diff --git a/lib/dao.js b/lib/dao.js
index 9b1afbbb..a55d9c9c 100644
--- a/lib/dao.js
+++ b/lib/dao.js
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ DataAccessObject.updateOrCreate = DataAccessObject.upsert = function upsert(data
  * @param {Function} cb Callback called with (err, instance, created)
  */
 DataAccessObject.findOrCreate = function findOrCreate(query, data, options, cb) {
+  if (stillConnecting(this.getDataSource(), this, arguments)) return;
 
   assert(arguments.length >= 2, 'At least two arguments are required');
   if (options === undefined && cb === undefined) {
@@ -447,13 +448,85 @@ DataAccessObject.findOrCreate = function findOrCreate(query, data, options, cb)
   assert(typeof cb === 'function', 'The cb argument must be a function');
 
   var Model = this;
-  Model.findOne(query, function (err, record) {
-    if (err) return cb(err);
-    if (record) return cb(null, record, false);
-    Model.create(data, options, function (err, record) {
-      cb(err, record, record != null);
+  var self = this;
+
+  function _findOrCreate(query, data) {
+    var modelName = self.modelName;
+    data = removeUndefined(data);
+    self.getDataSource().connector.findOrCreate(modelName, query,
+      self._forDB(data),
+      function(err, data, created) {
+        var obj, Model = self.lookupModel(data);
+
+        if (data) {
+          obj = new Model(data, {fields: query.fields, applySetters: false,
+            persisted: true});
+        }
+
+        if (created) {
+          Model.notifyObserversOf('after save', { Model: Model, instance: obj },
+            function(err) {
+              cb(err, obj, created);
+              if (!err) Model.emit('changed', obj);
+            });
+        } else {
+          cb(err, obj, created);
+        }
+      });
+  }
+
+  if (this.getDataSource().connector.findOrCreate) {
+    query.limit = 1;
+
+    try {
+      this._normalize(query);
+    } catch (err) {
+      return process.nextTick(function () {
+        cb(err);
+      });
+    }
+
+    this.applyScope(query);
+
+    Model.notifyObserversOf('access', { Model: Model, query: query },
+      function (err, ctx) {
+      if (err) return cb(err);
+
+      var query = ctx.query;
+
+      var enforced = {};
+      var Model = self.lookupModel(data);
+      var obj = data instanceof Model ? data : new Model(data);
+
+      Model.applyProperties(enforced, obj);
+      obj.setAttributes(enforced);
+
+      Model.notifyObserversOf('before save', { Model: Model, instance: obj },
+        function(err, ctx) {
+        if (err) return cb(err);
+
+        var obj = ctx.instance;
+        var data = obj.toObject(true);
+
+        // validation required
+        obj.isValid(function (valid) {
+          if (valid) {
+            _findOrCreate(query, data);
+          } else {
+            cb(new ValidationError(obj), obj);
+          }
+        }, data);
+      });
     });
-  });
+  } else {
+    Model.findOne(query, options, function (err, record) {
+      if (err) return cb(err);
+      if (record) return cb(null, record, false);
+      Model.create(data, options, function (err, record) {
+        cb(err, record, record != null);
+      });
+    });
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/memory.test.js b/test/memory.test.js
index 341913e7..a9cc627a 100644
--- a/test/memory.test.js
+++ b/test/memory.test.js
@@ -399,16 +399,29 @@ describe('Memory connector', function() {
       });
     });
   });
+});
 
-  require('./persistence-hooks.suite')(
-    new DataSource({ connector: Memory }),
-    should);
+describe('Optimized connector', function() {
+  var ds = new DataSource({ connector: Memory });
+
+  // optimized methods
+  ds.connector.findOrCreate = function (model, query, data, callback) {
+    this.all(model, query, function (err, list) {
+      if (err || (list && list[0])) return callback(err, list && list[0], false);
+      this.create(model, data, function (err) {
+        callback(err, data, true);
+      });
+    }.bind(this));
+  };
+
+  require('./persistence-hooks.suite')(ds, should);
 });
 
 describe('Unoptimized connector', function() {
   var ds = new DataSource({ connector: Memory });
   // disable optimized methods
   ds.connector.updateOrCreate = false;
+  ds.connector.findOrCreate = false;
 
   require('./persistence-hooks.suite')(ds, should);
 });
diff --git a/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js b/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js
index 1df8699d..6a6d3538 100644
--- a/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js
+++ b/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js
@@ -274,26 +274,25 @@ module.exports = function(dataSource, should) {
           });
       });
 
-      // TODO(bajtos) Enable this test for all connectors that
-      // provide optimized implementation of findOrCreate.
-      // The unoptimized implementation does not trigger the hook
-      // when an existing model was found.
-      it.skip('triggers `before save` hook when found', function(done) {
-        TestModel.observe('before save', pushContextAndNext());
+      if (dataSource.connector.findOrCreate) {
+        it('triggers `before save` hook when found', function(done) {
+          TestModel.observe('before save', pushContextAndNext());
 
-        TestModel.findOrCreate(
-          { where: { name: existingInstance.name } },
-          { name: existingInstance.name },
-          function(err, record, created) {
-            if (err) return done(err);
-            observedContexts.should.eql(aTestModelCtx({ instance: {
-              id: record.id,
-              name: existingInstance.name,
-              extra: undefined
-            }}));
-            done();
-          });
-      });
+          TestModel.findOrCreate(
+            { where: { name: existingInstance.name } },
+            { name: existingInstance.name },
+            function(err, record, created) {
+              if (err) return done(err);
+              record.id.should.eql(existingInstance.id);
+              observedContexts.should.eql(aTestModelCtx({ instance: {
+                id: getLastGeneratedUid(),
+                name: existingInstance.name,
+                extra: undefined
+              }}));
+              done();
+            });
+        });
+      }
 
       it('triggers `before save` hook when not found', function(done) {
         TestModel.observe('before save', pushContextAndNext());
@@ -1250,6 +1249,10 @@ module.exports = function(dataSource, should) {
       lastId += 1;
       return '' + lastId;
     }
+
+    function getLastGeneratedUid() {
+      return '' + lastId;
+    }
   });
 
   function deepCloneToObject(obj) {