diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 5c6c4af..f9f92ea 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-source :rubygems
+source 'https://rubygems.org'
 
 # Don't do a "gemspec" here. Seriously. It jacks up Jeweler.
 
@@ -9,4 +9,6 @@ gem "actionpack", "~> 3.1"
 
 group :development do
   gem "shoulda", "~> 2.11"
+  gem 'rake'
+  gem 'sqlite3'
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/meta_search/builder.rb b/lib/meta_search/builder.rb
index 024a080..14a7ee3 100644
--- a/lib/meta_search/builder.rb
+++ b/lib/meta_search/builder.rb
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ def matches_attribute_method(method_id)
       where = Where.new(method_id) rescue nil
       return nil unless method_name && where
       match = method_name.match("^(.*)_(#{where.name})=?$")
+      return nil unless match
       attribute, predicate = match.captures
       attributes = attribute.split(/_or_/)
       if attributes.all? {|a| where.types.include?(column_type(a))}
diff --git a/lib/meta_search/utility.rb b/lib/meta_search/utility.rb
index 983f39e..6b1cb43 100644
--- a/lib/meta_search/utility.rb
+++ b/lib/meta_search/utility.rb
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ module Utility #:nodoc:
     private
 
     def preferred_method_name(method_id)
-      method_name = method_id.to_s
+      method_name = method_id.to_s.dup # use dup otherwise sub! will change the value of method_id
       where = Where.new(method_name) rescue nil
       return nil unless where
       where.aliases.each do |a|
-        break if method_name.sub!(/#{a}(=?)$/, "#{where.name}\\1")
+        # make sure method_name like "phone" will not convert to "phodoes_not_equal"
+        break if method_name.sub!(/_#{a}(=?)$/, "_#{where.name}\\1")
       end
       method_name
     end