diff --git a/src/boss_record_lib.erl b/src/boss_record_lib.erl
index e1f20f3e..0b625de4 100644
--- a/src/boss_record_lib.erl
+++ b/src/boss_record_lib.erl
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
         attribute_types/1,
         database_columns/1,
         database_table/1,
+	belongs_to_types/1,
         convert_value_to_type/2,
         ensure_loaded/1
     ]).
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ database_table(Module) ->
     DummyRecord = dummy_record(Module),
     DummyRecord:database_table().
 
+belongs_to_types(Module) when is_atom(Module) ->
+    (dummy_record(Module)):belongs_to_types().
+
 ensure_loaded(Module) ->
     case code:ensure_loaded(Module) of
         {module, Module} ->
diff --git a/src/boss_sql_lib.erl b/src/boss_sql_lib.erl
index 35bd2950..9777d89a 100644
--- a/src/boss_sql_lib.erl
+++ b/src/boss_sql_lib.erl
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 -export([keytype/1,
         infer_type_from_id/1,
         convert_id_condition_to_use_table_ids/1,
-        is_foreign_key/2
+        is_foreign_key/2,
+	convert_possible_foreign_key/6,
+	get_retyped_foreign_keys/1
     ]).
 
 -define(DEFAULT_KEYTYPE, serial).
@@ -51,6 +53,33 @@ is_foreign_key(Type, Key) when is_atom(Key) ->
 	end;
 is_foreign_key(_Type, _Key) -> false.
 
+get_retyped_foreign_keys(Type) when is_atom(Type) ->
+    % a list of belongs_to-s that use a different module and field names.
+    % this mainly to reduce the complexity from O(N*M) to O(N*L)
+    % where N is all fields, M is all of the belongs_to-s, and L is only the differing ones.
+    lists:foldl(fun ({X, X}, Acc) when is_atom(X) ->
+			Acc;
+		    ({X, Y}, Acc) when is_atom(X) andalso is_atom(Y) ->
+			[{X, Y} | Acc]
+		end, [], boss_record_lib:belongs_to_types(Type)).
+
+integer_to_id(Val, KeyString) when is_list(KeyString) ->
+    ModelName = string:substr(KeyString, 1, string:len(KeyString) - string:len("_id")),
+    ModelName ++ "-" ++ boss_record_lib:convert_value_to_type(Val, string).
+
+convert_possible_foreign_key(AwkwardAssociations, Type, Key, Value, AttrType, DBColumn) ->
+    case boss_sql_lib:is_foreign_key(Type, Key) of
+	true -> 
+	    case [ ModuleName || {FieldName, ModuleName} <- AwkwardAssociations, list_to_atom(atom_to_list(FieldName) ++ "_id") =:= Key] of 
+		[] ->
+		    integer_to_id(Value, DBColumn);
+		[Module] when is_atom(Module) ->
+		    atom_to_list(Module) ++ "-" ++ boss_record_lib:convert_value_to_type(Value, string) 
+	    end;
+	false -> 
+	    boss_record_lib:convert_value_to_type(Value, AttrType)
+    end.
+
 join([], _) -> [];
 join([List|Lists], Separator) ->
      lists:flatten([List | [[Separator,Next] || Next <- Lists]]).
diff --git a/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_mysql.erl b/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_mysql.erl
index b27d66eb..0aec809c 100644
--- a/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_mysql.erl
+++ b/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_mysql.erl
@@ -216,13 +216,16 @@ migration_done(Pid, Tag, down) ->
 
 % internal
 
-integer_to_id(Val, KeyString) ->
-    ModelName = string:substr(KeyString, 1, string:len(KeyString) - string:len("_id")),
-    ModelName ++ "-" ++ integer_to_list(Val).
+%% integer_to_id(Val, KeyString) ->
+%%     ModelName = string:substr(KeyString, 1, string:len(KeyString) - string:len("_id")),
+%%     ModelName ++ "-" ++ integer_to_list(Val).
 
 activate_record(Record, Metadata, Type) ->
     AttributeTypes = boss_record_lib:attribute_types(Type),
     AttributeColumns = boss_record_lib:database_columns(Type),
+
+    RetypedForeignKeys = boss_sql_lib:get_retyped_foreign_keys(Type),
+
     apply(Type, new, lists:map(fun
                 (id) ->
                     DBColumn = proplists:get_value('id', AttributeColumns),
@@ -236,10 +239,7 @@ activate_record(Record, Metadata, Type) ->
                         undefined -> undefined;
                         {datetime, DateTime} -> boss_record_lib:convert_value_to_type(DateTime, AttrType);
                         Val -> 
-                            case boss_sql_lib:is_foreign_key(Type, Key) of
-                                true -> integer_to_id(Val, DBColumn);
-                                false -> boss_record_lib:convert_value_to_type(Val, AttrType)
-                            end
+                            boss_sql_lib:convert_possible_foreign_key(RetypedForeignKeys, Type, Key, Val, AttrType, DBColumn)
                     end
             end, boss_record_lib:attribute_names(Type))).
 
diff --git a/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_pgsql.erl b/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_pgsql.erl
index a37c9045..f8fcde5d 100644
--- a/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_pgsql.erl
+++ b/src/db_adapters/boss_db_adapter_pgsql.erl
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ integer_to_id(Val, KeyString) ->
 activate_record(Record, Metadata, Type) ->
     AttributeTypes = boss_record_lib:attribute_types(Type),
     AttributeColumns = boss_record_lib:database_columns(Type),
+
+    RetypedForeignKeys = boss_sql_lib:get_retyped_foreign_keys(Type),
+				  
     apply(Type, new, lists:map(fun
                 (id) ->
                     DBColumn = proplists:get_value('id', AttributeColumns),
@@ -203,10 +206,7 @@ activate_record(Record, Metadata, Type) ->
                         undefined -> undefined;
                         null -> undefined;
                         Val -> 
-                            case boss_sql_lib:is_foreign_key(Type, Key) of
-                                true -> integer_to_id(Val, DBColumn);
-                                false -> boss_record_lib:convert_value_to_type(Val, AttrType)
-                            end
+                            boss_sql_lib:convert_possible_foreign_key(RetypedForeignKeys, Type, Key, Val, AttrType, DBColumn)
                     end
             end, boss_record_lib:attribute_names(Type))).