diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 645521b9..bffcb1a9 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ matrix:
   exclude:
   - rvm: 2.4.2
     gemfile: gemfiles/activerecord_6.0.0.gemfile
+  - rvm: 2.2.6
+    gemfile: gemfiles/activerecord_6.1.0.gemfile
+  - rvm: 2.3.5
+    gemfile: gemfiles/activerecord_6.1.0.gemfile
+  - rvm: 2.4.2
+    gemfile: gemfiles/activerecord_6.1.0.gemfile
   - rvm: 2.2.6
     gemfile: gemfiles/activerecord_master.gemfile
   - rvm: 2.3.5
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cd0cef45..d9a42628 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 3.2.1
+
+* [#674](https://github.com/CanCanCommunity/cancancan/pull/674): Fix accidental dependency on ActiveRecord in 3.2.0. ([@ghiculescu][])
+
 ## 3.2.0
 
 * [#649](https://github.com/CanCanCommunity/cancancan/pull/649): Add support for Single Table Inheritance. ([@Liberatys][])
diff --git a/lib/cancan/config.rb b/lib/cancan/config.rb
index 74f7253a..19243395 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/config.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/config.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 module CanCan
   def self.valid_accessible_by_strategies
     strategies = [:left_join]
-    strategies << :subquery unless CanCan::ModelAdapters::ActiveRecordAdapter.version_lower?('5.0.0')
+    strategies << :subquery unless does_not_support_subquery_strategy?
     strategies
   end
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def self.accessible_by_strategy
   end
 
   def self.default_accessible_by_strategy
-    if CanCan::ModelAdapters::ActiveRecordAdapter.version_lower?('5.0.0')
+    if does_not_support_subquery_strategy?
       # see https://github.com/CanCanCommunity/cancancan/pull/655 for where this was added
       # the `subquery` strategy (from https://github.com/CanCanCommunity/cancancan/pull/619
       # only works in Rails 5 and higher
@@ -40,10 +40,15 @@ def self.accessible_by_strategy=(value)
       raise ArgumentError, "accessible_by_strategy must be one of #{valid_accessible_by_strategies.join(', ')}"
     end
 
-    if value == :subquery && CanCan::ModelAdapters::ActiveRecordAdapter.version_lower?('5.0.0')
+    if value == :subquery && does_not_support_subquery_strategy?
       raise ArgumentError, 'accessible_by_strategy = :subquery requires ActiveRecord 5 or newer'
     end
 
     @accessible_by_strategy = value
   end
+
+  def self.does_not_support_subquery_strategy?
+    !defined?(CanCan::ModelAdapters::ActiveRecordAdapter) ||
+      CanCan::ModelAdapters::ActiveRecordAdapter.version_lower?('5.0.0')
+  end
 end