diff --git a/actionpack/CHANGELOG b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
index 165db916eedbf72dd32d3610af2818d29043b0e5..5a5895d9b45da4af08623369c2e24ddf728c822d 100644
--- a/actionpack/CHANGELOG
+++ b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 *Edge*
 
+* Add :as option to render a collection of partials with a custom local variable name. #509 [Simon Jefford, Pratik Naik]
+
+  render :partial => 'other_people', :collection => @people, :as => :person
+  
+  This will let you access objects of @people as 'person' local variable inside 'other_people' partial template.
+
 * time_zone_select: support for regexp matching of priority zones. Resolves #195 [Ernie Miller]
 
 * Made ActionView::Base#render_file private [Josh Peek]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
index a7b2f147e874520ceb859a4588be838373dc0e0f..209cdfa686bd82ca4b38a38a77b49367274a6fc6 100755
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/base.rb
@@ -702,6 +702,9 @@ def append_view_path(path)
       #   # builds the complete response.
       #   render :partial => "person", :collection => @winners
       #
+      #   # Renders a collection of partials but with a custom local variable name
+      #   render :partial => "admin_person", :collection => @winners, :as => :person
+      #
       #   # Renders the same collection of partials, but also renders the
       #   # person_divider partial between each person partial.
       #   render :partial => "person", :collection => @winners, :spacer_template => "person_divider"
@@ -889,7 +892,7 @@ def render(options = nil, extra_options = {}, &block) #:doc:
             if collection = options[:collection]
               render_for_text(
                 @template.send!(:render_partial_collection, partial, collection,
-                options[:spacer_template], options[:locals]), options[:status]
+                options[:spacer_template], options[:locals], options[:as]), options[:status]
               )
             else
               render_for_text(
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/base.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/base.rb
index 40b808a61e396a537b3ac208ba281818b6288bfb..40a3b16e9f257be7244fd738c1e732aa318bfc5d 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/base.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/base.rb
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ def render(options = {}, local_assigns = {}, &block) #:nodoc:
         elsif options[:file]
           render_file(options[:file], use_full_path || false, options[:locals])
         elsif options[:partial] && options[:collection]
-          render_partial_collection(options[:partial], options[:collection], options[:spacer_template], options[:locals])
+          render_partial_collection(options[:partial], options[:collection], options[:spacer_template], options[:locals], options[:as])
         elsif options[:partial]
           render_partial(options[:partial], ActionView::Base::ObjectWrapper.new(options[:object]), options[:locals])
         elsif options[:inline]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/partial_template.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/partial_template.rb
index 0cf996ca0464a1c516deb9e5d2276dd1d2a46202..3513244ecbfde4b17e5bf836d4400eb94d7de99a 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/partial_template.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/partial_template.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 module ActionView #:nodoc:
   class PartialTemplate < Template #:nodoc:
-    attr_reader :variable_name, :object
+    attr_reader :variable_name, :object, :as
 
-    def initialize(view, partial_path, object = nil, locals = {})
+    def initialize(view, partial_path, object = nil, locals = {}, as = nil)
       @view_controller = view.controller if view.respond_to?(:controller)
+      @as = as
       set_path_and_variable_name!(partial_path)
       super(view, @path, true, locals)
       add_object_to_local_assigns!(object)
@@ -22,10 +23,11 @@ def render
     end
 
     def render_member(object)
-      @locals[:object] = @locals[@variable_name] = object
+      @locals[:object] = @locals[@variable_name] = @locals[as] = object
 
       template = render_template
       @locals[@counter_name] += 1
+      @locals.delete(as)
       @locals.delete(@variable_name)
       @locals.delete(:object)
 
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ def add_object_to_local_assigns!(object)
             else
               object
             end || @view_controller.instance_variable_get("@#{variable_name}")
+        @locals[as] ||= @locals[:object] if as
       end
 
       def set_path_and_variable_name!(partial_path)
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/partials.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/partials.rb
index 6b294be6bd8427e0d6ebe7e9d0ea0a6eaa31053f..7c6c98d6116c08675dc8fb3758f593a5f67f4678 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/partials.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/partials.rb
@@ -123,32 +123,32 @@ def render_partial(partial_path, object_assigns = nil, local_assigns = {}) #:nod
         end
       end
 
-      def render_partial_collection(partial_path, collection, partial_spacer_template = nil, local_assigns = {}) #:nodoc:
+      def render_partial_collection(partial_path, collection, partial_spacer_template = nil, local_assigns = {}, as = nil) #:nodoc:
         return " " if collection.empty?
 
         local_assigns = local_assigns ? local_assigns.clone : {}
         spacer = partial_spacer_template ? render(:partial => partial_spacer_template) : ''
 
         if partial_path.nil?
-          render_partial_collection_with_unknown_partial_path(collection, local_assigns)
+          render_partial_collection_with_unknown_partial_path(collection, local_assigns, as)
         else
-          render_partial_collection_with_known_partial_path(collection, partial_path, local_assigns)
+          render_partial_collection_with_known_partial_path(collection, partial_path, local_assigns, as)
         end.join(spacer)
       end
 
-      def render_partial_collection_with_known_partial_path(collection, partial_path, local_assigns)
-        template = ActionView::PartialTemplate.new(self, partial_path, nil, local_assigns)
+      def render_partial_collection_with_known_partial_path(collection, partial_path, local_assigns, as)
+        template = ActionView::PartialTemplate.new(self, partial_path, nil, local_assigns, as)
         collection.map do |element|
           template.render_member(element)
         end
       end
 
-      def render_partial_collection_with_unknown_partial_path(collection, local_assigns)
+      def render_partial_collection_with_unknown_partial_path(collection, local_assigns, as)
         templates = Hash.new
         i = 0
         collection.map do |element|
           partial_path = ActionController::RecordIdentifier.partial_path(element, controller.class.controller_path)
-          template = templates[partial_path] ||= ActionView::PartialTemplate.new(self, partial_path, nil, local_assigns)
+          template = templates[partial_path] ||= ActionView::PartialTemplate.new(self, partial_path, nil, local_assigns, as)
           template.counter = i
           i += 1
           template.render_member(element)
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/new_render_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/new_render_test.rb
index eac36a04cb19acc6fc9c2539fba77286b788b6af..5a7da57559e5af15cee93fa195bcae572f5b57ca 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/new_render_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/new_render_test.rb
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ def partial_collection
     render :partial => "customer", :collection => [ Customer.new("david"), Customer.new("mary") ]
   end
 
+  def partial_collection_with_as
+    render :partial => "customer_with_var", :collection => [ Customer.new("david"), Customer.new("mary") ], :as => :customer
+  end
+
   def partial_collection_with_spacer
     render :partial => "customer", :spacer_template => "partial_only", :collection => [ Customer.new("david"), Customer.new("mary") ]
   end
@@ -763,6 +767,11 @@ def test_partial_collection
     assert_equal "Hello: davidHello: mary", @response.body
   end
 
+  def test_partial_collection_with_as
+    get :partial_collection_with_as
+    assert_equal "david david davidmary mary mary", @response.body
+  end
+
   def test_partial_collection_with_counter
     get :partial_collection_with_counter
     assert_equal "david0mary1", @response.body
diff --git a/actionpack/test/fixtures/test/_customer_with_var.erb b/actionpack/test/fixtures/test/_customer_with_var.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3379246b7efd6e3dd98df9d7039085e06549bdf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actionpack/test/fixtures/test/_customer_with_var.erb
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<%= customer.name %> <%= object.name %> <%= customer_with_var.name %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb b/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb
index 54e4bbda1b19597a1e08d5292286aec2dfd9206b..64244e50f7cde510a676b176e544510c3f4aad7b 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/template/render_test.rb
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ def test_render_partial_with_errors
   def test_render_partial_collection
     assert_equal "Hello: davidHello: mary", @view.render(:partial => "test/customer", :collection => [ Customer.new("david"), Customer.new("mary") ])
   end
+  
+  def test_render_partial_collection_as
+    assert_equal "david david davidmary mary mary", 
+      @view.render(:partial => "test/customer_with_var", :collection => [ Customer.new("david"), Customer.new("mary") ], :as => :customer)
+  end
 
   # TODO: The reason for this test is unclear, improve documentation
   def test_render_partial_and_fallback_to_layout