diff --git a/activeresource/CHANGELOG b/activeresource/CHANGELOG
index 43ab43c6cb5a3d578937720e5c9bf6533c103067..517e9a6458514c8cfd57afce1feffe7ae90548ca 100644
--- a/activeresource/CHANGELOG
+++ b/activeresource/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Use attr_accessor_with_default to dry up attribute initialization. References #6538. [Stuart Halloway]
+
 * Add basic logging support for logging outgoing requests. [Jamis Buck]
 
 * Add Base.delete for deleting resources without having to instantiate them first. [Jamis Buck]
diff --git a/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb b/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb
index 9b5432ed37ef31a5ec43e512bc0c19a4e192a834..5d72d98be6c09d1ae11dfb2ef29691067fae12e4 100644
--- a/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb
+++ b/activeresource/lib/active_resource/base.rb
@@ -20,14 +20,10 @@ def connection(refresh = false)
         @connection
       end
 
-      def element_name
-        self.to_s.underscore
-      end
-
-      def collection_name
-        element_name.pluralize
-      end
-
+      attr_accessor_with_default(:element_name) { to_s.underscore }
+      attr_accessor_with_default(:collection_name) { element_name.pluralize }
+      attr_accessor_with_default(:primary_key, 'id')
+      
       def prefix(options={})
         default = site.path
         default << '/' unless default[-1..-1] == '/'
@@ -42,16 +38,7 @@ def prefix=(value = '/')
       end
       alias_method :set_prefix, :prefix=
 
-      def element_name=(value)
-        class << self ; attr_reader :element_name ; end
-        @element_name = value
-      end
       alias_method :set_element_name, :element_name=
-
-      def collection_name=(value)
-        class << self ; attr_reader :collection_name ; end
-        @collection_name = value
-      end
       alias_method :set_collection_name, :collection_name=
 
       def element_path(id, options = {})
@@ -62,14 +49,6 @@ def collection_path(options = {})
         "#{prefix(options)}#{collection_name}.xml"
       end
 
-      def primary_key
-        self.primary_key = 'id'
-      end
-
-      def primary_key=(value)
-        class << self ; attr_reader :primary_key ; end
-        @primary_key = value
-      end
       alias_method :set_primary_key, :primary_key=
 
       # Person.find(1) # => GET /people/1.xml