diff --git a/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_dsl.rb b/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_dsl.rb
index d6889ca76f..ff0b2b407f 100644
--- a/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_dsl.rb
+++ b/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_dsl.rb
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ def register_rb_transform(regexp, proc)
           @rb_language.register_rb_transform(regexp, proc)          
         end
 
-        def register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc)
-          @rb_language.register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc)
+        def register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc_or_sym, options = {})
+          @rb_language.register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc_or_sym, options)
         end
       end
 
@@ -98,12 +98,19 @@ def AfterConfiguration(&proc)
       # also to the i18n translations whenever a feature of a
       # new language is loaded.
       #
-      # The +&proc+ gets executed in the context of a <tt>World</tt>
-      # object, which is defined by #World. A new <tt>World</tt>
-      # object is created for each scenario and is shared across
-      # step definitions within that scenario.
-      def register_rb_step_definition(regexp, &proc)
-        RbDsl.register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc)
+      # If provided, the +symbol+ is sent to the <tt>World</tt> object
+      # as defined by #World. A new <tt>World</tt> object is created
+      # for each scenario and is shared across step definitions within
+      # that scenario. If the +options+ hash contains an <tt>:on</tt>
+      # key, the value for this is assumed to be a proc. This proc
+      # will be executed in the context of the <tt>World</tt> object
+      # and then sent the +symbol+.
+      #
+      # If no +symbol+ if provided then the +&proc+ gets executed in
+      # the context of the <tt>World</tt> object.
+      def register_rb_step_definition(regexp, symbol = nil, options = {}, &proc)
+        proc_or_sym = symbol || proc
+        RbDsl.register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc_or_sym, options)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_language.rb b/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_language.rb
index bb59050f52..bce857783d 100644
--- a/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_language.rb
+++ b/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_language.rb
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ def register_rb_transform(regexp, proc)
         add_transform(RbTransform.new(self, regexp, proc))
       end
 
-      def register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc)
-        step_definition = RbStepDefinition.new(self, regexp, proc)
+      def register_rb_step_definition(regexp, proc_or_sym, options)
+        step_definition = RbStepDefinition.new(self, regexp, proc_or_sym, options)
         @step_definitions << step_definition
         step_definition
       end
diff --git a/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition.rb b/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition.rb
index 72d4e4bf2c..cc2e168a70 100644
--- a/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition.rb
+++ b/lib/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition.rb
@@ -19,18 +19,25 @@ class RbStepDefinition
 
       class MissingProc < StandardError
         def message
-          "Step definitions must always have a proc"
+          "Step definitions must always have a proc or symbol"
         end
       end
 
-      def initialize(rb_language, regexp, proc)
-        raise MissingProc if proc.nil?
+      def initialize(rb_language, regexp, proc_or_sym, options)
+        raise MissingProc if proc_or_sym.nil?
         if String === regexp
           p = Regexp.escape(regexp)
           p = p.gsub(/\\\$\w+/, '(.*)') # Replace $var with (.*)
           regexp = Regexp.new("^#{p}$") 
         end
-        @rb_language, @regexp, @proc = rb_language, regexp, proc
+        @rb_language, @regexp, @proc = rb_language, regexp, proc_or_sym
+        if @proc.kind_of? Symbol
+          @proc = lambda do |*args|
+            target = options[:on] ? instance_exec(&options[:on]) : self
+            target.send(proc_or_sym, *args)
+          end
+        end
+
         @rb_language.available_step_definition(regexp_source, file_colon_line)
       end
 
@@ -71,7 +78,12 @@ def backtrace_line
       end
 
       def file_colon_line
-        @proc.file_colon_line
+        case @proc
+        when Proc
+          @proc.file_colon_line
+        when Symbol
+          ":#{@proc}"
+        end
       end
     
       def file
diff --git a/spec/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition_spec.rb b/spec/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition_spec.rb
index 805bc63d9c..2825c50c22 100644
--- a/spec/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cucumber/rb_support/rb_step_definition_spec.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,22 @@ module RbSupport
         $inside.should == 'inside'
       end
 
+      it "should call a method on the world when specified with a symbol" do
+        rb.current_world.should_receive(:with_symbol)
+        dsl.Given /With symbol/, :with_symbol
+
+        support_code.step_match("With symbol").invoke(nil)
+      end
+
+      it "should call a method on a specified object" do
+        target = double('target')
+        target.should_receive(:with_symbol)
+        rb.current_world.stub!(:target).and_return(target)
+        dsl.Given /With symbol on block/, :with_symbol, :on => lambda { target }
+
+        support_code.step_match("With symbol on block").invoke(nil)
+      end
+
       it "should raise Undefined when inside step is not defined" do
         dsl.Given /Outside/ do
           step 'Inside'
@@ -91,7 +107,7 @@ module RbSupport
       end
 
       it "should have a JSON representation of the signature" do
-        RbStepDefinition.new(rb, /I CAN HAZ (\d+) CUKES/i, lambda{}).to_hash.should == {'source' => "I CAN HAZ (\\d+) CUKES", 'flags' => 'i'}
+        RbStepDefinition.new(rb, /I CAN HAZ (\d+) CUKES/i, lambda{}, {}).to_hash.should == {'source' => "I CAN HAZ (\\d+) CUKES", 'flags' => 'i'}
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/cucumber/step_match_spec.rb b/spec/cucumber/step_match_spec.rb
index a6c24fe314..fdfacf4ae9 100644
--- a/spec/cucumber/step_match_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cucumber/step_match_spec.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ module Cucumber
     end
 
     def stepdef(regexp)
-      RbSupport::RbStepDefinition.new(@rb_language, regexp, lambda{})
+      RbSupport::RbStepDefinition.new(@rb_language, regexp, lambda{}, {})
     end
 
     def step_match(regexp, name)
@@ -66,4 +66,4 @@ def step_match(regexp, name)
       m.format_args("<span>%s</span>").should == "running<span> 5 times</span> <span>10</span> meters"
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end