diff --git a/django/utils/feedgenerator.py b/django/utils/feedgenerator.py
index da6e0a8dc85..705dd845024 100644
--- a/django/utils/feedgenerator.py
+++ b/django/utils/feedgenerator.py
@@ -178,13 +178,16 @@ class RssFeed(SyndicationFeed):
     def write(self, outfile, encoding):
         handler = SimplerXMLGenerator(outfile, encoding)
         handler.startDocument()
-        handler.startElement(u"rss", {u"version": self._version})
+        handler.startElement(u"rss", self.rss_attributes())
         handler.startElement(u"channel", self.root_attributes())
         self.add_root_elements(handler)
         self.write_items(handler)
         self.endChannelElement(handler)
         handler.endElement(u"rss")
 
+    def rss_attributes(self):
+        return {u"version": self._version}
+
     def write_items(self, handler):
         for item in self.items:
             handler.startElement(u'item', self.item_attributes(item))
@@ -266,7 +269,7 @@ class Atom1Feed(SyndicationFeed):
         self.write_items(handler)
         handler.endElement(u"feed")
 
-    def root_element_attributes(self):
+    def root_attributes(self):
         if self.feed['language'] is not None:
             return {u"xmlns": self.ns, u"xml:lang": self.feed['language']}
         else:
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/syndication/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/syndication/tests.py
index 0938f69e5b2..caf5e4f04d8 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/syndication/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/syndication/tests.py
@@ -20,9 +20,19 @@ class SyndicationFeedTest(TestCase):
     def test_rss_feed(self):
         response = self.client.get('/syndication/feeds/rss/')
         doc = minidom.parseString(response.content)
-        self.assertEqual(len(doc.getElementsByTagName('channel')), 1)
-
-        chan = doc.getElementsByTagName('channel')[0]
+        
+        # Making sure there's only 1 `rss` element and that the correct
+        # RSS version was specified.
+        feed_elem = doc.getElementsByTagName('rss')
+        self.assertEqual(len(feed_elem), 1)
+        feed = feed_elem[0]
+        self.assertEqual(feed.getAttribute('version'), '2.0')
+        
+        # Making sure there's only one `channel` element w/in the
+        # `rss` element.
+        chan_elem = feed.getElementsByTagName('channel')
+        self.assertEqual(len(chan_elem), 1)
+        chan = chan_elem[0]
         self.assertChildNodes(chan, ['title', 'link', 'description', 'language', 'lastBuildDate', 'item'])
     
         items = chan.getElementsByTagName('item')
@@ -36,6 +46,7 @@ class SyndicationFeedTest(TestCase):
         
         feed = doc.firstChild
         self.assertEqual(feed.nodeName, 'feed')
+        self.assertEqual(feed.getAttribute('xmlns'), 'http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom') 
         self.assertChildNodes(feed, ['title', 'link', 'id', 'updated', 'entry'])        
         
         entries = feed.getElementsByTagName('entry')