diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 63e193113..24b4476b4 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -13,9 +13,14 @@
   exist, and the matcher fails, it does not raise an error when producing the
   failure message. ([#588])
 
+* Fix `have_and_belong_to_many` used with `join_table` so that it does not fail
+  when `foreign_key` and/or `association_foreign_key` was specified on the
+  association as a symbol instead of a string. ([#584])
+
 [#591]: https://github.com/thoughtbot/shoulda-matchers/pull/591
 [#592]: https://github.com/thoughtbot/shoulda-matchers/pull/592
 [#588]: https://github.com/thoughtbot/shoulda-matchers/pull/588
+[#584]: https://github.com/thoughtbot/shoulda-matchers/pull/584
 
 # 2.7.0
 
diff --git a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matchers/join_table_matcher.rb b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matchers/join_table_matcher.rb
index 0c9ade18f..bb97e9bc5 100644
--- a/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matchers/join_table_matcher.rb
+++ b/lib/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matchers/join_table_matcher.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def join_table_has_correct_columns?
 
           def missing_columns
             @missing_columns ||= expected_join_table_columns.select do |key|
-              !actual_join_table_columns.include?(key)
+              !actual_join_table_columns.include?(key.to_s)
             end
           end
 
diff --git a/spec/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matcher_spec.rb b/spec/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matcher_spec.rb
index a1c49a481..e1526e615 100644
--- a/spec/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matcher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/shoulda/matchers/active_record/association_matcher_spec.rb
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ def having_one_non_existent(model_name, assoc_name, options = {})
 
         expect do
           expect(Person.new).to have_and_belong_to_many(:relatives)
-        end.to fail_with_message_including('missing columns: custom_foreign_key_id, relative_id')
+        end.to fail_with_message_including('missing column: relative_id')
       end
     end
 
@@ -776,8 +776,26 @@ def having_one_non_existent(model_name, assoc_name, options = {})
 
         expect do
           expect(Person.new).to have_and_belong_to_many(:relatives)
-        end.to fail_with_message_including('missing columns: person_id, custom_association_foreign_key_id')
+        end.to fail_with_message_including('missing column: person_id')
       end
+
+      it 'accepts foreign keys when they are symbols' do
+        define_model :relative
+        define_model :person do
+          has_and_belongs_to_many :relatives,
+                                  foreign_key: :some_foreign_key_id,
+                                  association_foreign_key: :custom_association_foreign_key_id
+        end
+
+        define_model :people_relative,
+                     id: false,
+                     custom_association_foreign_key_id: :integer,
+                     some_foreign_key_id: :integer
+
+        expect(Person.new).to have_and_belong_to_many(:relatives)
+
+      end
+
     end
 
     it 'rejects an association of the wrong type' do