diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index 3de98c1f81a6446b94d7413f2b2f315181decc8f..6a42a0f39521791bbe99cc3dc6a3c1bd93f24c19 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+*   Fix regression when loading fixture files with symbol keys.
+
+    Closes #22584.
+
+    *Yves Senn*
+
 *   Support `:if` and `:unless` options in `has_secure_token`
 
     *Griffin Smith*
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb
index 0ac5e80119383032d5615b7ee938bfefd6cd53ff..c4f525336b3fec5906bf286f29d7e476ae8d3348 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb
@@ -297,14 +297,15 @@ def reset_sequence!(table, column, sequence = nil)
       # Inserts the given fixture into the table. Overridden in adapters that require
       # something beyond a simple insert (eg. Oracle).
       def insert_fixture(fixture, table_name)
-        columns = schema_cache.columns_hash(table_name)
+        fixture = fixture.stringify_keys
 
+        columns = schema_cache.columns_hash(table_name)
         binds = fixture.map do |name, value|
           if column = columns[name]
             type = lookup_cast_type_from_column(column)
             Relation::QueryAttribute.new(name, value, type)
           else
-            raise Fixture::FixtureError, %(table "#{table_name}" has no column named "#{name}".)
+            raise Fixture::FixtureError, %(table "#{table_name}" has no column named #{name.inspect}.)
           end
         end
         key_list = fixture.keys.map { |name| quote_column_name(name) }
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
index c73958900bad3400ee267846265988d4c3973a25..da934ab8fe7a74921f0d33f86e413817cafddac5 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
@@ -223,6 +223,10 @@ def test_yaml_file_with_invalid_column
     assert_equal(%(table "parrots" has no column named "arrr".), e.message)
   end
 
+  def test_yaml_file_with_symbol_columns
+    ActiveRecord::FixtureSet.create_fixtures(FIXTURES_ROOT + "/naked/yml", "trees")
+  end
+
   def test_omap_fixtures
     assert_nothing_raised do
       fixtures = ActiveRecord::FixtureSet.new(Account.connection, 'categories', Category, FIXTURES_ROOT + "/categories_ordered")
diff --git a/activerecord/test/fixtures/naked/yml/trees.yml b/activerecord/test/fixtures/naked/yml/trees.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d163b98f211987470e901fcd327a4671215f03b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activerecord/test/fixtures/naked/yml/trees.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+root:
+  :id: 1
+  :name: The Root