diff --git a/lib/ldclient-rb/ldclient.rb b/lib/ldclient-rb/ldclient.rb
index bc967088..1bb216f0 100644
--- a/lib/ldclient-rb/ldclient.rb
+++ b/lib/ldclient-rb/ldclient.rb
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def get_flag_int(key, user, default)
       end
 
 
-      feature = JSON.parse(res.body)
+      feature = JSON.parse(res.body, :symbolize_names => true)
 
       val = evaluate(feature, user)
 
@@ -103,43 +103,44 @@ def get_flag_int(key, user, default)
     end
 
     def param_for_user(feature, user)
-      if user.has_key? 'key' 
-        id_hash = user['key']
+      if user.has_key? :key 
+        id_hash = user[:key]
       else
         return nil
       end
 
-      if user.has_key? 'secondary'
-        id_hash += '.' + user['secondary']
+      if user.has_key? :secondary
+        id_hash += '.' + user[:secondary]
       end
 
-      hash_key = "%s.%s.%s" % [feature['key'], feature['salt'], id_hash]
+      hash_key = "%s.%s.%s" % [feature[:key], feature[:salt], id_hash]
+
       hash_val = (Digest::SHA1.hexdigest(hash_key))[0..14]
       return hash_val.to_i(16) / LONG_SCALE
     end
 
     def match_target?(target, user)
-      attrib = target['attribute']
+      attrib = target[:attribute].to_sym
 
-      if attrib == 'key' or attrib == 'ip' or attrib == 'country'
+      if attrib == :key or attrib == :ip or attrib == :country
         if user[attrib]
           u_value = user[attrib]
-          return target['values'].include? u_value
+          return target[:values].include? u_value
         else
           return false
         end
       else # custom attribute
-        unless user.has_key? 'custom'
+        unless user.has_key? :custom
           return false
         end
-        unless user['custom'].include? attrib
+        unless user[:custom].include? attrib
           return false
         end
-        u_value = user['custom'][attrib]
+        u_value = user[:custom][attrib]
         if u_value.is_a? String or u_value.is_a? Numeric
-          return target['values'].include? u_value
+          return target[:values].include? u_value
         elsif u_value.is_a? Array
-          return ! ((target['values'] & u_value).empty?)
+          return ! ((target[:values] & u_value).empty?)
         end
 
         return false     
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ def match_target?(target, user)
     end
 
     def match_variation?(variation, user)
-      variation['targets'].each do |target|
+      variation[:targets].each do |target|
         if match_target?(target, user)
           return true
         end
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ def match_variation?(variation, user)
     end
 
     def evaluate(feature, user)
-      unless feature['on']
+      unless feature[:on]
         return nil
       end
 
@@ -167,18 +168,18 @@ def evaluate(feature, user)
         return nil
       end
 
-      feature['variations'].each do |variation|
+      feature[:variations].each do |variation|
         if match_variation?(variation, user)
-          return variation['value']
+          return variation[:value]
         end
       end
 
       total = 0.0
-      feature['variations'].each do |variation|
-        total += variation['weight'].to_f / 100.0
+      feature[:variations].each do |variation|
+        total += variation[:weight].to_f / 100.0
 
         if param < total
-          return variation['value']
+          return variation[:value]
         end
       end