diff --git a/lib/enumerated_attribute/integrations/active_record.rb b/lib/enumerated_attribute/integrations/active_record.rb
index f4daa6d..3f87a99 100644
--- a/lib/enumerated_attribute/integrations/active_record.rb
+++ b/lib/enumerated_attribute/integrations/active_record.rb
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class << self
 								def new(*args, &block)
 									result = new_without_enumerated_attribute(*args, &block)
 									params = (!args.empty? && args.first.instance_of?(Hash)) ? args.first : {}
-									params.each { |k, v| result.write_enumerated_attribute(k, v) }
+                  params.each { |k, v| result.write_enumerated_attribute(k, result[k.to_s]) if self.has_enumerated_attribute?(k.to_s) }
 									result.initialize_enumerated_attributes(true)
 									yield result if block_given?
 									result
diff --git a/spec/active_record/active_record_spec.rb b/spec/active_record/active_record_spec.rb
index 1092948..b5d26b9 100644
--- a/spec/active_record/active_record_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/active_record/active_record_spec.rb
@@ -409,6 +409,16 @@
 		s = RaceCar.find r.id
 		s.lights.should == "--- :off\n"
 		s[:lights].should == "--- :off\n"
-	end
-	
+  end
+
+  it "should use values returned by attribute setter methods" do
+    r =RaceCar.new(:license_plate_number => ' asdf ')
+    r.license_plate_number.should == 'asdf'
+  end
+
+  it "should not generate Active Record attributes on #new for keys that are not really active record attributes" do
+    r =RaceCar.new(:non_active_record_attribute => 'some value')
+    r.should_not have_attribute(:non_active_record_attribute)
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/active_record/race_car.rb b/spec/active_record/race_car.rb
index 95f9d9b..f152262 100644
--- a/spec/active_record/race_car.rb
+++ b/spec/active_record/race_car.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 class RaceCar	< ActiveRecord::Base
 	enum_attr :gear, %w(reverse ^neutral first second over_drive)
 	enum_attr :choke, %w(^none medium full)
+
+  attr_accessor :non_active_record_attribute
+
+  def license_plate_number=(value)
+    value = value.strip # remove whitespace from start and end of value
+    write_attribute(:license_plate_number, value)
+  end
 end
 
 #gear = enumerated column attribute
diff --git a/spec/active_record/test_in_memory.rb b/spec/active_record/test_in_memory.rb
index 69a9e2e..7f284b1 100644
--- a/spec/active_record/test_in_memory.rb
+++ b/spec/active_record/test_in_memory.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 connection = ActiveRecord::Base.connection
   connection.create_table(:race_cars, :force=>true) do |t|
 	t.string :name
+	t.string :license_plate_number
 	t.enum :gear
 	t.enum :lights
   t.timestamps