diff --git a/lib/mongoose/document.js b/lib/mongoose/document.js
index 37481547dab..a11baebdbc0 100644
--- a/lib/mongoose/document.js
+++ b/lib/mongoose/document.js
@@ -554,13 +554,6 @@ function compile (tree, proto, prefix) {
     , limb
     , key;
 
-  if (!proto.__roots) {
-    Object.defineProperty(proto, '__keys', {
-        enumerable: false
-      , value: keys
-    });
-  }
-
   while (i--) {
     key = keys[i];
     limb = tree[key];
@@ -572,7 +565,8 @@ function compile (tree, proto, prefix) {
                ? limb
                : null)
         , proto
-        , prefix);
+        , prefix
+        , keys);
   }
 };
 
@@ -580,7 +574,7 @@ function compile (tree, proto, prefix) {
  * Defines the accessor named prop on the incoming prototype.
  */
 
-function define (prop, subprops, prototype, prefix) {
+function define (prop, subprops, prototype, prefix, keys) {
   var prefix = prefix || ''
     , path = (prefix ? prefix + '.' : '') + prop;
 
@@ -588,18 +582,16 @@ function define (prop, subprops, prototype, prefix) {
 
     Object.defineProperty(prototype, prop, {
         enumerable: true
-      , get: function ( ) {
+      , get: function () {
           if (!this.__getters)
             this.__getters = {};
 
           if (!this.__getters[path]) {
             var nested = Object.create(this);
-            nested.__keys = undefined;
 
             // shadow inherited getters from sub-objects so
             // thing.nested.nested.nested... doesn't occur (gh-366)
             var i = 0
-              , keys = prototype.__keys
               , len = keys.length;
 
             for (; i < len; ++i) {