diff --git a/addon/serializers/pouch.js b/addon/serializers/pouch.js
index 6a892ae..6e25bab 100644
--- a/addon/serializers/pouch.js
+++ b/addon/serializers/pouch.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 import DS from 'ember-data';
 
-export default DS.RESTSerializer.extend({});
\ No newline at end of file
+export default DS.RESTSerializer.extend({
+  _shouldSerializeHasMany: function() { return true; }
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/dummy/app/models/food-item.js b/tests/dummy/app/models/food-item.js
index 5a441cb..702c0d3 100644
--- a/tests/dummy/app/models/food-item.js
+++ b/tests/dummy/app/models/food-item.js
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@ import DS from 'ember-data';
 export default DS.Model.extend({
   rev: DS.attr('string'),
 
-  name: DS.attr('string')
+  name: DS.attr('string'),
+  soup: DS.belongsTo('taco-soup', { async: true })
 });
diff --git a/tests/dummy/app/serializers/application.js b/tests/dummy/app/serializers/application.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28d2f7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dummy/app/serializers/application.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import { Serializer } from 'ember-pouch/index';
+
+export default Serializer;
diff --git a/tests/integration/adapters/pouch-basics-test.js b/tests/integration/adapters/pouch-basics-test.js
index 8b8ee92..b92973b 100644
--- a/tests/integration/adapters/pouch-basics-test.js
+++ b/tests/integration/adapters/pouch-basics-test.js
@@ -114,6 +114,36 @@ test('create a new record', function (assert) {
   });
 });
 
+test('creating an associated record stores a reference to it in the parent', function (assert) {
+  assert.expect(1);
+
+  var done = assert.async();
+  Ember.RSVP.Promise.resolve().then(() => {
+    return this.db().bulkDocs([
+      { _id: 'tacoSoup_2_C', data: { flavor: 'al pastor', ingredients: [] } }
+    ]);
+  }).then(() => {
+    return this.store().findRecord('taco-soup', 'C');
+  }).then(tacoSoup => {
+    var newIngredient = this.store().createRecord('food-item', {
+      name: 'pineapple',
+      soup: tacoSoup
+    });
+
+    return newIngredient.save().then(() => tacoSoup.save());
+  }).then(() => {
+    this.store().unloadAll();
+
+    return this.store().findRecord('taco-soup', 'C');
+  }).then(tacoSoup => {
+    return tacoSoup.get('ingredients');
+  }).then(foundIngredients => {
+    assert.deepEqual(foundIngredients.mapBy('name'), ['pineapple'],
+      'should have fully loaded the associated items');
+    done();
+  });
+});
+
 // This test fails due to a bug in ember data
 // (https://github.com/emberjs/data/issues/3736)
 // starting with ED v2.0.0-beta.1. It works again with ED v2.1.0.