diff --git a/lib/rabl-rails.rb b/lib/rabl-rails.rb
index 77c6c4c..289746b 100644
--- a/lib/rabl-rails.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl-rails.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ module RablRails
 
   mattr_accessor :cache_templates
   @@cache_templates = true
+  
+  mattr_accessor :include_json_root
+  @@include_json_root = true
 
   def configure
     yield self
diff --git a/lib/rabl-rails/compiler.rb b/lib/rabl-rails/compiler.rb
index 6f1fd83..de7a6eb 100644
--- a/lib/rabl-rails/compiler.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl-rails/compiler.rb
@@ -25,21 +25,10 @@ module RablRails
     #   object :@user, :root => :author
     #
     def object(data, options = {})
-      data, name = extract_data_and_name(data)
-      @template.data = data
-      @template.root_name = options[:root] || name
-    end
-
-    #
-    # Sets a collection to be used as data for the template
-    # Example:
-    #   collection :@users
-    #   collection :@users, :root => :morons
-    #
-    def collection(data, options = {})
-      object(data)
+      @template.data, @template.root_name = extract_data_and_name(data)
       @template.root_name = options[:root] if options[:root]
     end
+    alias_method :collection, :object
 
     #
     # Includes the attribute or method in the output
@@ -136,11 +125,8 @@ module RablRails
     def extract_data_and_name(name_or_data)
       case name_or_data
       when Symbol
-        if name_or_data.to_s.start_with?('@')
-          [name_or_data, nil]
-        else
-          [name_or_data, name_or_data]
-        end
+        str = name_or_data.to_s
+        str.start_with?('@') ? [name_or_data, str[1..-1]] : [name_or_data, name_or_data]
       when Hash
         name_or_data.first
       else
diff --git a/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb b/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb
index 6eebe49..e89b342 100644
--- a/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ module RablRails
     class PartialError < StandardError; end
 
     class Base
+      attr_accessor :options
 
       def initialize(context) # :nodoc:
         @_context = context
+        @options = {}
         setup_render_context
       end
 
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ module RablRails
         collection_or_resource = @_context.instance_variable_get(template.data) if template.data
         output_hash = collection_or_resource.respond_to?(:each) ? render_collection(collection_or_resource, template.source) :
           render_resource(collection_or_resource, template.source)
-        output_hash = { template.root_name => output_hash } if template.root_name
+        options[:root_name] = template.root_name
         format_output(output_hash)
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/json.rb b/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/json.rb
index f903476..29f528c 100644
--- a/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/json.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/json.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ module RablRails
   module Renderers
     class JSON < Base
       def format_output(hash)
+        hash = { options[:root_name] => hash } if options[:root_name] && RablRails.include_json_root
         ActiveSupport::JSON.encode(hash)
       end
     end
diff --git a/test/compiler_test.rb b/test/compiler_test.rb
index 944fc56..277504a 100644
--- a/test/compiler_test.rb
+++ b/test/compiler_test.rb
@@ -149,4 +149,10 @@ class CompilerTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_equal({ :user => { :_data => :@user, :id => :id } }, t.source)
     assert_equal false, t.data
   end
+  
+  test "name extraction from argument" do
+    assert_equal [:@users, 'users'], @compiler.send(:extract_data_and_name, :@users)
+    assert_equal [:users, :users], @compiler.send(:extract_data_and_name, :users)
+    assert_equal [:@users, :authors], @compiler.send(:extract_data_and_name, :@users => :authors)
+  end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/deep_nesting_test.rb b/test/deep_nesting_test.rb
index 7fc8bed..7aac9e8 100644
--- a/test/deep_nesting_test.rb
+++ b/test/deep_nesting_test.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class DeepNestingTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       end
     }
 
-    assert_equal(ActiveSupport::JSON.encode({
+    assert_equal(ActiveSupport::JSON.encode(:user => {
       :id => 1,
       :name => 'foobar',
       :posts => [{
diff --git a/test/renderers/json_renderer_test.rb b/test/renderers/json_renderer_test.rb
index 84a508f..aa62713 100644
--- a/test/renderers/json_renderer_test.rb
+++ b/test/renderers/json_renderer_test.rb
@@ -115,4 +115,17 @@ class TestJsonRenderer < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     assert_equal %q({"users":[]}), render_json_output
   end
+  
+  test "render object with root node" do
+    @template.root_name = :author
+    @template.source = { :id => :id, :name => :name }
+    assert_equal %q({"author":{"id":1,"name":"foobar"}}), render_json_output    
+  end
+  
+  test "render object with root options set to false" do
+    RablRails.include_json_root = false
+    @template.root_name = :author
+    @template.source = { :id => :id, :name => :name }
+    assert_equal %q({"id":1,"name":"foobar"}), render_json_output    
+  end
 end
\ No newline at end of file