diff --git a/lib/jekyll.rb b/lib/jekyll.rb
index 0f47e9af..7b661048 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll.rb
@@ -83,9 +83,7 @@ module Jekyll
     config = config.read_config_files(config.config_files(override))
 
     # Merge DEFAULTS < _config.yml < override
-    config = Utils.hash_stringify_keys(
-      Utils.hash_deep_merge(config, override)
-    )
+    config = Utils.deep_merge_hashes(config, override).stringify_keys
     set_timezone(config['timezone']) if config['timezone']
 
     config
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/configuration.rb b/lib/jekyll/configuration.rb
index ee86dbf1..091bebc4 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/configuration.rb
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ module Jekyll
       begin
         files.each do |config_file|
           new_config = read_config_file(config_file)
-          configuration = Utils.hash_deep_merge(configuration, new_config)
+          configuration = Utils.deep_merge_hashes(configuration, new_config)
         end
       rescue ArgumentError => err
         Jekyll.logger.warn "WARNING:", "Error reading configuration. " +
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown/kramdown_parser.rb b/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown/kramdown_parser.rb
index ed634cbe..cd1fdf9a 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown/kramdown_parser.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown/kramdown_parser.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ module Jekyll
             end
           end
 
-          Kramdown::Document.new(content, Utils.hash_symbolize_keys(@config["kramdown"])).to_html
+          Kramdown::Document.new(content, Utils.symbolize_hash_keys(@config["kramdown"])).to_html
         end
 
       end
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb b/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb
index 5426c7bd..bc87f336 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/convertible.rb
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ module Jekyll
       further_data = Hash[(attrs || self.class::ATTRIBUTES_FOR_LIQUID).map { |attribute|
         [attribute, send(attribute)]
       }]
-      Utils.hash_deep_merge(data, further_data)
+      Utils.deep_merge_hashes(data, further_data)
     end
 
     # Recursively render layouts
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ module Jekyll
       used = Set.new([layout])
 
       while layout
-        payload = Utils.hash_deep_merge(payload, {"content" => output, "page" => layout.data})
+        payload = Utils.deep_merge_hashes(payload, {"content" => output, "page" => layout.data})
 
         self.output = render_liquid(layout.content,
                                          payload,
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/page.rb b/lib/jekyll/page.rb
index b786c55d..0c71c7d1 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/page.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/page.rb
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ module Jekyll
     #
     # Returns nothing.
     def render(layouts, site_payload)
-      payload = Utils.hash_deep_merge({
+      payload = Utils.deep_merge_hashes({
         "page" => to_liquid,
         'paginator' => pager.to_liquid
       }, site_payload)
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/post.rb b/lib/jekyll/post.rb
index 61ef6a20..180faa27 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/post.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/post.rb
@@ -66,13 +66,13 @@ module Jekyll
 
     def populate_categories
       if categories.empty?
-        self.categories = Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'category', 'categories').map {|c| c.to_s.downcase}
+        self.categories = Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'category', 'categories').map {|c| c.to_s.downcase}
       end
       categories.flatten!
     end
 
     def populate_tags
-      self.tags = Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, "tag", "tags").flatten
+      self.tags = Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, "tag", "tags").flatten
     end
 
     # Get the full path to the directory containing the post files
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ module Jekyll
     # Returns nothing.
     def render(layouts, site_payload)
       # construct payload
-      payload = Utils.hash_deep_merge({
+      payload = Utils.deep_merge_hashes({
         "site" => { "related_posts" => related_posts(site_payload["site"]["posts"]) },
         "page" => to_liquid(EXCERPT_ATTRIBUTES_FOR_LIQUID)
       }, site_payload)
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/utils.rb b/lib/jekyll/utils.rb
index bb2a6ef5..d74174c4 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/utils.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/utils.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module Jekyll
 
         other_hash.keys.each do |key|
           if other_hash[key].is_a? Hash and target[key].is_a? Hash
-            target[key] = Utils.hash_deep_merge(target[key], other_hash[key])
+            target[key] = Utils.deep_merge_hashes(target[key], other_hash[key])
             next
           end
 
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index ec0a7f91..b9b7e4cd 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class Test::Unit::TestCase
   include RR::Adapters::TestUnit
 
   def build_configs(overrides, base_hash = Jekyll::Configuration::DEFAULTS)
-    Utils.hash_deep_merge(base_hash, overrides)
+    Utils.deep_merge_hashes(base_hash, overrides)
   end
 
   def site_configuration(overrides = {})
diff --git a/test/test_configuration.rb b/test/test_configuration.rb
index be2cca5e..3a8918f9 100644
--- a/test/test_configuration.rb
+++ b/test/test_configuration.rb
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ class TestConfiguration < Test::Unit::TestCase
     should "load different config if specified" do
       mock(SafeYAML).load_file(@paths[:other]) { {"baseurl" => "http://wahoo.dev"} }
       mock($stdout).puts("Configuration file: #{@paths[:other]}")
-      assert_equal Utils.hash_deep_merge(Jekyll::Configuration::DEFAULTS, { "baseurl" => "http://wahoo.dev" }), Jekyll.configuration({ "config" => @paths[:other] })
+      assert_equal Utils.deep_merge_hashes(Jekyll::Configuration::DEFAULTS, { "baseurl" => "http://wahoo.dev" }), Jekyll.configuration({ "config" => @paths[:other] })
     end
 
     should "load default config if path passed is empty" do
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ class TestConfiguration < Test::Unit::TestCase
       mock(SafeYAML).load_file(@paths[:other]) { {"baseurl" => "http://wahoo.dev"} }
       mock($stdout).puts("Configuration file: #{@paths[:default]}")
       mock($stdout).puts("Configuration file: #{@paths[:other]}")
-      assert_equal Utils.hash_deep_merge(Jekyll::Configuration::DEFAULTS, { "baseurl" => "http://wahoo.dev" }), Jekyll.configuration({ "config" => [@paths[:default], @paths[:other]] })
+      assert_equal Utils.deep_merge_hashes(Jekyll::Configuration::DEFAULTS, { "baseurl" => "http://wahoo.dev" }), Jekyll.configuration({ "config" => [@paths[:default], @paths[:other]] })
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/test_kramdown.rb b/test/test_kramdown.rb
index c1b80700..4bfe725e 100644
--- a/test/test_kramdown.rb
+++ b/test/test_kramdown.rb
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class TestKramdown < Test::Unit::TestCase
       assert_match /<p>(&#8220;|“)Pit(&#8217;|’)hy(&#8221;|”)<\/p>/, @markdown.convert(%{"Pit'hy"}).strip
 
       override = { 'kramdown' => { 'smart_quotes' => 'lsaquo,rsaquo,laquo,raquo' } }
-      markdown = Converters::Markdown.new(Utils.hash_deep_merge(@config, override))
+      markdown = Converters::Markdown.new(Utils.deep_merge_hashes(@config, override))
       assert_match /<p>(&#171;|«)Pit(&#8250;|›)hy(&#187;|»)<\/p>/, markdown.convert(%{"Pit'hy"}).strip
     end
 
diff --git a/test/test_utils.rb b/test/test_utils.rb
index 223de687..cfd6c4a6 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.rb
+++ b/test/test_utils.rb
@@ -7,57 +7,57 @@ class TestUtils < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
       should "return empty array with no values" do
         data = {}
-        assert_equal [], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal [], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return empty array with no matching values" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar' }
-        assert_equal [], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal [], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return empty array with matching nil singular" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tag' => nil, 'tags' => ['dog', 'cat'] }
-        assert_equal [], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal [], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return single value array with matching singular" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tag' => 'dog', 'tags' => ['dog', 'cat'] }
-        assert_equal ['dog'], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal ['dog'], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return single value array with matching singular with spaces" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tag' => 'dog cat', 'tags' => ['dog', 'cat'] }
-        assert_equal ['dog cat'], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal ['dog cat'], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return empty array with matching nil plural" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tags' => nil }
-        assert_equal [], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal [], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return empty array with matching empty array" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tags' => [] }
-        assert_equal [], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal [], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return single value array with matching plural with single string value" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tags' => 'dog' }
-        assert_equal ['dog'], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal ['dog'], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return multiple value array with matching plural with single string value with spaces" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tags' => 'dog cat' }
-        assert_equal ['dog', 'cat'], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal ['dog', 'cat'], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return single value array with matching plural with single value array" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tags' => ['dog'] }
-        assert_equal ['dog'], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal ['dog'], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
       should "return multiple value array with matching plural with multiple value array" do
         data = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'tags' => ['dog', 'cat'] }
-        assert_equal ['dog', 'cat'], Utils.hash_pluralized_array(data, 'tag', 'tags')
+        assert_equal ['dog', 'cat'], Utils.pluralized_array_from_hash(data, 'tag', 'tags')
       end
 
     end