diff --git a/lib/model-builder.js b/lib/model-builder.js
index eeec2355..9450dcbc 100644
--- a/lib/model-builder.js
+++ b/lib/model-builder.js
@@ -241,12 +241,18 @@ ModelBuilder.prototype.define = function defineClass(className, properties, sett
   ModelClass.getter = {};
   ModelClass.setter = {};
 
-  // Remove properties that reverted by the subclass
   for (var p in properties) {
+    // Remove properties that reverted by the subclass
     if (properties[p] === null || properties[p] === false) {
       // Hide the base property
       delete properties[p];
     }
+
+    // Warn about properties with unsupported names
+    if (/\./.test(p)) {
+      deprecated('Property names containing a dot are not supported. ' +
+        'Model: ' + className + ', property: ' + p);
+    }
   }
 
   var modelDefinition = new ModelDefinition(this, className, properties, settings);
diff --git a/lib/model.js b/lib/model.js
index 417e9471..85fb01a7 100644
--- a/lib/model.js
+++ b/lib/model.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ var _extend = util._extend;
 var utils = require('./utils');
 var fieldsToArray = utils.fieldsToArray;
 var uuid = require('node-uuid');
+var deprecated = require('depd')('loopback-datasource-juggler');
 
 // Set up an object for quick lookup
 var BASE_TYPES = {
@@ -197,6 +198,13 @@ ModelBaseClass.prototype._initProperties = function (data, options) {
       if (strict === false || self.__cachedRelations[p]) {
         self[p] = self.__data[p] =
           (propVal !== undefined) ? propVal : self.__cachedRelations[p];
+
+        // Warn about properties with unsupported names
+        if (/\./.test(p)) {
+          deprecated('Property names containing a dot are not supported. ' +
+            'Model: ' + this.constructor.modelName +
+            ', dynamic property: ' + p);
+        }
       } else if (strict === 'throw') {
         throw new Error('Unknown property: ' + p);
       }
diff --git a/test/model-definition.test.js b/test/model-definition.test.js
index 634e9ba6..588a15ec 100644
--- a/test/model-definition.test.js
+++ b/test/model-definition.test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ var Memory = require('../lib/connectors/memory');
 var ModelDefinition = require('../lib/model-definition');
 
 describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
+  var memory;
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
+  });
 
   it('should be able to define plain models', function (done) {
     var modelBuilder = new ModelBuilder();
@@ -253,7 +257,6 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
   });
 
   it('should inherit prototype using option.base', function () {
-    var memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
     var modelBuilder = memory.modelBuilder;
     var parent = memory.createModel('parent', {}, {
       relations: {
@@ -273,7 +276,6 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
   });
 
   it('should ignore inherited options.base', function() {
-    var memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
     var modelBuilder = memory.modelBuilder;
     var base = modelBuilder.define('base');
     var child = base.extend('child', {}, { base: 'base' });
@@ -283,7 +285,6 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
   });
 
   it('should ignore inherited options.super', function() {
-    var memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
     var modelBuilder = memory.modelBuilder;
     var base = modelBuilder.define('base');
     var child = base.extend('child', {}, { super: 'base' });
@@ -293,7 +294,6 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
   });
 
   it('should serialize protected properties into JSON', function() {
-    var memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
     var modelBuilder = memory.modelBuilder;
     var ProtectedModel = memory.createModel('protected', {}, {
       protected: ['protectedProperty']
@@ -308,7 +308,6 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
   });
 
   it('should not serialize protected properties of nested models into JSON', function(done){
-    var memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
     var modelBuilder = memory.modelBuilder;
     var Parent = memory.createModel('parent');
     var Child = memory.createModel('child', {}, {protected: ['protectedProperty']});
@@ -332,7 +331,6 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
   });
 
   it('should not serialize hidden properties into JSON', function () {
-    var memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
     var modelBuilder = memory.modelBuilder;
     var HiddenModel = memory.createModel('hidden', {}, {
       hidden: ['secret']
@@ -350,7 +348,6 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
   });
 
   it('should not serialize hidden properties of nested models into JSON', function (done) {
-    var memory = new DataSource({connector: Memory});
     var modelBuilder = memory.modelBuilder;
     var Parent = memory.createModel('parent');
     var Child = memory.createModel('child', {}, {hidden: ['secret']});
@@ -372,5 +369,26 @@ describe('ModelDefinition class', function () {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  it('should report deprecation warning for property names containing dot', function() {
+    var message = 'deprecation not reported';
+    process.once('deprecation', function(err) { message = err.message; });
+
+    memory.createModel('Dotted', { 'dot.name': String });
+
+    message.should.match(/Dotted.*dot\.name/);
+  });
+
+  it('should report deprecation warning for dynamic property names containing dot', function(done) {
+    var message = 'deprecation not reported';
+    process.once('deprecation', function(err) { message = err.message; });
+
+    var Model = memory.createModel('DynamicDotted');
+    Model.create({ 'dot.name': 'dot.value' }, function(err) {
+      if (err) return done(err);
+      message.should.match(/Dotted.*dot\.name/);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
 });