diff --git a/xstream/src/java/com/thoughtworks/xstream/converters/extended/SubjectConverter.java b/xstream/src/java/com/thoughtworks/xstream/converters/extended/SubjectConverter.java
index 594decd17..24d4c032b 100644
--- a/xstream/src/java/com/thoughtworks/xstream/converters/extended/SubjectConverter.java
+++ b/xstream/src/java/com/thoughtworks/xstream/converters/extended/SubjectConverter.java
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ protected Set<Object> unmarshalPrivateCredentials(final HierarchicalStreamReader
 
     protected boolean unmarshalReadOnly(final HierarchicalStreamReader reader) {
         reader.moveDown();
-        final boolean readOnly = Boolean.getBoolean(reader.getValue());
+        final boolean readOnly = Boolean.parseBoolean(reader.getValue());
         reader.moveUp();
         return readOnly;
     };
diff --git a/xstream/src/test/com/thoughtworks/acceptance/ExtendedTypesTest.java b/xstream/src/test/com/thoughtworks/acceptance/ExtendedTypesTest.java
index 6973006c9..9969d6e2d 100644
--- a/xstream/src/test/com/thoughtworks/acceptance/ExtendedTypesTest.java
+++ b/xstream/src/test/com/thoughtworks/acceptance/ExtendedTypesTest.java
@@ -243,6 +243,19 @@ public void testSubject() {
         assertBothWays(subject, expectedXml);
     }
 
+    public void testReadOnlySubject() {
+        xstream.allowTypes(Subject.class);
+        xstream.allowTypeHierarchy(Principal.class);
+
+        final Subject subject = new Subject();
+        subject.setReadOnly();
+        assertTrue(subject.isReadOnly());
+
+        final String xml = xstream.toXML(subject);
+        final Subject unmarshalled = (Subject)xstream.fromXML(xml);
+        assertTrue(unmarshalled.isReadOnly());
+    }
+
     public void testCharset() {
         final Charset charset = Charset.forName("utf-8");
         final String expectedXml = "<charset>UTF-8</charset>";