diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
index 9eb744f8f..a5810c4ba 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
@@ -3,19 +3,24 @@
 module ActiveModel
   class Serializer
     extend ActiveSupport::Autoload
+
     autoload :Configuration
     autoload :ArraySerializer
     autoload :Adapter
-    include Configuration
-
-    class Association < Struct.new(:name, :serializer, :options)
+    autoload :Association
+    autoload :Reflection
+    autoload :SingularReflection
+    autoload :CollectionReflection
+    autoload :BelongsToReflection
+    autoload :HasOneReflection
+    autoload :HasManyReflection
 
-    end
+    include Configuration
 
     class << self
       attr_accessor :_attributes
       attr_accessor :_attributes_keys
-      attr_accessor :_associations
+      attr_accessor :_reflections
       attr_accessor :_urls
       attr_accessor :_cache
       attr_accessor :_fragmented
@@ -29,7 +34,7 @@ class << self
     def self.inherited(base)
       base._attributes = self._attributes.try(:dup) || []
       base._attributes_keys = self._attributes_keys.try(:dup) || {}
-      base._associations = self._associations.try(:dup) || {}
+      base._reflections = self._reflections.try(:dup) || []
       base._urls = []
       serializer_file = File.open(caller.first[/^[^:]+/])
       base._cache_digest = Digest::MD5.hexdigest(serializer_file.read)
@@ -76,7 +81,9 @@ def self.cache(options = {})
     # with the association name does not exist, the association name is
     # dispatched to the serialized object.
     def self.has_many(*attrs)
-      associate(:has_many, attrs)
+      associate attrs do |name, options|
+        HasManyReflection.new(name, options)
+      end
     end
 
     # Defines an association in the object that should be rendered.
@@ -86,7 +93,9 @@ def self.has_many(*attrs)
     # with the association name does not exist, the association name is
     # dispatched to the serialized object.
     def self.belongs_to(*attrs)
-      associate(:belongs_to, attrs)
+      associate attrs do |name, options|
+        BelongsToReflection.new(name, options)
+      end
     end
 
     # Defines an association in the object should be rendered.
@@ -96,21 +105,24 @@ def self.belongs_to(*attrs)
     # with the association name does not exist, the association name is
     # dispatched to the serialized object.
     def self.has_one(*attrs)
-      associate(:has_one, attrs)
+      associate attrs do |name, options|
+        HasOneReflection.new(name, options)
+      end
     end
 
-    def self.associate(type, attrs) #:nodoc:
+    # has_one :author, :image, only: :object
+    def self.associate(attrs, &block) #:nodoc:
       options = attrs.extract_options!
-      self._associations = _associations.dup
+      self._reflections = _reflections.dup
 
-      attrs.each do |attr|
-        unless method_defined?(attr)
-          define_method attr do
-            object.send attr
+      attrs.each do |name|
+        unless method_defined?(name)
+          define_method name do
+            object.send name
           end
         end
 
-        self._associations[attr] = { type: type, association_options: options }
+        self._reflections << block.call(name, options)
       end
     end
 
@@ -128,9 +140,7 @@ def self.serializer_for(resource, options = {})
       elsif resource.respond_to?(:to_ary)
         config.array_serializer
       else
-        options
-          .fetch(:association_options, {})
-          .fetch(:serializer, get_serializer_for(resource.class))
+        options.fetch(:serializer, get_serializer_for(resource.class))
       end
     end
 
@@ -207,44 +217,44 @@ def associations
       return unless object
 
       Enumerator.new do |y|
-        self.class._associations.dup.each do |name, association_options|
+        self.class._reflections.dup.each do |reflection|
+          name = reflection.name
           association_value = send(name)
-
-          serializer_class = ActiveModel::Serializer.serializer_for(association_value, association_options)
+          serializer_class = ActiveModel::Serializer.serializer_for(association_value, reflection.options)
 
           if serializer_class
             begin
               serializer = serializer_class.new(
                 association_value,
-                options.except(:serializer).merge(serializer_from_options(association_options))
+                options.except(:serializer).merge(serializer_from_options(reflection.options))
               )
             rescue ActiveModel::Serializer::ArraySerializer::NoSerializerError
               virtual_value = association_value
               virtual_value = virtual_value.as_json if virtual_value.respond_to?(:as_json)
-              association_options[:association_options][:virtual_value] = virtual_value
+              reflection.options[:virtual_value] = virtual_value
             end
           elsif !association_value.nil? && !association_value.instance_of?(Object)
-            association_options[:association_options][:virtual_value] = association_value
+            reflection.options[:virtual_value] = association_value
           end
 
-          y.yield Association.new(name, serializer, association_options[:association_options])
+          y.yield Association.new(name, serializer, reflection.options)
         end
       end
     end
 
-    def serializer_from_options(options)
-      opts = {}
-      serializer = options.fetch(:association_options, {}).fetch(:serializer, nil)
-      opts[:serializer] = serializer if serializer
-      opts
-    end
-
     def self.serializers_cache
       @serializers_cache ||= ThreadSafe::Cache.new
     end
 
     private
 
+    def serializer_from_options(options)
+      opts = {}
+      serializer = options.fetch(:serializer, nil)
+      opts[:serializer] = serializer if serializer
+      opts
+    end
+
     attr_reader :options
 
     def self.get_serializer_for(klass)
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/association.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/association.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3d99ff41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/association.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    Association = Struct.new(:name, :serializer, :options)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/belongs_to_reflection.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/belongs_to_reflection.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..909ada030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/belongs_to_reflection.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    class BelongsToReflection < SingularReflection
+      def macro
+        :belongs_to
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/collection_reflection.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/collection_reflection.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c7157aa27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/collection_reflection.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    class CollectionReflection < Reflection
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/has_many_reflection.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/has_many_reflection.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..713be5fff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/has_many_reflection.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    class HasManyReflection < CollectionReflection
+      def macro
+        :has_many
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/has_one_reflection.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/has_one_reflection.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47bd8e28f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/has_one_reflection.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    class HasOneReflection < SingularReflection
+      def macro
+        :has_one
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/reflection.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/reflection.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bec5a6910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/reflection.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    # Holds all the meta-data about an association as it was specified in the
+    # ActiveModel::Serializer class.
+    Reflection = Struct.new(:name, :options)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/singular_reflection.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/singular_reflection.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..26f43a512
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/singular_reflection.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+module ActiveModel
+  class Serializer
+    class SingularReflection < Reflection
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/serializers/associations_test.rb b/test/serializers/associations_test.rb
index df9927fe4..97ff559ee 100644
--- a/test/serializers/associations_test.rb
+++ b/test/serializers/associations_test.rb
@@ -45,12 +45,6 @@ def setup
       end
 
       def test_has_many_and_has_one
-        assert_equal(
-          { posts: { type: :has_many, association_options: { embed: :ids } },
-            roles: { type: :has_many, association_options: { embed: :ids } },
-            bio: { type: :has_one, association_options: {} } },
-          @author_serializer.class._associations
-        )
         @author_serializer.associations.each do |association|
           name = association.name
           serializer = association.serializer
@@ -90,17 +84,14 @@ def test_serializer_options_are_passed_into_associations_serializers
           serializer = association.serializer
 
           if name == :comments
+            puts serializer.first
+
             assert serializer.first.custom_options[:custom_options]
           end
         end
       end
 
       def test_belongs_to
-        assert_equal(
-          { post: { type: :belongs_to, association_options: {} },
-            author: { type: :belongs_to, association_options: {} } },
-          @comment_serializer.class._associations
-        )
         @comment_serializer.associations.each do |association|
           name = association.name
           serializer = association.serializer
@@ -130,22 +121,25 @@ def test_belongs_to_with_custom_method
       def test_associations_inheritance
         inherited_klass = Class.new(PostSerializer)
 
-        assert_equal(PostSerializer._associations, inherited_klass._associations)
+        assert_equal(PostSerializer._reflections, inherited_klass._reflections)
       end
 
       def test_associations_inheritance_with_new_association
         inherited_klass = Class.new(PostSerializer) do
           has_many :top_comments, serializer: CommentSerializer
         end
-        expected_associations = PostSerializer._associations.merge(
-          top_comments: {
-            type: :has_many,
-            association_options: {
-              serializer: CommentSerializer
-            }
-          }
+
+        assert(
+          PostSerializer._reflections.all? do |reflection|
+            inherited_klass._reflections.include?(reflection)
+          end
+        )
+
+        assert(
+          inherited_klass._reflections.any? do |reflection|
+            reflection.name == :top_comments
+          end
         )
-        assert_equal(inherited_klass._associations, expected_associations)
       end
     end
   end