diff --git a/range.c b/range.c
index a52418d2cb..e8a35c22cc 100644
--- a/range.c
+++ b/range.c
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ range_each_func(VALUE range, int (*func)(VALUE, VALUE), VALUE arg)
     }
 }
 
-// NB: Two functions below (step_i_iter and step_i) are used only to maintain the
-// backward-compatible behavior for string ranges with integer steps. If that branch
+// NB: Two functions below (step_i_iter, sym_step_i and step_i) are used only to maintain the
+// backward-compatible behavior for string and symbol ranges with integer steps. If that branch
 // will be removed from range_step, these two can go, too.
 static bool
 step_i_iter(VALUE arg)
@@ -328,6 +328,15 @@ step_i_iter(VALUE arg)
     return true;
 }
 
+static int
+sym_step_i(VALUE i, VALUE arg)
+{
+    if (step_i_iter(arg)) {
+        rb_yield(rb_str_intern(i));
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 step_i(VALUE i, VALUE arg)
 {
@@ -482,15 +491,16 @@ range_step(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE range)
 
     const VALUE b_num_p = rb_obj_is_kind_of(b, rb_cNumeric);
     const VALUE e_num_p = rb_obj_is_kind_of(e, rb_cNumeric);
-    // For backward compatibility reasons (conforming to behavior before 3.4), String supports
-    // both old behavior ('a'..).step(1) and new behavior ('a'..).step('a')
+    // For backward compatibility reasons (conforming to behavior before 3.4), String/Symbol
+    // supports both old behavior ('a'..).step(1) and new behavior ('a'..).step('a')
     // Hence the additional conversion/addional checks.
-    const VALUE sb = rb_check_string_type(b);
+    const VALUE str_b = rb_check_string_type(b);
+    const VALUE sym_b = SYMBOL_P(b) ? rb_sym2str(b) : Qnil;
 
     if (rb_check_arity(argc, 0, 1))
         step = argv[0];
     else {
-        if (b_num_p || !NIL_P(sb) || (NIL_P(b) && e_num_p))
+        if (b_num_p || !NIL_P(str_b) || !NIL_P(sym_b) || (NIL_P(b) && e_num_p))
             step = INT2FIX(1);
         else
             rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "step is required for non-numeric ranges");
@@ -561,17 +571,28 @@ range_step(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE range)
     }
     else if (b_num_p && step_num_p && ruby_float_step(b, e, step, EXCL(range), TRUE)) {
         /* done */
-    } else if (!NIL_P(sb) && FIXNUM_P(step)) {
+    } else if (!NIL_P(str_b) && FIXNUM_P(step)) {
         // backwards compatibility behavior for String only, when no step/Integer step is passed
         // See discussion in https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/18368
 
         VALUE iter[2] = {INT2FIX(1), step};
 
         if (NIL_P(e)) {
-            rb_str_upto_endless_each(sb, step_i, (VALUE)iter);
+            rb_str_upto_endless_each(str_b, step_i, (VALUE)iter);
         }
         else {
-            rb_str_upto_each(sb, e, EXCL(range), step_i, (VALUE)iter);
+            rb_str_upto_each(str_b, e, EXCL(range), step_i, (VALUE)iter);
+        }
+    } else if (!NIL_P(sym_b) && FIXNUM_P(step)) {
+        // same as above: backward compatibility for symbols
+
+        VALUE iter[2] = {INT2FIX(1), step};
+
+        if (NIL_P(e)) {
+            rb_str_upto_endless_each(sym_b, sym_step_i, (VALUE)iter);
+        }
+        else {
+            rb_str_upto_each(sym_b, rb_sym2str(e), EXCL(range), sym_step_i, (VALUE)iter);
         }
     } else {
         v = b;
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_range.rb b/test/ruby/test_range.rb
index 6c591b3155..842be77ab3 100644
--- a/test/ruby/test_range.rb
+++ b/test/ruby/test_range.rb
@@ -519,6 +519,58 @@ class TestRange < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal(%w[a b c], ('a'...).step.take(3))
   end
 
+  def test_step_symbol_legacy
+    # finite
+    a = []
+    (:a..:g).step(2) { a << _1 }
+    assert_equal(%i[a c e g], a)
+
+    assert_kind_of(Enumerator, (:a..:g).step(2))
+    assert_equal(%i[a c e g], (:a..:g).step(2).to_a)
+
+    a = []
+    (:a...:g).step(2) { a << _1 }
+    assert_equal(%i[a c e], a)
+
+    assert_kind_of(Enumerator, (:a...:g).step(2))
+    assert_equal(%i[a c e], (:a...:g).step(2).to_a)
+
+    # endless
+    a = []
+    (:a...).step(2) { a << _1; break if a.size == 3 }
+    assert_equal(%i[a c e], a)
+
+    assert_kind_of(Enumerator, (:a...).step(2))
+    assert_equal(%i[a c e], (:a...).step(2).take(3))
+
+    # beginless
+    assert_raise(ArgumentError) { (...:g).step(2) {} }
+    assert_raise(ArgumentError) { (...:g).step(2) }
+
+    # step is not provided
+    a = []
+    (:a..:d).step { a << _1 }
+    assert_equal(%i[a b c d], a)
+
+    assert_kind_of(Enumerator, (:a..:d).step)
+    assert_equal(%i[a b c d], (:a..:d).step.to_a)
+
+    a = []
+    (:a...:d).step { a << _1 }
+    assert_equal(%i[a b c], a)
+
+    assert_kind_of(Enumerator, (:a...:d).step)
+    assert_equal(%i[a b c], (:a...:d).step.to_a)
+
+    # endless
+    a = []
+    (:a...).step { a << _1; break if a.size == 3 }
+    assert_equal(%i[a b c], a)
+
+    assert_kind_of(Enumerator, (:a...).step)
+    assert_equal(%i[a b c], (:a...).step.take(3))
+  end
+
   def test_step_bug15537
     assert_equal([10.0, 9.0, 8.0, 7.0], (10 ..).step(-1.0).take(4))
     assert_equal([10.0, 9.0, 8.0, 7.0], (10.0 ..).step(-1).take(4))