diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/date_helper.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/date_helper.rb
index 2806348337bb7c4180db20973c23bc93ce60a926..cf24f2753676ac1298d2f2f958983ddfb125572d 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/date_helper.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/date_helper.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ module Helpers
     #
     # * <tt>:prefix</tt> - overwrites the default prefix of "date" used for the select names. So specifying "birthday"
     # would give birthday[month] instead of date[month] if passed to the <tt>select_month</tt> method.
-    # * <tt>:include_blank</tt> - set to true if it should be possible to set an empty date.
+    # * <tt>:include_blank</tt> - set to true or to a prompt string if it should be possible to set an empty date.
     # * <tt>:discard_type</tt> - set to true if you want to discard the type part of the select name. If set to true,
     #   the <tt>select_month</tt> method would use simply "date" (which can be overwritten using <tt>:prefix</tt>) instead
     #   of "date[month]".
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ def build_select(type, select_options_as_html)
           select_options.merge!(:disabled => 'disabled') if @options[:disabled]
 
           select_html = "\n"
-          select_html << content_tag(:option, '', :value => '') + "\n" if @options[:include_blank]
+          select_html << content_tag(:option, "#{ERB::Util.html_escape(@options[:include_blank]) if @options[:include_blank].kind_of?(String)}", :value => '') + "\n" if @options[:include_blank]
           select_html << prompt_option_tag(type, @options[:prompt]) + "\n" if @options[:prompt]
           select_html << select_options_as_html
 
diff --git a/actionpack/test/template/date_helper_test.rb b/actionpack/test/template/date_helper_test.rb
index fadfb59572eef1b2d6eb3625be8d9c7cd0af8b20..21c90833861d5e114fae36cee4f5b597021f9123 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/template/date_helper_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/template/date_helper_test.rb
@@ -1581,6 +1581,26 @@ def test_date_select_with_nil_and_blank
     assert_dom_equal expected, date_select("post", "written_on", :include_blank => true)
   end
 
+  def test_date_select_with_stringified_blank
+    @post = Post.new
+
+    start_year = Time.now.year-5
+    end_year   = Time.now.year+5
+
+    expected = '<input name="post[written_on(3i)]" type="hidden" id="post_written_on_3i"/>' + "\n"
+    expected <<   %{<select id="post_written_on_1i" name="post[written_on(1i)]">\n}
+    expected << "<option value=\"\">blank</option>\n"
+    start_year.upto(end_year) { |i| expected << %(<option value="#{i}">#{i}</option>\n) }
+    expected << "</select>\n"
+
+    expected << %{<select id="post_written_on_2i" name="post[written_on(2i)]">\n}
+    expected << "<option value=\"\">blank</option>\n"
+    1.upto(12) { |i| expected << %(<option value="#{i}">#{Date::MONTHNAMES[i]}</option>\n) }
+    expected << "</select>\n"
+
+    assert_dom_equal expected, date_select("post", "written_on", :order=>[:year, :month], :include_blank=> 'blank')
+  end
+
   def test_date_select_with_nil_and_blank_and_order
     @post = Post.new