diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a604d9d80..fe1f103b5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ capybara*.html
 
 *SPIKE*
 *emfile.lock
+tags
diff --git a/lib/paperclip.rb b/lib/paperclip.rb
index db46ffa6c..5db1db1aa 100644
--- a/lib/paperclip.rb
+++ b/lib/paperclip.rb
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 require 'paperclip/interpolations'
 require 'paperclip/style'
 require 'paperclip/attachment'
+require 'paperclip/attachment_options'
 require 'paperclip/storage'
 require 'paperclip/callback_compatibility'
 require 'paperclip/missing_attachment_styles'
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ def has_attached_file name, options = {}
         self.attachment_definitions = self.attachment_definitions.dup
       end
 
-      attachment_definitions[name] = {:validations => []}.merge(options)
+      attachment_definitions[name] = Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new(options)
       Paperclip.classes_with_attachments << self.name
       Paperclip.check_for_url_clash(name,attachment_definitions[name][:url],self.name)
 
diff --git a/lib/paperclip/attachment_options.rb b/lib/paperclip/attachment_options.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2d05ff84a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/paperclip/attachment_options.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+module Paperclip
+  class AttachmentOptions < Hash
+    def initialize(options)
+      options = {:validations => []}.merge(options)
+      options.each do |k, v|
+        self.[]=(k, v)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/attachment_options_test.rb b/test/attachment_options_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ac8ea757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/attachment_options_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+require './test/helper'
+
+class AttachmentOptionsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  should "be a Hash" do
+    assert_kind_of Hash, Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new({})
+  end
+
+  should "add a default empty validations" do
+    options = {:arbi => :trary}
+    expected = {:validations => []}.merge(options)
+    actual = Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new(options).to_hash
+    assert_equal expected, actual
+  end
+
+  should "not override validations if passed to initializer" do
+    options = {:validations => "something"}
+    attachment_options = Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new(options)
+    assert_equal "something", attachment_options[:validations]
+  end
+
+  should "respond to []" do
+    assert Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new({}).respond_to?(:[])
+  end
+
+  should "deliver the specified options through []" do
+    intended_options = {:specific_key => "specific value"}
+    attachment_options = Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new(intended_options)
+    assert_equal "specific value", attachment_options[:specific_key]
+  end
+
+  should "respond to []=" do
+    assert Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new({}).respond_to?(:[]=)
+  end
+
+  should "remember options set with []=" do
+    attachment_options = Paperclip::AttachmentOptions.new({})
+    attachment_options[:foo] = "bar"
+    assert_equal "bar", attachment_options[:foo]
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index 8a8e353c9..8ed11886b 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -54,10 +54,14 @@ def setup
 ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection(config['test'])
 Paperclip.options[:logger] = ActiveRecord::Base.logger
 
-Dir[File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'support','*')].each do |f|
-  require f
+def require_everything_in_directory(directory_name)
+  Dir[File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), directory_name, '*')].each do |f|
+    require f
+  end
 end
 
+require_everything_in_directory('support')
+
 def reset_class class_name
   ActiveRecord::Base.send(:include, Paperclip::Glue)
   Object.send(:remove_const, class_name) rescue nil