diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/proxyable.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/proxyable.rb
index a3fa6cd..53a88da 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/proxyable.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/proxyable.rb
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ module CouchRest
 
         # Define the name of a method to call to determine the name of
         # the database to use as a proxy.
-        def proxy_database_method=(name); @proxy_database_method = name; end
-        def proxy_database_method; @proxy_database_method; end
+        def proxy_database_method(name = nil)
+          @proxy_database_method = name if name
+          @proxy_database_method
+        end
 
         private
 
@@ -51,7 +53,9 @@ module CouchRest
         # by overwriting it to provide a basic accessor.
         def overwrite_database_reader(model_name)
           class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
-            def database; @database; end
+            def self.database
+              raise StandardError, "#{self.to_s} database must be accessed via '#{model_name}' proxy"
+            end
           EOS
         end
 
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/proxyable_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/proxyable_spec.rb
index dfa2326..7e0c508 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/proxyable_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/proxyable_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ require File.expand_path("../../spec_helper", __FILE__)
 require File.join(FIXTURE_PATH, 'more', 'cat')
 
 class DummyProxyable < CouchRest::Model::Base
-  def proxy_database
-    'db' # Do not use this!
+  proxy_database_method :db
+  def db
+    'db'
   end
 end
 
@@ -41,11 +42,11 @@ describe "Proxyable" do
 
   describe "class methods" do
 
-    before(:each) do
-      @class = DummyProxyable.clone
-    end
 
     describe ".proxy_owner_method" do
+      before(:each) do
+        @class = DummyProxyable.clone
+      end
       it "should provide proxy_owner_method accessors" do
         @class.should respond_to(:proxy_owner_method)
         @class.should respond_to(:proxy_owner_method=)
@@ -56,7 +57,20 @@ describe "Proxyable" do
       end
     end
 
+    describe ".proxy_database_method" do
+      before do
+        @class = Class.new(CouchRest::Model::Base)
+      end
+      it "should be possible to set the proxy database method" do
+        @class.proxy_database_method :db
+        @class.proxy_database_method.should eql(:db)
+      end
+    end
+
     describe ".proxy_for" do
+      before(:each) do
+        @class = DummyProxyable.clone
+      end
 
       it "should be provided" do
         @class.should respond_to(:proxy_for)
@@ -91,6 +105,10 @@ describe "Proxyable" do
     end
 
     describe ".proxied_by" do
+      before do
+        @class = Class.new(CouchRest::Model::Base)
+      end
+
       it "should be provided" do
         @class.should respond_to(:proxied_by)
       end
@@ -118,6 +136,11 @@ describe "Proxyable" do
         @class.proxied_by(:department)
         lambda { @class.proxied_by(:company) }.should raise_error
       end
+
+      it "should overwrite the database method to provide an error" do
+        @class.proxied_by(:company)
+        lambda { @class.database }.should raise_error(StandardError, /database must be accessed via/)
+      end
     end
   end