diff --git a/activesupport/CHANGELOG b/activesupport/CHANGELOG
index 1708723f8c43e533bece74622547f363d0c8005b..6bd6613a8febacbb788a32fde208c058a7d9be59 100644
--- a/activesupport/CHANGELOG
+++ b/activesupport/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 *SVN*
 
-* Turn warnings on when loading a file if Dependencies.mechanism == :load.  Common mistakes such as redefined methods will print warnings to stderr.  [Jeremy Kemper]
+* Introduce enable_warnings counterpart to silence_warnings.  Turn warnings on when loading a file if Dependencies.mechanism == :load.  Common mistakes such as redefined methods will print warnings to stderr.  [Jeremy Kemper]
 
 * Add Symbol#to_proc, which allows for, e.g. [:foo, :bar].map(&:to_s). [Marcel Molina Jr.]
 
diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/kernel.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/kernel.rb
index b687af03f6d22dc7b098441d725f15c55ad86375..d722c306cd0a9ca594e6ab8acdeb6cc4693453af 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/kernel.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/kernel.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ def silence_warnings
     $VERBOSE = old_verbose
   end
 
+  # Sets $VERBOSE to true for the duration of the block and back to its original value afterwards.
+  def enable_warnings
+    old_verbose, $VERBOSE = $VERBOSE, true
+    yield
+  ensure
+    $VERBOSE = old_verbose
+  end
+
   # Silences stderr for the duration of the block.
   #
   #   silence_stderr do
@@ -54,26 +62,27 @@ def `(command) #:nodoc:
   rescue Errno::ENOENT => e
     STDERR.puts "#$0: #{e}"
   end
-  
-  # Method that requires a library, ensuring that rubygems is loaded
+
+  # Require a library with fallback to RubyGems.  Warnings during library
+  # loading are silenced to increase signal/noise for application warnings.
   def require_library_or_gem(library_name)
-    begin
-      require library_name
-    rescue LoadError => cannot_require
-      # 1. Requiring the module is unsuccessful, maybe it's a gem and nobody required rubygems yet. Try.
-      begin
-        require 'rubygems'
-      rescue LoadError => rubygems_not_installed
-        raise cannot_require
-      end
-      # 2. Rubygems is installed and loaded. Try to load the library again
+    silence_warnings do
       begin
         require library_name
-      rescue LoadError => gem_not_installed
-        raise cannot_require
+      rescue LoadError => cannot_require
+        # 1. Requiring the module is unsuccessful, maybe it's a gem and nobody required rubygems yet. Try.
+        begin
+          require 'rubygems'
+        rescue LoadError => rubygems_not_installed
+          raise cannot_require
+        end
+        # 2. Rubygems is installed and loaded. Try to load the library again
+        begin
+          require library_name
+        rescue LoadError => gem_not_installed
+          raise cannot_require
+        end
       end
     end
   end
-
-
 end
diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb
index 30911453bc32eb88feae863f0e521b2a24500f9b..b0aca1ee97df56428b2826b2c142290e5c6f7c2a 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/module_attribute_accessors'
 require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/core_ext/load_error'
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/core_ext/kernel'
 
 module Dependencies #:nodoc:
   extend self
@@ -37,12 +38,7 @@ def clear
   def require_or_load(file_name)
     file_name = "#{file_name}.rb" unless ! load? || file_name[-3..-1] == '.rb'
     if load?
-      begin
-        original_verbosity, $VERBOSE = $VERBOSE, true
-        load file_name
-      ensure
-        $VERBOSE = original_verbosity
-      end
+      enable_warnings { load file_name }
     else
       require file_name
     end
diff --git a/activesupport/test/core_ext/kernel_test.rb b/activesupport/test/core_ext/kernel_test.rb
index 72fd57f6cad97c2f025c77c8e32d8722919be843..60c3d1ba8614e141502994d86a3e27ce802063f5 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/core_ext/kernel_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/core_ext/kernel_test.rb
@@ -9,24 +9,33 @@ def test_silence_warnings
 
   def test_silence_warnings_verbose_invariant
     old_verbose = $VERBOSE
-    begin
-      silence_warnings { raise }
-      flunk
-    rescue
-      assert_equal old_verbose, $VERBOSE
-    end
+    silence_warnings { raise }
+    flunk
+  rescue
+    assert_equal old_verbose, $VERBOSE
   end
-  
-  def test_silence_warnings_with_return_value
-    assert_equal 1, silence_warnings { 1 }
+
+
+  def test_enable_warnings
+    enable_warnings { assert_equal true, $VERBOSE }
+    assert_equal 1234, enable_warnings { 1234 }
+  end
+
+  def test_enable_warnings_verbose_invariant
+    old_verbose = $VERBOSE
+    enable_warnings { raise }
+    flunk
+  rescue
+    assert_equal old_verbose, $VERBOSE
   end
-  
+
+
   def test_silence_stderr
     old_stderr_position = STDERR.tell
     silence_stderr { STDERR.puts 'hello world' }
     assert_equal old_stderr_position, STDERR.tell
   end
-  
+
   def test_silence_stderr_with_return_value
     assert_equal 1, silence_stderr { 1 }
   end