder.rb b/lib/rabl/builder.rb
index 75750b03..f3216425 100644
--- a/lib/rabl/builder.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl/builder.rb
@@ -3,25 +3,26 @@ class Builder
     include Rabl::Partials
 
     # Constructs a new rabl hash based on given object and options
-    # options = { :format => "json", :attributes, :root => true,
-    #   :child_root => true, :node, :child, :glue, :extends }
+    # options = { :format => "json", :root => true, :child_root => true,
+    #   :attributes, :node, :child, :glue, :extends }
+    #
     def initialize(options={}, &block)
       @options    = options
       @_scope     = options[:scope]
     end
 
     # Given an object and options, returns the hash representation
-    # build(@user, :format => "json", :attributes => { ... })
-    def build(data, options={})
-      @_data      = data
-      @_object    = data_object(data)
+    # build(@user, :format => "json", :attributes => { ... }, :root_name => "user")
+    def build(object, options={})
+      @_object = object
       compile_hash(options)
     end
 
     protected
 
     # Returns a hash representation of the data object
-    # compile_hash(:root => true)
+    # compile_hash(:root_name => false)
+    # compile_hash(:root_name => "user")
     def compile_hash(options={})
       @_result = {}
       # Extends
@@ -46,8 +47,8 @@ def compile_hash(options={})
       end if @options.has_key?(:glue)
 
       # Wrap result in root
-      if @options[:root] || options[:root]
-        @_root_name ||= data_name(@_data)
+      if options[:root_name].present?
+        @_root_name = options[:root_name]
       else # no root
         @_root_name = nil
       end
diff --git a/lib/rabl/engine.rb b/lib/rabl/engine.rb
index f13fa06f..a9f6596d 100644
--- a/lib/rabl/engine.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl/engine.rb
@@ -31,17 +31,15 @@ def render(scope, locals, &block)
     # to_hash(:root => true, :child_root => true)
     def to_hash(options={})
       options = @_options.merge(options)
-      data = data_object(@_data)
+      data, root_name = data_object(@_data), data_name(@_data)
       builder = Rabl::Builder.new(options)
       if is_object?(data) || !data # object @user
-        builder.build(@_data, options)
+        options[:root_name] = root_name if options[:root]
+        builder.build(data, options)
       elsif is_collection?(data) # collection @users
-        if options[:root] # only calculate root name if needed
-          object_name = data_name(@_data).to_s.singularize # @users => :users
-          data.map { |object| builder.build({ object => object_name }, options) }
-        else # skip root name
-          data.map { |object| builder.build(object, options) }
-        end
+        options[:root_name] = object_root_name if object_root_name
+        options[:root_name] ||= root_name.to_s.singularize if options[:root]
+        data.map { |object| builder.build(object, options) }
       end
     end
 
@@ -99,8 +97,12 @@ def object(data)
     # Sets the object as a collection casted to a simple array
     # collection @users
     # collection @users => :people
-    def collection(data)
-      @_collection_name = data.values.first if data.respond_to?(:each_pair)
+    # collection @users, :root => :person
+    # collection @users, :object_root => :person
+    def collection(data, options={})
+      @_collection_name = options[:root] if options[:root]
+      @_collection_name ||= data.values.first if data.respond_to?(:each_pair)
+      @_object_root_name = options[:object_root] if options[:object_root]
       self.object(data_object(data).to_a) if data
     end
 
diff --git a/test/builder_test.rb b/test/builder_test.rb
index 14c2e1d2..36e7ce50 100644
--- a/test/builder_test.rb
+++ b/test/builder_test.rb
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
       setup { builder({ :attributes => { :name => :name } }) }
       asserts "that the object is set properly" do
-        topic.build(User.new, :root => true)
+        topic.build(User.new, :root_name => "user")
       end.equivalent_to({ "user" => { :name => "rabl" } })
 
     end
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
      setup { builder({ :attributes => { :name => :name } }) }
       asserts "that the object is set properly" do
-        topic.build({ User.new => "person" }, :root => true)
+        topic.build(User.new, :root_name => "person")
       end.equivalent_to({ "person" => { :name => "rabl" } })
 
     end
diff --git a/test/engine_test.rb b/test/engine_test.rb
index a344d979..0afc2804 100644
--- a/test/engine_test.rb
+++ b/test/engine_test.rb
@@ -263,15 +263,32 @@
         template.render(scope)
       end.equals "[{},{}]"
 
-      asserts "that it sets root node for objects" do
+      asserts "that it sets root node for objects using hash" do
         template = rabl %{
-          collection @users => :person
+          collection @users => :people
         }
         scope = Object.new
         scope.instance_variable_set :@users, [User.new, User.new]
         template.render(scope)
-      end.equals "{\"person\":[{},{}]}"
+      end.equals "{\"people\":[{},{}]}"
 
+    asserts "that it sets root node for objects using root option" do
+        template = rabl %{
+          collection @users, :root => :people
+        }
+        scope = Object.new
+        scope.instance_variable_set :@users, [User.new, User.new]
+        template.render(scope)
+      end.equals "{\"people\":[{},{}]}"
+
+      asserts "that it sets root node for objects using object_root option" do
+        template = rabl %{
+          collection @users, :root => :humans, :object_root => :person
+        }
+        scope = Object.new
+        scope.instance_variable_set :@users, [User.new, User.new]
+        template.render(scope)
+      end.equals %Q^{"humans":[{"person":{}},{"person":{}}]}^
     end
 
     context "#attribute" do