diff --git a/mongoengine/base/common.py b/mongoengine/base/common.py
index da2b8b68..b9971ff7 100644
--- a/mongoengine/base/common.py
+++ b/mongoengine/base/common.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ __all__ = ('UPDATE_OPERATORS', 'get_document', '_document_registry')
 
 UPDATE_OPERATORS = set(['set', 'unset', 'inc', 'dec', 'pop', 'push',
                         'push_all', 'pull', 'pull_all', 'add_to_set',
-                        'set_on_insert', 'min', 'max'])
+                        'set_on_insert', 'min', 'max', 'rename'])
 
 
 _document_registry = {}
diff --git a/tests/document/instance.py b/tests/document/instance.py
index b187f766..9b52c809 100644
--- a/tests/document/instance.py
+++ b/tests/document/instance.py
@@ -1232,6 +1232,19 @@ class InstanceTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(person.name, None)
         self.assertEqual(person.age, None)
 
+    def test_update_rename_operator(self):
+        """Test the $rename operator."""
+        coll = self.Person._get_collection()
+        doc = self.Person(name='John').save()
+        raw_doc = coll.find_one({'_id': doc.pk})
+        self.assertEqual(set(raw_doc.keys()), set(['_id', '_cls', 'name']))
+
+        doc.update(rename__name='first_name')
+        raw_doc = coll.find_one({'_id': doc.pk})
+        self.assertEqual(set(raw_doc.keys()),
+                         set(['_id', '_cls', 'first_name']))
+        self.assertEqual(raw_doc['first_name'], 'John')
+
     def test_inserts_if_you_set_the_pk(self):
         p1 = self.Person(name='p1', id=bson.ObjectId()).save()
         p2 = self.Person(name='p2')