diff --git a/dbt/context/common.py b/dbt/context/common.py
index 9524eb4ed5e..1a0892f68e1 100644
--- a/dbt/context/common.py
+++ b/dbt/context/common.py
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def generate(model, project, flat_graph, provider=None):
         "sql_now": adapter.date_function(),
         "fromjson": fromjson(model),
         "target": target,
-        "this": dbt.utils.Relation(adapter, model, use_temp=True)
+        "this": dbt.utils.Relation(profile, adapter, model, use_temp=True)
     })
 
     context = _add_tracking(context)
diff --git a/dbt/context/parser.py b/dbt/context/parser.py
index 49724f5da40..bf254bb3636 100644
--- a/dbt/context/parser.py
+++ b/dbt/context/parser.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def ref(*args):
             dbt.exceptions.ref_invalid_args(model, args)
 
         adapter = get_adapter(profile)
-        return dbt.utils.Relation(adapter, model)
+        return dbt.utils.Relation(profile, adapter, model)
 
     return ref
 
diff --git a/dbt/context/runtime.py b/dbt/context/runtime.py
index bac4f5c40b3..1a67ab1f5b1 100644
--- a/dbt/context/runtime.py
+++ b/dbt/context/runtime.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def do_ref(*args):
             model['extra_ctes'][target_model_id] = None
 
         adapter = get_adapter(profile)
-        return dbt.utils.Relation(adapter, target_model)
+        return dbt.utils.Relation(profile, adapter, target_model)
 
     return do_ref
 
diff --git a/dbt/utils.py b/dbt/utils.py
index 1b5913e7065..16fb1e585a8 100644
--- a/dbt/utils.py
+++ b/dbt/utils.py
@@ -33,9 +33,7 @@ class ExitCodes(object):
 
 
 class Relation(object):
-    def __init__(self, adapter, node, use_temp=False):
-        self._adapter = adapter
-
+    def __init__(self, profile, adapter, node, use_temp=False):
         self.node = node
         self.schema = node.get('schema')
         self.name = node.get('name')
@@ -48,6 +46,21 @@ def __init__(self, adapter, node, use_temp=False):
         self.materialized = get_materialization(node)
         self.sql = node.get('injected_sql')
 
+        self.do_quote = self._get_quote_function(profile, adapter)
+
+    def _get_quote_function(self, profile, adapter):
+
+        # make a closure so we don't need to store the profile
+        # on the `Relation` object. That shouldn't be accessible in user-land
+        def quote(schema, table):
+            return adapter.quote_schema_and_table(
+                        profile=profile,
+                        schema=schema,
+                        table=table
+                    )
+
+        return quote
+
     def _get_table_name(self, node):
         return model_immediate_name(node, dbt.flags.NON_DESTRUCTIVE)
 
@@ -56,17 +69,13 @@ def final_name(self):
             msg = "final_name() was called on an ephemeral model"
             dbt.exceptions.raise_compiler_error(msg, self.node)
         else:
-            return self._adapter.quote_schema_and_table(profile=None,
-                                                        schema=self.schema,
-                                                        table=self.name)
+            return self.do_quote(self.schema, self.name)
 
     def __repr__(self):
         if self.materialized == 'ephemeral':
             return '__dbt__CTE__{}'.format(self.name)
         else:
-            return self._adapter.quote_schema_and_table(profile=None,
-                                                        schema=self.schema,
-                                                        table=self.table)
+            return self.do_quote(self.schema, self.table)
 
 
 def coalesce(*args):