diff --git a/lib/dao-factory.js b/lib/dao-factory.js
index f8023a48ffc5..d15b09750de8 100644
--- a/lib/dao-factory.js
+++ b/lib/dao-factory.js
@@ -255,12 +255,12 @@ module.exports = (function() {
   }
 
   DAOFactory.prototype.build = function(values, options) {
-    options = options || {}
+    options = options || {isNewRecord: true}
 
     var self     = this
-      , instance = new this.DAO(values, this.options)
+      , instance = new this.DAO(values, this.options, options.isNewRecord)
 
-    instance.isNewRecord = options.hasOwnProperty('isNewRecord') ? options.isNewRecord : true
+    instance.isNewRecord = options.isNewRecord
 
     return instance
   }
diff --git a/lib/dao.js b/lib/dao.js
index 323997231677..c4e658c07096 100644
--- a/lib/dao.js
+++ b/lib/dao.js
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ var Utils     = require("./utils")
   , DataTypes = require("./data-types")
 
 module.exports = (function() {
-  var DAO = function(values, options) {
+  var DAO = function(values, options, isNewRecord) {
     var self = this;
     this.__options = options;
     this.hasPrimaryKeys = options.hasPrimaryKeys;
     this.selectedValues = values;
 
-    initAttributes.call(this, values)
+    initAttributes.call(this, values, isNewRecord)
 
     if (this.hasDefaultValues) {
       Utils._.each(this.defaultValues, function (value, name) {
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ module.exports = (function() {
 
   // private
 
-  var initAttributes = function(values) {
+  var initAttributes = function(values, isNewRecord) {
     // add all passed values to the dao and store the attribute names in this.attributes
     for (var key in values) {
       if (values.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ module.exports = (function() {
     // a newly created dao has no id
     var defaults = this.hasPrimaryKeys ? {} : { id: null }
 
-    if (this.__options.timestamps) {
+    if (this.__options.timestamps && isNewRecord) {
       defaults[this.__options.underscored ? 'created_at' : 'createdAt'] = new Date()
       defaults[this.__options.underscored ? 'updated_at' : 'updatedAt'] = new Date()
 
diff --git a/spec/dao.spec.js b/spec/dao.spec.js
index 293f06894ade..9ac974592b36 100644
--- a/spec/dao.spec.js
+++ b/spec/dao.spec.js
@@ -148,5 +148,25 @@ describe(Helpers.getTestDialectTeaser("DAO"), function() {
           })
         })
     })
+
+    it("returns the timestamps if no attributes have been specified", function(done) {
+      this.User.create({ username: 'fnord' }).success(function() {
+        this.User.findAll().success(function(users) {
+          expect(users[0].createdAt).toBeDefined()
+          done()
+        }.bind(this))
+      }.bind(this))
+    })
+
+    it("does not return the timestamps if the username attribute has been specified", function(done) {
+      this.User.create({ username: 'fnord' }).success(function() {
+        this.User.findAll({ attributes: ['username'] }).success(function(users) {
+          expect(users[0].createdAt).not.toBeDefined()
+          expect(users[0].username).toBeDefined()
+
+          done()
+        }.bind(this))
+      }.bind(this))
+    })
   })
 })