diff --git a/lib/couchrest/core/database.rb b/lib/couchrest/core/database.rb
index 8c43917..6627117 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/core/database.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/core/database.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ module CouchRest
       @name = name
       @server = server
       @host = server.uri
-      @uri = @root = "#{host}/#{name.gsub('/','%2F')}"
+      @uri  = "/#{name.gsub('/','%2F')}"
+      @root = host + uri
       @streamer = Streamer.new(self)
       @bulk_save_cache = []
       @bulk_save_cache_limit = 500  # must be smaller than the uuid count
@@ -25,18 +26,18 @@ module CouchRest
     
     # returns the database's uri
     def to_s
-      @uri
+      @root
     end
     
     # GET the database info from CouchDB
     def info
-      CouchRest.get @uri
+      CouchRest.get @root
     end
     
     # Query the <tt>_all_docs</tt> view. Accepts all the same arguments as view.
     def documents(params = {})
       keys = params.delete(:keys)
-      url = CouchRest.paramify_url "#{@uri}/_all_docs", params
+      url = CouchRest.paramify_url "#{@root}/_all_docs", params
       if keys
         CouchRest.post(url, {:keys => keys})
       else
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ module CouchRest
     def slow_view(funcs, params = {})
       keys = params.delete(:keys)
       funcs = funcs.merge({:keys => keys}) if keys
-      url = CouchRest.paramify_url "#{@uri}/_temp_view", params
+      url = CouchRest.paramify_url "#{@root}/_temp_view", params
       JSON.parse(RestClient.post(url, funcs.to_json, {"Content-Type" => 'application/json'}))
     end
     
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ module CouchRest
       name = name.split('/') # I think this will always be length == 2, but maybe not...
       dname = name.shift
       vname = name.join('/')
-      url = CouchRest.paramify_url "#{@uri}/_design/#{dname}/_view/#{vname}", params
+      url = CouchRest.paramify_url "#{@root}/_design/#{dname}/_view/#{vname}", params
       if keys
         CouchRest.post(url, {:keys => keys})
       else
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ module CouchRest
     # GET a document from CouchDB, by id. Returns a Ruby Hash.
     def get(id, params = {})
       slug = escape_docid(id)
-      url = CouchRest.paramify_url("#{@uri}/#{slug}", params)
+      url = CouchRest.paramify_url("#{@root}/#{slug}", params)
       result = CouchRest.get(url)
       return result unless result.is_a?(Hash)
       doc = if /^_design/ =~ result["_id"]
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ module CouchRest
     def fetch_attachment(doc, name)
       # slug = escape_docid(docid)        
       # name = CGI.escape(name)
-      uri = uri_for_attachment(doc, name)
+      uri = url_for_attachment(doc, name)
       RestClient.get uri
       # "#{@uri}/#{slug}/#{name}"
     end
@@ -110,13 +111,13 @@ module CouchRest
     def put_attachment(doc, name, file, options = {})
       docid = escape_docid(doc['_id'])
       name = CGI.escape(name)
-      uri = uri_for_attachment(doc, name)       
+      uri = url_for_attachment(doc, name)
       JSON.parse(RestClient.put(uri, file, options))
     end
     
     # DELETE an attachment directly from CouchDB
     def delete_attachment doc, name
-      uri = uri_for_attachment(doc, name)
+      uri = url_for_attachment(doc, name)
       # this needs a rev
       JSON.parse(RestClient.delete(uri))
     end
@@ -144,18 +145,18 @@ module CouchRest
       result = if doc['_id']
         slug = escape_docid(doc['_id'])
         begin     
-          CouchRest.put "#{@uri}/#{slug}", doc
+          CouchRest.put "#{@root}/#{slug}", doc
         rescue RestClient::ResourceNotFound
           p "resource not found when saving even tho an id was passed"
           slug = doc['_id'] = @server.next_uuid
-          CouchRest.put "#{@uri}/#{slug}", doc
+          CouchRest.put "#{@root}/#{slug}", doc
         end
       else
         begin
           slug = doc['_id'] = @server.next_uuid
-          CouchRest.put "#{@uri}/#{slug}", doc
+          CouchRest.put "#{@root}/#{slug}", doc
         rescue #old version of couchdb
-          CouchRest.post @uri, doc
+          CouchRest.post @root, doc
         end
       end
       if result['ok']
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ module CouchRest
           doc['_id'] = nextid if nextid
         end
       end
-      CouchRest.post "#{@uri}/_bulk_docs", {:docs => docs}
+      CouchRest.post "#{@root}/_bulk_docs", {:docs => docs}
     end
     alias :bulk_delete :bulk_save
     
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ module CouchRest
         return { "ok" => true } # Mimic the non-deferred version
       end
       slug = escape_docid(doc['_id'])        
-      CouchRest.delete "#{@uri}/#{slug}?rev=#{doc['_rev']}"
+      CouchRest.delete "#{@root}/#{slug}?rev=#{doc['_rev']}"
     end
     
     ### DEPRECATION NOTICE
@@ -227,7 +228,7 @@ module CouchRest
       else
         dest
       end
-      CouchRest.copy "#{@uri}/#{slug}", destination
+      CouchRest.copy "#{@root}/#{slug}", destination
     end
     
     ### DEPRECATION NOTICE
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ module CouchRest
     
     # Compact the database, removing old document revisions and optimizing space use.
     def compact!
-      CouchRest.post "#{@uri}/_compact"
+      CouchRest.post "#{@root}/_compact"
     end
     
     # Create the database
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ module CouchRest
     # catastrophic. Use with care!
     def delete!
       clear_extended_doc_fresh_cache
-      CouchRest.delete @uri
+      CouchRest.delete @root
     end
 
     private
@@ -280,7 +281,7 @@ module CouchRest
     def clear_extended_doc_fresh_cache
       ::CouchRest::ExtendedDocument.subclasses.each{|klass| klass.design_doc_fresh = false if klass.respond_to?(:design_doc_fresh=) }
     end
-    
+
     def uri_for_attachment(doc, name)
       if doc.is_a?(String)
         puts "CouchRest::Database#fetch_attachment will eventually require a doc as the first argument, not a doc.id"
@@ -293,7 +294,11 @@ module CouchRest
       docid = escape_docid(docid)
       name = CGI.escape(name)
       rev = "?rev=#{doc['_rev']}" if rev
-      "#{@root}/#{docid}/#{name}#{rev}"
+      "/#{docid}/#{name}#{rev}"
+    end
+
+    def url_for_attachment(doc, name)
+      @root + uri_for_attachment(doc, name)
     end
     
     def escape_docid id      
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/core/document.rb b/lib/couchrest/core/document.rb
index e90c5fe..941ed80 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/core/document.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/core/document.rb
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ module CouchRest
     # Returns the CouchDB uri for the document
     def uri(append_rev = false)
       return nil if new_document?
-      couch_uri = "http://#{database.uri}/#{CGI.escape(id)}"
+      couch_uri = "http://#{database.root}/#{CGI.escape(id)}"
       if append_rev == true
         couch_uri << "?rev=#{rev}"
       elsif append_rev.kind_of?(Integer)
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_attachments.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_attachments.rb
index 278bc2b..dd78644 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_attachments.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_attachments.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ module CouchRest
         "#{database.root}/#{self.id}/#{attachment_name}"
       end
       
+      # returns URI to fetch the attachment from
+      def attachment_uri(attachment_name)
+        return unless has_attachment?(attachment_name)
+        "#{database.uri}/#{self.id}/#{attachment_name}"
+      end
+      
       private
       
         def encode_attachment(data)
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/core/database_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/core/database_spec.rb
index 57dc2a4..6df866d 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/core/database_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/core/database_spec.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ describe CouchRest::Database do
     it "should escape the name in the URI" do
       db = @cr.database("foo/bar")
       db.name.should == "foo/bar"
-      db.uri.should == "#{COUCHHOST}/foo%2Fbar"
+      db.root.should == "#{COUCHHOST}/foo%2Fbar"
+      db.uri.should  == "/foo%2Fbar"
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_attachment_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_attachment_spec.rb
index a0213a6..d82d9fe 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_attachment_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_attachment_spec.rb
@@ -126,5 +126,10 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument attachments" do
     it 'should return the attachment URL as specified by CouchDB HttpDocumentApi' do
       @obj.attachment_url(@attachment_name).should == "#{Basic.database}/#{@obj.id}/#{@attachment_name}"
     end
+    
+    it 'should return the attachment URI' do
+      @obj.attachment_uri(@attachment_name).should == "#{Basic.database.uri}/#{@obj.id}/#{@attachment_name}"
+    end
+    
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb
index 146f0f8..8559c8f 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', '..', 'spec_helper')
+require File.join(FIXTURE_PATH, 'more', 'person')
 require File.join(FIXTURE_PATH, 'more', 'card')
 require File.join(FIXTURE_PATH, 'more', 'invoice')
 require File.join(FIXTURE_PATH, 'more', 'service')
@@ -36,6 +37,15 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument properties" do
     @card.family_name.should == @card.last_name
   end
   
+  it "should let you use an alias for a casted attribute" do
+    @card.cast_alias = Person.new(:name => "Aimonetti")
+    @card.cast_alias.name.should == "Aimonetti"
+    @card.calias.name.should == "Aimonetti"
+    card = Card.new(:first_name => "matt", :cast_alias => {:name => "Aimonetti"})
+    card.cast_alias.name.should == "Aimonetti"
+    card.calias.name.should == "Aimonetti"
+  end
+  
   it "should be auto timestamped" do
     @card.created_at.should be_nil
     @card.updated_at.should be_nil
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/more/card.rb b/spec/fixtures/more/card.rb
index 2562c9d..484ba23 100644
--- a/spec/fixtures/more/card.rb
+++ b/spec/fixtures/more/card.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ class Card < CouchRest::ExtendedDocument
   property :first_name
   property :last_name,        :alias     => :family_name
   property :read_only_value,  :read_only => true
+  property :cast_alias,       :cast_as   =>  'Person',  :alias  => :calias
+
   
   timestamps!