diff --git a/GETTING_STARTED.md b/GETTING_STARTED.md
index 8e92b2b0c..480d6992d 100644
--- a/GETTING_STARTED.md
+++ b/GETTING_STARTED.md
@@ -194,13 +194,25 @@ The behavior of the association method varies depending on the build strategy us
 
     # Builds and saves a User and a Post
     post = FactoryGirl.create(:post)
-    post.new_record?       # => false
-    post.author.new_record # => false
+    post.new_record?        # => false
+    post.author.new_record? # => false
 
     # Builds and saves a User, and then builds but does not save a Post
     post = FactoryGirl.build(:post)
-    post.new_record?       # => true
-    post.author.new_record # => false
+    post.new_record?        # => true
+    post.author.new_record? # => false
+
+To not save the associated object, specify :method => :build in the factory:
+
+    factory :post do
+      # ...
+      association :author, :factory => :user, :method => :build
+    end
+
+    # Builds a User, and then builds a Post, but does not save either
+    post = FactoryGirl.build(:post)
+    post.new_record?        # => true
+    post.author.new_record? # => true
 
 Inheritance
 -----------
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/proxy/build.rb b/lib/factory_girl/proxy/build.rb
index 25aea5825..55d4a1063 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/proxy/build.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/proxy/build.rb
@@ -23,19 +23,38 @@ def set(attribute, value, ignored = false)
       end
 
       def associate(name, factory_name, overrides)
+        method = get_method(overrides[:method])
         factory = FactoryGirl.factory_by_name(factory_name)
-        set(name, factory.run(Proxy::Create, overrides))
+        set(name, factory.run(method, remove_method(overrides)))
       end
 
       def association(factory_name, overrides = {})
+        method = get_method(overrides[:method])
         factory = FactoryGirl.factory_by_name(factory_name)
-        factory.run(Proxy::Create, overrides)
+        factory.run(method, remove_method(overrides))
+      end
+
+      def remove_method(overrides)
+        overrides.dup.delete_if {|key, value| key == :method}
       end
 
       def result(to_create)
         run_callbacks(:after_build)
         @instance
       end
+
+      def parse_method(method)
+        method ||= :create
+        if :build == method
+          return Proxy::Build
+        elsif :create == method
+          return Proxy::Create
+        else
+          raise "unrecognized method #{method}"
+        end
+      end
+
+      alias_method :get_method, :parse_method
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/proxy/create.rb b/lib/factory_girl/proxy/create.rb
index 1e8ddab3c..d049e1e4e 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/proxy/create.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/proxy/create.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ def result(to_create)
         run_callbacks(:after_create)
         @instance
       end
+
+      def get_method(method_string)
+        # Leaving this as Proxy::Build in the :method => :build case
+        # is a bit strange, but does it have any user-visible behaviors?
+        parse_method(method_string)
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/proxy/stub.rb b/lib/factory_girl/proxy/stub.rb
index 73563c960..26aba5972 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/proxy/stub.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/proxy/stub.rb
@@ -60,12 +60,16 @@ def set(attribute, value, ignored = false)
 
       def associate(name, factory_name, overrides)
         factory = FactoryGirl.factory_by_name(factory_name)
-        set(name, factory.run(Proxy::Stub, overrides))
+        set(name, factory.run(Proxy::Stub, remove_method(overrides)))
       end
 
       def association(factory_name, overrides = {})
         factory = FactoryGirl.factory_by_name(factory_name)
-        factory.run(Proxy::Stub, overrides)
+        factory.run(Proxy::Stub, remove_method(overrides))
+      end
+
+      def remove_method(overrides)
+        overrides.dup.delete_if {|key, value| key == :method}
       end
 
       def result(to_create)
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/build_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/build_spec.rb
index 8acfd4c69..ac95a35e3 100644
--- a/spec/acceptance/build_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/acceptance/build_spec.rb
@@ -31,3 +31,34 @@
   end
 end
 
+describe "a built instance with :method => :build" do
+  include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
+
+  before do
+    define_model('User')
+
+    define_model('Post', :user_id => :integer) do
+      belongs_to :user
+    end
+
+    FactoryGirl.define do
+      factory :user
+
+      factory :post do
+        association(:user, :method => :build)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  subject { build(:post) }
+
+  it "isn't saved" do
+    should be_new_record
+  end
+
+  it "assigns but does not save associations" do
+    subject.user.should be_kind_of(User)
+    subject.user.should be_new_record
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/create_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/create_spec.rb
index c3cb9c880..e7a881142 100644
--- a/spec/acceptance/create_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/acceptance/create_spec.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,33 @@
   end
 end
 
+describe "a created instance, specifying :method => build" do
+  include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
+
+  before do
+    define_model('User')
+
+    define_model('Post', :user_id => :integer) do
+      belongs_to :user
+    end
+
+    FactoryGirl.define do
+      factory :user
+
+      factory :post do
+        association(:user, :method => :build)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  subject { create('post') }
+
+  it "still saves associations (:method => :build only affects build, not create)" do
+    subject.user.should be_kind_of(User)
+    subject.user.should_not be_new_record
+  end
+end
+
 describe "a custom create" do
   include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
 
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/stub_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/stub_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2efa96137
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/acceptance/stub_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe "a stubbed instance" do
+  include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
+
+  before do
+    define_model('User')
+
+    define_model('Post', :user_id => :integer) do
+      belongs_to :user
+    end
+
+    FactoryGirl.define do
+      factory :user
+
+      factory :post do
+        user
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  subject { build_stubbed(:post) }
+
+  it "acts as if it came from the database" do
+    should_not be_new_record
+  end
+
+  it "assigns associations and acts as if it is saved" do
+    subject.user.should be_kind_of(User)
+    subject.user.should_not be_new_record
+  end
+end
+
+describe "a stubbed instance with :method => :build" do
+  include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
+
+  before do
+    define_model('User')
+
+    define_model('Post', :user_id => :integer) do
+      belongs_to :user
+    end
+
+    FactoryGirl.define do
+      factory :user
+
+      factory :post do
+        association(:user, :method => :build)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  subject { build_stubbed(:post) }
+
+  it "acts as if it is saved in the database" do
+    should_not be_new_record
+  end
+
+  it "assigns associations and acts as if it is saved" do
+    subject.user.should be_kind_of(User)
+    subject.user.should_not be_new_record
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/spec/factory_girl/proxy/build_spec.rb b/spec/factory_girl/proxy/build_spec.rb
index 18bcb0fa9..a81f6cb40 100644
--- a/spec/factory_girl/proxy/build_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/factory_girl/proxy/build_spec.rb
@@ -9,4 +9,28 @@
   it_should_behave_like "proxy with association support", FactoryGirl::Proxy::Create
   it_should_behave_like "proxy with standard getters and setters", :attribute_name, "attribute value!"
   it_should_behave_like "proxy with callbacks", :after_build
+  it_should_behave_like "proxy with :method => :build",
+    FactoryGirl::Proxy::Build
+
+  describe "specifying method" do
+    it "defaults to create" do
+      subject.send(:get_method, nil).should == FactoryGirl::Proxy::Create
+    end
+
+    it "can specify create explicitly" do
+      subject.send(:get_method, :create).should ==
+        FactoryGirl::Proxy::Create
+    end
+
+    it "can specify build explicitly" do
+      subject.send(:get_method, :build).should ==
+        FactoryGirl::Proxy::Build
+    end
+
+    it "complains if method is unrecognized" do
+      lambda { subject.send(:get_method, :froboznicate) }.
+        should raise_error("unrecognized method froboznicate")
+    end
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/factory_girl/proxy/stub_spec.rb b/spec/factory_girl/proxy/stub_spec.rb
index f23d121bf..77ad68f50 100644
--- a/spec/factory_girl/proxy/stub_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/factory_girl/proxy/stub_spec.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
   it_should_behave_like "proxy with association support", FactoryGirl::Proxy::Stub
   it_should_behave_like "proxy with standard getters and setters", :attribute_name, "attribute value!"
   it_should_behave_like "proxy with callbacks", :after_stub
+  it_should_behave_like "proxy with :method => :build",
+    FactoryGirl::Proxy::Stub
 
   context "asking for a result" do
     it { subject.result(nil).should_not be_new_record }
diff --git a/spec/support/shared_examples/proxy.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/proxy.rb
index 73325e3fe..2094f66b4 100644
--- a/spec/support/shared_examples/proxy.rb
+++ b/spec/support/shared_examples/proxy.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,35 @@
   end
 end
 
+shared_examples_for "proxy with :method => :build" do |factory_girl_proxy_class|
+  let(:factory_name)     { :user }
+  let(:association_name) { :owner }
+  let(:factory)          { stub("associate_factory") }
+  let(:overrides)        { { :method => :build } }
+
+  before do
+    FactoryGirl.stubs(:factory_by_name => factory)
+    instance.stubs(association_name => factory_name)
+    factory.stubs(:run => factory_name)
+    subject.stubs(:set)
+  end
+
+  it "sets a value for the association" do
+    subject.associate(association_name, factory_name, overrides)
+    subject.result(nil).send(association_name).should == factory_name
+  end
+
+  it "sets the association attribute as the factory" do
+    subject.associate(association_name, factory_name, overrides)
+    subject.should have_received(:set).with(association_name, factory_name)
+  end
+
+  it "runs the factory with the correct proxy class" do
+    subject.associate(association_name, factory_name, overrides)
+    factory.should have_received(:run).with(factory_girl_proxy_class, {})
+  end
+end
+
 shared_examples_for "proxy with standard getters and setters" do |attribute, value|
   before do
     instance.stubs(:"#{attribute}=" => value, :"#{attribute}" => value)