diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/chains.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/chains.js
index 7eaf1411421..ce54a68b149 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/chains.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/chains.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ function addChainWatcher(obj, keyName, node) {
   var m = metaFor(obj);
   var nodes = m.chainWatchers;
 
-  if (!m.hasOwnProperty('chainWatchers')) {
+  if (!m.hasOwnProperty('chainWatchers')) { // FIXME?!
     nodes = m.chainWatchers = {};
   }
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ function lazyGet(obj, key) {
   var possibleDesc = obj[key];
   var desc = (possibleDesc !== null && typeof possibleDesc === 'object' && possibleDesc.isDescriptor) ? possibleDesc : undefined;
   if (desc && desc._cacheable) {
-    if (key in meta.cache) {
+    if (meta.cache && key in meta.cache) {
       return meta.cache[key];
     } else {
       return undefined;
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/computed.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/computed.js
index 3d4743fabc4..386daca5d67 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/computed.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/computed.js
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ ComputedPropertyPrototype.didChange = function(obj, keyName) {
   // the cached value set by the setter
   if (this._cacheable && this._suspended !== obj) {
     var meta = metaFor(obj);
-    if (meta.cache[keyName] !== undefined) {
+    if (meta.cache && meta.cache[keyName] !== undefined) {
       meta.cache[keyName] = undefined;
       removeDependentKeys(this, obj, keyName, meta);
     }
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ ComputedPropertyPrototype.get = function(obj, keyName) {
     meta = metaFor(obj);
     cache = meta.cache;
 
-    var result = cache[keyName];
+    var result = cache && cache[keyName];
 
     if (result === UNDEFINED) {
       return undefined;
@@ -357,6 +357,10 @@ ComputedPropertyPrototype.get = function(obj, keyName) {
     }
 
     ret = this._getter.call(obj, keyName);
+    cache = meta.cache;
+    if (!cache) {
+      cache = meta.cache = {};
+    }
     if (ret === undefined) {
       cache[keyName] = UNDEFINED;
     } else {
@@ -447,7 +451,7 @@ ComputedPropertyPrototype._set = function computedPropertySet(obj, keyName, valu
     throw new EmberError('Cannot set read-only property "' + keyName + '" on object: ' + inspect(obj));
   }
 
-  if (cacheable && cache[keyName] !== undefined) {
+  if (cacheable && cache && cache[keyName] !== undefined) {
     if (cache[keyName] !== UNDEFINED) {
       cachedValue = cache[keyName];
     }
@@ -482,6 +486,9 @@ ComputedPropertyPrototype._set = function computedPropertySet(obj, keyName, valu
     if (!hadCachedValue) {
       addDependentKeys(this, obj, keyName, meta);
     }
+    if (!cache) {
+      cache = meta.cache = {};
+    }
     if (ret === undefined) {
       cache[keyName] = UNDEFINED;
     } else {
@@ -500,11 +507,13 @@ ComputedPropertyPrototype._set = function computedPropertySet(obj, keyName, valu
 ComputedPropertyPrototype.teardown = function(obj, keyName) {
   var meta = metaFor(obj);
 
-  if (keyName in meta.cache) {
-    removeDependentKeys(this, obj, keyName, meta);
-  }
+  if (meta.cache) {
+    if (keyName in meta.cache) {
+      removeDependentKeys(this, obj, keyName, meta);
+    }
 
-  if (this._cacheable) { delete meta.cache[keyName]; }
+    if (this._cacheable) { delete meta.cache[keyName]; }
+  }
 
   return null; // no value to restore
 };
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/utils.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/utils.js
index 72c7b965e84..d7baa15dca4 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/utils.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/utils.js
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ export function guidFor(obj) {
 //
 function Meta(obj) {
   this.watching = {};
-  this.cache = {};
-  this.cacheMeta = {};
+  this.cache = undefined;
+  this.cacheMeta = undefined;
   this.source = obj;
   this.deps = undefined;
   this.listeners = undefined;
@@ -377,8 +377,8 @@ function meta(obj, writable) {
 
     ret = o_create(ret);
     ret.watching  = o_create(ret.watching);
-    ret.cache     = {};
-    ret.cacheMeta = {};
+    ret.cache     = undefined;
+    ret.cacheMeta = undefined;
     ret.source    = obj;
 
     if (Ember.FEATURES.isEnabled('mandatory-setter')) {
diff --git a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/computed/reduce_computed.js b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/computed/reduce_computed.js
index f15a9f9b9a4..0b9ba5d69f9 100644
--- a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/computed/reduce_computed.js
+++ b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/computed/reduce_computed.js
@@ -419,7 +419,10 @@ function partiallyRecomputeFor(obj, dependentKey) {
 function ReduceComputedPropertyInstanceMeta(context, propertyName, initialValue) {
   this.context = context;
   this.propertyName = propertyName;
-  this.cache = metaFor(context).cache;
+  var contextMeta = metaFor(context);
+  var contextCache = contextMeta.cache;
+  if (!contextCache) { contextCache = contextMeta.cache = {}; }
+  this.cache = contextCache;
   this.dependentArrays = {};
   this.sugarMeta = {};
   this.initialValue = initialValue;
@@ -574,13 +577,19 @@ ReduceComputedProperty.prototype._callbacks = function () {
 };
 
 ReduceComputedProperty.prototype._hasInstanceMeta = function (context, propertyName) {
-  return !!metaFor(context).cacheMeta[propertyName];
+  var contextMeta = context.__ember_meta__;
+  var cacheMeta = contextMeta && contextMeta.cacheMeta;
+  return !!(cacheMeta && cacheMeta[propertyName]);
 };
 
 ReduceComputedProperty.prototype._instanceMeta = function (context, propertyName) {
-  var cacheMeta = metaFor(context).cacheMeta;
-  var meta = cacheMeta[propertyName];
+  var contextMeta = context.__ember_meta__;
+  var cacheMeta = contextMeta.cacheMeta;
+  var meta = cacheMeta && cacheMeta[propertyName];
 
+  if (!cacheMeta) {
+    cacheMeta = contextMeta.cacheMeta = {};
+  }
   if (!meta) {
     meta = cacheMeta[propertyName] = new ReduceComputedPropertyInstanceMeta(context, propertyName, this.initialValue());
     meta.dependentArraysObserver = new DependentArraysObserver(this._callbacks(), this, meta, context, propertyName, meta.sugarMeta);
diff --git a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/system/core_object.js b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/system/core_object.js
index 14b0e0d65fa..eba6a9a9e73 100644
--- a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/system/core_object.js
+++ b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/system/core_object.js
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ CoreObject.reopen({
     if (value instanceof Ember.ComputedProperty) {
       var cache = Ember.meta(this.constructor).cache;
 
-      if (cache._computedProperties !== undefined) {
+      if (cache && cache._computedProperties !== undefined) {
         cache._computedProperties = undefined;
       }
     }