diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 8cf05ec..f624098 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,23 +1,20 @@
 require 'rubygems'
 require 'bundler'
-Bundler::GemHelper.install_tasks
-
-require 'rake'
+require 'rspec/core/rake_task'
 require "rake/rdoctask"
 
-require 'rspec'
-require 'rspec/core/rake_task'
+Bundler::GemHelper.install_tasks
 
 desc "Run all specs"
-Rspec::Core::RakeTask.new(:spec) do |spec|
-	spec.rspec_opts = ["--color"]
-	spec.pattern = 'spec/**/*_spec.rb'
+RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(:spec) do |spec|
+  spec.rspec_opts = ["--color"]
+  spec.pattern = 'spec/**/*_spec.rb'
 end
 
 desc "Print specdocs"
-Rspec::Core::RakeTask.new(:doc) do |spec|
-	spec.rspec_opts = ["--format", "specdoc"]
-	spec.pattern = 'spec/*_spec.rb'
+RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(:doc) do |spec|
+  spec.rspec_opts = ["--format", "specdoc"]
+  spec.pattern = 'spec/*_spec.rb'
 end
 
 desc "Generate the rdoc"
@@ -38,4 +35,4 @@ module Rake
 end
 
 Rake.remove_task("github:release")
-Rake.remove_task("release")
+Rake.remove_task("release")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/couchrest_model.gemspec b/couchrest_model.gemspec
index 6a8947f..ce7f2ab 100644
--- a/couchrest_model.gemspec
+++ b/couchrest_model.gemspec
@@ -17,17 +17,16 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.homepage = %q{http://github.com/couchrest/couchrest_model}
   s.rubygems_version = %q{1.3.7}
   s.summary = %q{Extends the CouchRest Document for advanced modelling.}
-  
+
   s.files         = `git ls-files`.split("\n")
   s.test_files    = `git ls-files -- {test,spec,features}/*`.split("\n")
   s.executables   = `git ls-files -- bin/*`.split("\n").map{ |f| File.basename(f) }
   s.require_paths = ["lib"]
-  
+
   s.add_dependency(%q<couchrest>, "1.1.0.pre2")
   s.add_dependency(%q<mime-types>, "~> 1.15")
-  s.add_dependency(%q<activemodel>, "~> 3.0.0")
+  s.add_dependency(%q<activemodel>, "~> 3.0")
   s.add_dependency(%q<tzinfo>, "~> 0.3.22")
-  s.add_dependency(%q<railties>, "~> 3.0.0")
   s.add_development_dependency(%q<rspec>, ">= 2.0.0")
   s.add_development_dependency(%q<rack-test>, ">= 0.5.7")
   # s.add_development_dependency("jruby-openssl", ">= 0.7.3")
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/base.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/base.rb
index 0f6d26c..5f3a6cd 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/base.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/base.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ module CouchRest
       # * :directly_set_attributes: true when data comes directly from database
       # * :database: provide an alternative database
       #
+      # If a block is provided the new model will be passed into the
+      # block so that it can be populated.
       def initialize(doc = {}, options = {})
         doc = prepare_all_attributes(doc, options)
         # set the instances database, if provided
@@ -57,6 +59,8 @@ module CouchRest
         unless self['_id'] && self['_rev']
           self[self.model_type_key] = self.class.to_s
         end
+        yield self if block_given?
+
         after_initialize if respond_to?(:after_initialize)
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/properties.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/properties.rb
index f421adf..5d815ab 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/properties.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/properties.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ module CouchRest
       extend ActiveSupport::Concern
 
       included do
-        extlib_inheritable_accessor(:properties) unless self.respond_to?(:properties)
-        extlib_inheritable_accessor(:properties_by_name) unless self.respond_to?(:properties_by_name)
+        class_attribute(:properties) unless self.respond_to?(:properties)
+        class_attribute(:properties_by_name) unless self.respond_to?(:properties_by_name)
         self.properties ||= []
         self.properties_by_name ||= {}
         raise "You can only mixin Properties in a class responding to [] and []=, if you tried to mixin CastedModel, make sure your class inherits from Hash or responds to the proper methods" unless (method_defined?(:[]) && method_defined?(:[]=))
@@ -16,20 +16,6 @@ module CouchRest
         Hash[self].reject{|k,v| v.nil?}.as_json(options)
       end
 
-      # Returns the Class properties
-      #
-      # ==== Returns
-      # Array:: the list of properties for model's class
-      def properties
-        self.class.properties
-      end
-
-      # Returns all the class's properties as a Hash where the key is the name
-      # of the property.
-      def properties_by_name
-        self.class.properties_by_name
-      end
-
       # Returns the Class properties with their values
       #
       # ==== Returns
diff --git a/lib/couchrest_model.rb b/lib/couchrest_model.rb
index 7de6b41..8892ea4 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest_model.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest_model.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 require 'active_model'
 require "active_model/callbacks"
 require "active_model/conversion"
-require "active_model/deprecated_error_methods"
 require "active_model/errors"
 require "active_model/naming"
 require "active_model/serialization"
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/base_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/base_spec.rb
index 21c9a40..208d6e7 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/base_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/base_spec.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ describe "Model Base" do
       @obj.database.should eql('database')
     end
 
+    it "should support initialization block" do 
+      @obj = Basic.new {|b| b.database = 'database'}
+      @obj.database.should eql('database')
+    end
+
   end
  
   describe "ActiveModel compatability Basic" do