diff --git a/lib/oga/xml/element.rb b/lib/oga/xml/element.rb
index 0d8375c..10b30f2 100644
--- a/lib/oga/xml/element.rb
+++ b/lib/oga/xml/element.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ module Oga
       # @return [String]
       #
       def attribute(name)
-        return attributes[name]
+        return attributes[name.to_sym]
       end
 
       alias_method :attr, :attribute
diff --git a/lib/oga/xml/parser.y b/lib/oga/xml/parser.y
index cfad791..84733e4 100644
--- a/lib/oga/xml/parser.y
+++ b/lib/oga/xml/parser.y
@@ -137,10 +137,10 @@ rule
 
   attribute
     # foo
-    : T_ATTR { {val[0] => nil} }
+    : T_ATTR { {val[0].to_sym => nil} }
 
     # foo="bar"
-    | T_ATTR T_STRING { {val[0] => val[1]} }
+    | T_ATTR T_STRING { {val[0].to_sym => val[1]} }
     ;
 
   # XML declarations
diff --git a/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb b/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb
index 106253c..3515547 100644
--- a/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/oga/xml/element_spec.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ describe Oga::XML::Element do
 
   context '#attribute' do
     before do
-      @instance = described_class.new(:attributes => {'key' => 'value'})
+      @instance = described_class.new(:attributes => {:key => 'value'})
     end
 
     example 'return an attribute' do
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ describe Oga::XML::Element do
     example 'include the attributes if present' do
       instance = described_class.new(
         :name       => 'p',
-        :attributes => {'key' => 'value'}
+        :attributes => {:key => 'value'}
       )
 
       instance.to_xml.should == '<p key="value"></p>'
diff --git a/spec/oga/xml/parser/elements_spec.rb b/spec/oga/xml/parser/elements_spec.rb
index 28e68c9..a8a698c 100644
--- a/spec/oga/xml/parser/elements_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/oga/xml/parser/elements_spec.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ describe Oga::XML::Parser do
     end
 
     example 'set the attributes of the element' do
-      @element.attributes.should == {'bar' => 'baz'}
+      @element.attributes.should == {:bar => 'baz'}
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/oga/xml/parser/html_void_elements_spec.rb b/spec/oga/xml/parser/html_void_elements_spec.rb
index 013b82c..34a081a 100644
--- a/spec/oga/xml/parser/html_void_elements_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/oga/xml/parser/html_void_elements_spec.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe Oga::XML::Parser do
     end
 
     example 'set the attributes' do
-      @node.attributes.should == {'href' => 'foo'}
+      @node.attributes.should == {:href => 'foo'}
     end
   end
 end