diff --git a/lib/datastore/request.js b/lib/datastore/request.js
index f38fe1e1b4a..0ca5561ccef 100644
--- a/lib/datastore/request.js
+++ b/lib/datastore/request.js
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ DatastoreRequest.prototype.get = function(keys, callback) {
  *
  * @param {object|object[]} entities - Datastore key object(s).
  * @param {Key} entities.key - Datastore key object.
+ * @param {string=} entities.method - Optional method to explicity use for save.
+ *     The choices include 'insert', 'update', 'upsert' and 'auto_insert_id'.
  * @param {object|object[]} entities.data - Data to save with the provided key.
  *     If you provide an array of objects, you must use the explicit syntax:
  *     `name` for the name of the property and `value` for its value. You may
@@ -209,7 +211,7 @@ DatastoreRequest.prototype.get = function(keys, callback) {
  * //-
  * var companyKey = dataset.key(['Company', 123]);
  * var productKey = dataset.key(['Product', 'Computer']);
- * 
+ *
  * dataset.save([
  *   {
  *     key: companyKey,
@@ -224,6 +226,21 @@ DatastoreRequest.prototype.get = function(keys, callback) {
  *     }
  *   }
  * ], function(err) {});
+ *
+ * //-
+ * // Explicitly attempt to 'insert' a specific entity.
+ * //-
+ * var userKey = dataset.key(['User', 'chilts']);
+ *
+ * dataset.save([
+ *   {
+ *     key: userKey,
+ *     method: 'insert', // force the method to 'insert'
+ *     data: {
+ *       fullName: 'Andrew Chilton'
+ *     }
+ *   }
+ * ], function(err) {});
  */
 DatastoreRequest.prototype.save = function(entities, callback) {
   var isMultipleRequest = Array.isArray(entities);
@@ -234,6 +251,8 @@ DatastoreRequest.prototype.save = function(entities, callback) {
   var req = {
     mutation: entities.reduce(function(acc, entityObject, index) {
       var ent = {};
+      var method = entityObject.method;
+      delete entityObject.method;
 
       if (Array.isArray(entityObject.data)) {
         ent.property = entityObject.data.map(function(data) {
@@ -252,15 +271,35 @@ DatastoreRequest.prototype.save = function(entities, callback) {
 
       ent.key = entity.keyToKeyProto(entityObject.key);
 
-      if (entity.isKeyComplete(entityObject.key)) {
-        acc.upsert.push(ent);
+      if (method) {
+        switch (method) {
+          case 'insert':
+            acc.insert.push(ent);
+            break;
+          case 'update':
+            acc.update.push(ent);
+            break;
+          case 'upsert':
+            acc.upsert.push(ent);
+            break;
+          case 'insert_auto_id':
+            insertIndexes.push(index);
+            acc.insert_auto_id.push(ent);
+            break;
+        }
       } else {
-        insertIndexes.push(index);
-        acc.insert_auto_id.push(ent);
+        if (entity.isKeyComplete(entityObject.key)) {
+          acc.upsert.push(ent);
+        } else {
+          insertIndexes.push(index);
+          acc.insert_auto_id.push(ent);
+        }
       }
 
       return acc;
     }, {
+      insert: [],
+      update: [],
       upsert: [],
       insert_auto_id: []
     })
diff --git a/regression/datastore.js b/regression/datastore.js
index d64b849a8cd..e0636ec80ed 100644
--- a/regression/datastore.js
+++ b/regression/datastore.js
@@ -119,6 +119,38 @@ describe('datastore', function() {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should fail explicitly set second insert on save', function(done) {
+      var postKey = ds.key('Post');
+
+      ds.save({ key: postKey, data: post }, function(err) {
+        assert.ifError(err);
+
+        // The key's path should now be complete.
+        assert(postKey.path[1]);
+
+        ds.save({ key: postKey, method: 'insert', data: post }, function(err) {
+          assert.notEqual(err, null); // should fail insert
+
+          ds.get(postKey, function(err, entity) {
+            assert.ifError(err);
+
+            assert.deepEqual(entity.data, post);
+
+            ds.delete(postKey, done);
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should fail explicitly set first update on save', function(done) {
+      var postKey = ds.key('Post');
+
+      ds.save({ key: postKey, method: 'update', data: post }, function(err) {
+        assert.notEqual(err, null);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should save/get/delete multiple entities at once', function(done) {
       var post2 = {
         title: 'How to make the perfect homemade pasta',
diff --git a/test/datastore/request.js b/test/datastore/request.js
index 488fd71c5d4..3d49b668a69 100644
--- a/test/datastore/request.js
+++ b/test/datastore/request.js
@@ -205,6 +205,25 @@ describe('Request', function() {
       ], done);
     });
 
+    it('should save with specific method', function(done) {
+      request.makeReq_ = function(method, req, callback) {
+        assert.equal(method, 'commit');
+        assert.equal(req.mutation.insert.length, 1);
+        assert.equal(req.mutation.update.length, 1);
+        assert.equal(req.mutation.insert[0].property[0].name, 'k');
+        assert.equal(
+          req.mutation.insert[0].property[0].value.string_value, 'v');
+        assert.equal(req.mutation.update[0].property[0].name, 'k2');
+        assert.equal(
+          req.mutation.update[0].property[0].value.string_value, 'v2');
+        callback();
+      };
+      request.save([
+        { key: key, method: 'insert', data: { k: 'v' } },
+        { key: key, method: 'update', data: { k2: 'v2' } }
+      ], done);
+    });
+
     it('should not set an indexed value by default', function(done) {
       request.makeReq_ = function(method, req) {
         var property = req.mutation.upsert[0].property[0];