diff --git a/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher.rb b/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher.rb
index df1e4c086..a3f26d93b 100644
--- a/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher.rb
+++ b/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher.rb
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ module ActionController
       #
       #     route(:get, '/posts/1').to('posts#show', id: 1)
       #
+      # You may also specify special parameters such as `:format`:
+      #
+      #     route(:get, '/posts').to('posts#index', format: :json)
+      #
       # @return [RouteMatcher]
       #
       def route(method, path)
diff --git a/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_params.rb b/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_params.rb
index a1cd5e65e..0ede628b0 100644
--- a/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_params.rb
+++ b/lib/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_params.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ module Matchers
     module ActionController
       # @private
       class RouteParams
+        PARAMS_TO_SYMBOLIZE = %i{ format }
+
         def initialize(args)
           @args = args
         end
@@ -26,17 +28,24 @@ def controller_and_action_given_as_string?
         def extract_params_from_string
           controller, action = args[0].split('#')
           params = (args[1] || {}).merge(controller: controller, action: action)
-          stringify_values(params)
+          normalize_values(params)
         end
 
         def stringify_params
-          stringify_values(args[0])
+          normalize_values(args[0])
         end
 
-        def stringify_values(hash)
-          hash.inject({}) do |hash_copy, (key, value)|
-            hash_copy[key] = stringify(value)
-            hash_copy
+        def normalize_values(hash)
+          hash.each_with_object({}) do |(key, value), hash_copy|
+            hash_copy[key] = symbolize_or_stringify(key, value)
+          end
+        end
+
+        def symbolize_or_stringify(key, value)
+          if key.in?(PARAMS_TO_SYMBOLIZE)
+            value.to_sym
+          else
+            stringify(value)
           end
         end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher_spec.rb b/spec/unit/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher_spec.rb
index 980f770f9..bc413f37e 100644
--- a/spec/unit/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/shoulda/matchers/action_controller/route_matcher_spec.rb
@@ -48,6 +48,26 @@
             to(action: 'show', some: 'other', params: 'here')
         end
       end
+
+      context 'when route has a default format' do
+        it 'accepts' do
+          expect(controller_with_defined_routes).
+            to route(:post, "/#{controller_path}").
+            to(action: 'create', format: 'json')
+        end
+
+        it 'accepts when format is specified as a symbol' do
+          expect(controller_with_defined_routes).
+            to route(:post, "/#{controller_path}").
+            to(action: 'create', format: :json)
+        end
+
+        it 'rejects when format is unspecified' do
+          expect(controller_with_defined_routes).
+            not_to route(:post, "/#{controller_path}").
+            to(action: 'create')
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     context 'when controller and action are specified as a joined string' do
@@ -64,6 +84,20 @@
             to("#{controller_path}#show", id: 1)
         end
       end
+
+      context 'when route has the format' do
+        it 'accepts' do
+          expect(controller_with_defined_routes).
+            to route(:post, "/#{controller_path}").
+            to("#{controller_path}#create", format: 'json')
+        end
+
+        it 'rejects when format is unspecified' do
+          expect(controller_with_defined_routes).
+            not_to route(:post, "/#{controller_path}").
+            to(action: 'create')
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     def controller_with_defined_routes
@@ -76,6 +110,9 @@ def controller_with_defined_routes
         define_routes do
           get "/#{_controller_path}", to: "#{_controller_path}#index"
           get "/#{_controller_path}/:id", to: "#{_controller_path}#show"
+          post "/#{_controller_path}",
+            to: "#{_controller_path}#create",
+            defaults: { format: :json }
         end
 
         controller