diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rdoc b/CHANGELOG.rdoc
index 3621703..5f4c5e9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rdoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rdoc
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 1.1.0 (not released)
 
-* Adding be_able_to RSpec matcher (thanks dchelimsky) - see issue #54
+* Renaming :class option to :resource for load_and_authorize_resource which now supports a symbol for non models - see issue #45
+
+* Properly handle Admin::AbilitiesController in params[:controller] - see issue #46
+
+* Adding be_able_to RSpec matcher (thanks dchelimsky), requires Ruby 1.8.7 or higher - see issue #54
 
 * Support additional arguments to can? which get passed to the block - see issue #48
 
diff --git a/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb b/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb
index 4d1f05b..55e6b3f 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/controller_additions.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ module CanCan
       #   end
       # 
       def load_and_authorize_resource(options = {})
-        before_filter(options.slice(:only, :except)) { |c| ResourceAuthorization.new(c, c.params, options.except(:only, :except)).load_and_authorize_resource }
+        ResourceAuthorization.add_before_filter(self, :load_and_authorize_resource, options)
       end
       
       # Sets up a before filter which loads the appropriate model resource into an instance variable.
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ module CanCan
       #   
       #     load_resource :nested => [:publisher, :author]
       #   
-      # [:+class+]
-      #   The class to use for the model.
+      # [:+resource+]
+      #   The class to use for the model (string or constant).
       #   
       # [:+collection+]
       #   Specify which actions are resource collection actions in addition to :+index+. This
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ module CanCan
       #     load_resource :new => :build
       # 
       def load_resource(options = {})
-        before_filter(options.slice(:only, :except)) { |c| ResourceAuthorization.new(c, c.params, options.except(:only, :except)).load_resource }
+        ResourceAuthorization.add_before_filter(self, :load_resource, options)
       end
       
       # Sets up a before filter which authorizes the current resource using the instance variable.
@@ -102,11 +102,12 @@ module CanCan
       # [:+except+]
       #   Does not apply before filter to given actions.
       # 
-      # [:+class+]
-      #   The class to use for the model.
+      # [:+resource+]
+      #   The class to use for the model (string or constant). Alternatively pass a symbol
+      #   to represent a resource which does not have a class.
       # 
       def authorize_resource(options = {})
-        before_filter(options.slice(:only, :except)) { |c| ResourceAuthorization.new(c, c.params, options.except(:only, :except)).authorize_resource }
+        ResourceAuthorization.add_before_filter(self, :authorize_resource, options)
       end
     end
     
diff --git a/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb b/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb
index a14475a..9a08a6a 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/controller_resource.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 module CanCan
   class ControllerResource # :nodoc:
     def initialize(controller, name, parent = nil, options = {})
+      raise "The :class option has been renamed to :resource for specifying the class in CanCan." if options.has_key? :class
       @controller = controller
       @name = name
       @parent = parent
@@ -8,7 +9,13 @@ module CanCan
     end
     
     def model_class
-      @options[:class] || @name.to_s.camelize.constantize
+      if @options[:resource].nil?
+        @name.to_s.camelize.constantize
+      elsif @options[:resource].kind_of? String
+        @options[:resource].constantize
+      else
+        @options[:resource]
+      end
     end
     
     def find(id)
diff --git a/lib/cancan/resource_authorization.rb b/lib/cancan/resource_authorization.rb
index a2a8a4e..fe8d22d 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/resource_authorization.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/resource_authorization.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ module CanCan
   class ResourceAuthorization # :nodoc:
     attr_reader :params
     
+    def self.add_before_filter(controller_class, method, options = {})
+      controller_class.before_filter(options.slice(:only, :except)) do |controller|
+        new(controller, controller.params, options.except(:only, :except)).send(method)
+      end
+    end
+    
     def initialize(controller, params, options = {})
       @controller = controller
       @params = params
diff --git a/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb b/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb
index aba66f2..721cf46 100644
--- a/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,17 @@ describe CanCan::ControllerResource do
   
   it "should use the model class option if provided" do
     stub(Person).find(123) { :some_resource }
-    CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :ability, nil, :class => Person).find(123)
+    CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :ability, nil, :resource => Person).find(123)
     @controller.instance_variable_get(:@ability).should == :some_resource
   end
+  
+  it "should convert string to constant for resource" do
+    CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :ability, nil, :resource => "Person").model_class.should == Person
+  end
+  
+  it "should raise an exception when specifying :class option since it is no longer used" do
+    lambda {
+      CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :ability, nil, :class => Person)
+    }.should raise_error
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/cancan/resource_authorization_spec.rb b/spec/cancan/resource_authorization_spec.rb
index 976cee4..bb21fd6 100644
--- a/spec/cancan/resource_authorization_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cancan/resource_authorization_spec.rb
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ describe CanCan::ResourceAuthorization do
   
   it "should load the model using a custom class" do
     stub(Person).find(123) { :some_resource }
-    authorization = CanCan::ResourceAuthorization.new(@controller, {:controller => "abilities", :action => "show", :id => 123}, {:class => Person})
+    authorization = CanCan::ResourceAuthorization.new(@controller, {:controller => "abilities", :action => "show", :id => 123}, {:resource => Person})
     authorization.load_resource
     @controller.instance_variable_get(:@ability).should == :some_resource
   end