diff --git a/lib/dao.js b/lib/dao.js
index 7a0c62a2..ee49bc94 100644
--- a/lib/dao.js
+++ b/lib/dao.js
@@ -78,27 +78,29 @@ DataAccessObject._forDB = function (data) {
   return res;
 };
 
-DataAccessObject.defaultScope = function(target, isData) {
+DataAccessObject.defaultScope = function(target, inst) {
   var scope = this.definition.settings.scope;
   if (typeof scope === 'function') {
-    scope = this.definition.settings.scope.call(this, target, isData);
+    scope = this.definition.settings.scope.call(this, target, inst);
   }
   return scope;
 };
 
-DataAccessObject.applyScope = function(query) {
-  var scope = this.defaultScope(query, false) || {};
+DataAccessObject.applyScope = function(query, inst) {
+  var scope = this.defaultScope(query, inst) || {};
   if (typeof scope === 'object') {
     mergeQuery(query, scope || {}, this.definition.settings.scoping);
   }
 };
 
-DataAccessObject.applyProperties = function(data) {
+DataAccessObject.applyProperties = function(data, inst) {
   var properties = this.definition.settings.properties;
   if (typeof properties === 'object') {
     util._extend(data, properties);
+  } else if (typeof properties === 'function') {
+    util._extend(data, properties.call(this, data, inst) || {});
   } else if (properties !== false) {
-    var scope = this.defaultScope(data, true) || {};
+    var scope = this.defaultScope(data, inst) || {};
     if (typeof scope.where === 'object') {
       setScopeValuesFromWhere(data, scope.where, this);
     }
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@ DataAccessObject.create = function (data, callback) {
     obj = new Model(data);
   }
   
-  this.applyProperties(enforced);
+  this.applyProperties(enforced, obj);
   obj.setAttributes(enforced);
   
   data = obj.toObject(true);
@@ -261,7 +263,7 @@ DataAccessObject.updateOrCreate = DataAccessObject.upsert = function upsert(data
       inst = new Model(data);
     }
     update = inst.toObject(false);
-    this.applyProperties(update);
+    this.applyProperties(update, inst);
     update = removeUndefined(update);
     this.getDataSource().connector.updateOrCreate(Model.modelName, update, function (err, data) {
       var obj;
@@ -1160,7 +1162,7 @@ DataAccessObject.prototype.updateAttribute = function updateAttribute(name, valu
 DataAccessObject.prototype.setAttributes = function setAttributes(data) {
   if (typeof data !== 'object') return;
   
-  this.constructor.applyProperties(data);
+  this.constructor.applyProperties(data, this);
   
   var Model = this.constructor;
   var inst = this;
diff --git a/test/default-scope.test.js b/test/default-scope.test.js
index 8f9d1f6a..bb44f859 100644
--- a/test/default-scope.test.js
+++ b/test/default-scope.test.js
@@ -81,12 +81,20 @@ describe('default scope', function () {
         memory: { collection: 'Product' }
     });
     
-    var scopeFn = function(target, isData) {
+    // inst is only valid for instance methods
+    // like save, updateAttributes
+    
+    var scopeFn = function(target, inst) {
       return { where: { kind: this.modelName } };
     };
     
+    var propertiesFn = function(target, inst) {
+      return { kind: this.modelName };
+    };
+    
     Thing = db.define('Thing', Product.definition.properties, {
         base: 'Product',
+        properties: propertiesFn,
         scope: scopeFn,
         mongodb: { collection: 'Product' },
         memory: { collection: 'Product' }