diff --git a/lib/Model.php b/lib/Model.php
index 36e0a4918..502590a3e 100644
--- a/lib/Model.php
+++ b/lib/Model.php
@@ -279,6 +279,14 @@ public function __construct(array $attributes=array(), $guard_attributes=true, $
 
 		$this->invoke_callback('after_construct',false);
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Factory method to facilitate subclassing of Table if desired.
+	 */
+	public static function make_table($model_class_name)
+	{
+		return new Table($model_class_name);
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Magic method which delegates to read_attribute(). This handles firing off getter methods,
diff --git a/lib/Table.php b/lib/Table.php
index 5f08e1895..e28585549 100644
--- a/lib/Table.php
+++ b/lib/Table.php
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public static function load($model_class_name)
 		{
 			/* do not place set_assoc in constructor..it will lead to infinite loop due to
 			   relationships requesting the model's table, but the cache hasn't been set yet */
-			self::$cache[$model_class_name] = new Table($model_class_name);
+			self::$cache[$model_class_name] = Model::make_table($model_class_name);
 			self::$cache[$model_class_name]->set_associations();
 		}
 
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ private function add_relationship($relationship)
 		$this->relationships[$relationship->attribute_name] = $relationship;
 	}
 
-	private function get_meta_data()
+	protected function get_meta_data()
 	{
 		// as more adapters are added probably want to do this a better way
 		// than using instanceof but gud enuff for now