diff --git a/lib/dao.js b/lib/dao.js
index 614ea459..7a0c62a2 100644
--- a/lib/dao.js
+++ b/lib/dao.js
@@ -94,10 +94,14 @@ DataAccessObject.applyScope = function(query) {
 };
 
 DataAccessObject.applyProperties = function(data) {
-  var scope = this.defaultScope(data, true) || {};
-  if (typeof scope.where === 'object' 
-    && this.definition.settings.applyProperties !== false) {
-    setScopeValuesFromWhere(data, scope.where, this);
+  var properties = this.definition.settings.properties;
+  if (typeof properties === 'object') {
+    util._extend(data, properties);
+  } else if (properties !== false) {
+    var scope = this.defaultScope(data, true) || {};
+    if (typeof scope.where === 'object') {
+      setScopeValuesFromWhere(data, scope.where, this);
+    }
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/test/default-scope.test.js b/test/default-scope.test.js
index 588bb44b..8f9d1f6a 100644
--- a/test/default-scope.test.js
+++ b/test/default-scope.test.js
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ describe('default scope', function () {
     
     Widget = db.define('Widget', Product.definition.properties, {
         base: 'Product',
+        properties: { kind: 'Widget' },
         scope: { where: { kind: 'Widget' }, order: 'name' },
         scopes: { active: { where: { active: true } } },
         mongodb: { collection: 'Product' },