Index: src/test/com/thoughtworks/acceptance/BooleanFieldsTest.java
===================================================================
--- src/test/com/thoughtworks/acceptance/BooleanFieldsTest.java	(revision 0)
+++ src/test/com/thoughtworks/acceptance/BooleanFieldsTest.java	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+package com.thoughtworks.acceptance;
+
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.basic.BooleanConverter;
+
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
+/**
+ * @author David Blevins
+ */
+public class BooleanFieldsTest extends AbstractAcceptanceTest {
+
+    public static class Musican {
+        public String name;
+        public String genre;
+        public boolean alive;
+
+        public Musican(String name, String genre, boolean alive) {
+            this.name = name;
+            this.genre = genre;
+            this.alive = alive;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void testTrueFalseValues() {
+        List jazzIcons = new ArrayList();
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Miles Davis", "jazz", false));
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Wynton Marsalis", "jazz", true));
+
+        xstream.alias("musician", Musican.class);
+
+        String expectedXml =
+                "<list>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Miles Davis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "    <alive>false</alive>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Wynton Marsalis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "    <alive>true</alive>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "</list>";
+
+        assertBothWays(jazzIcons, expectedXml);
+    }
+
+    public void testYesNoValues() {
+        List jazzIcons = new ArrayList();
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Miles Davis", "jazz", false));
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Wynton Marsalis", "jazz", true));
+
+        xstream.alias("musician", Musican.class);
+        xstream.registerConverter(BooleanConverter.YES_NO);
+
+        String expectedXml =
+                "<list>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Miles Davis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "    <alive>no</alive>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Wynton Marsalis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "    <alive>yes</alive>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "</list>";
+
+        assertBothWays(jazzIcons, expectedXml);
+    }
+
+    public void testBinaryValues() {
+        List jazzIcons = new ArrayList();
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Miles Davis", "jazz", false));
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Wynton Marsalis", "jazz", true));
+
+        xstream.alias("musician", Musican.class);
+        xstream.registerConverter(BooleanConverter.BINARY);
+
+        String expectedXml =
+                "<list>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Miles Davis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "    <alive>0</alive>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Wynton Marsalis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "    <alive>1</alive>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "</list>";
+
+        assertBothWays(jazzIcons, expectedXml);
+    }
+
+    public void testEmptyElementImplied() {
+        List jazzIcons = new ArrayList();
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Miles Davis", "jazz", false));
+        jazzIcons.add(new Musican("Wynton Marsalis", "jazz", true));
+        xstream.registerConverter(BooleanConverter.EMPTY_ELEMENT);
+
+        xstream.alias("musician", Musican.class);
+
+        String expectedXml =
+                "<list>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Miles Davis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "  <musician>\n" +
+                "    <name>Wynton Marsalis</name>\n" +
+                "    <genre>jazz</genre>\n" +
+                "    <alive/>\n" +
+                "  </musician>\n" +
+                "</list>";
+
+        assertBothWays(jazzIcons, expectedXml);
+    }
+
+}
Index: src/java/com/thoughtworks/xstream/converters/basic/BooleanConverter.java
===================================================================
--- src/java/com/thoughtworks/xstream/converters/basic/BooleanConverter.java	(revision 847)
+++ src/java/com/thoughtworks/xstream/converters/basic/BooleanConverter.java	(working copy)
@@ -1,19 +1,73 @@
 package com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.basic;
 
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.ConditionalConverter;
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.MarshallingContext;
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.UnmarshallingContext;
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.Converter;
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.io.HierarchicalStreamReader;
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.io.HierarchicalStreamWriter;
+
 /**
  * Converts a boolean primitive or java.lang.Boolean wrapper to
  * a String.
  *
  * @author Joe Walnes
+ * @author David Blevins
  */
-public class BooleanConverter extends AbstractSingleValueConverter {
+public class BooleanConverter implements Converter, ConditionalConverter {
 
+    public static final BooleanConverter TRUE_FALSE = new BooleanConverter("true", "false", false);
+
+    public static final BooleanConverter YES_NO = new BooleanConverter("yes", "no", false);
+
+    public static final BooleanConverter BINARY = new BooleanConverter("1", "0", true);
+
+    public static final BooleanConverter EMPTY_ELEMENT = new BooleanConverter() {
+        public boolean shouldConvert(Class type, Object obj) {
+            Boolean value = (Boolean) obj;
+            return value.booleanValue();
+        }
+
+        public void marshal(Object source, HierarchicalStreamWriter writer, MarshallingContext context) {
+        }
+
+        public Object unmarshal(HierarchicalStreamReader reader, UnmarshallingContext context) {
+            return Boolean.TRUE;
+        }
+    };
+
+    private final String positive;
+    private final String negative;
+    private final boolean caseSensitive;
+
+    public BooleanConverter(String positive, String negative, boolean caseSensitive) {
+        this.positive = positive;
+        this.negative = negative;
+        this.caseSensitive = caseSensitive;
+    }
+
+    public BooleanConverter() {
+        this("true", "false", false);
+    }
+
+    public boolean shouldConvert(Class type, Object value) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     public boolean canConvert(Class type) {
         return type.equals(boolean.class) || type.equals(Boolean.class);
     }
 
-    public Object fromString(String str) {
-        return str.equals("true") ? Boolean.TRUE : Boolean.FALSE;
+    public void marshal(Object source, HierarchicalStreamWriter writer, MarshallingContext context) {
+        Boolean value = (Boolean) source;
+        writer.setValue(value.booleanValue() ? positive : negative);
     }
 
+    public Object unmarshal(HierarchicalStreamReader reader, UnmarshallingContext context) {
+        if (caseSensitive) {
+            return positive.equals(reader.getValue()) ? Boolean.TRUE : Boolean.FALSE;
+        } else {
+            return positive.equalsIgnoreCase(reader.getValue()) ? Boolean.TRUE : Boolean.FALSE;
+        }
+    }
 }