diff --git a/API b/API
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a83fa380
--- /dev/null
+++ b/API
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Overwrite method to read the current state
+
+  class MyClass
+    include AASM
+
+    def aasm_read_state
+      # retrieve the current state manually
+    end
+  end
diff --git a/lib/aasm/aasm.rb b/lib/aasm/aasm.rb
index 6a6caa6b..1f6c0131 100644
--- a/lib/aasm/aasm.rb
+++ b/lib/aasm/aasm.rb
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ def aasm
     @aasm ||= AASM::InstanceBase.new(self)
   end
 
+  # may be overwritten by persistence mixins
+  def aasm_read_state
+    aasm.enter_initial_state
+  end
+
   # deprecated
   def aasm_current_state
     # warn "#aasm_current_state is deprecated and will be removed in version 3.2.0; please use #aasm.state instead!"
diff --git a/lib/aasm/instance_base.rb b/lib/aasm/instance_base.rb
index a16c947e..41f73394 100644
--- a/lib/aasm/instance_base.rb
+++ b/lib/aasm/instance_base.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ def initialize(instance)
     end
 
     def current_state
-      @current_state ||= persistable? ? @instance.aasm_read_state : enter_initial_state
+      @current_state ||= @instance.aasm_read_state
     end
 
     def current_state=(state)
@@ -77,11 +77,5 @@ def set_current_state_with_persistence(state)
       save_success
     end
 
-  private
-
-    def persistable?
-      @instance.respond_to?(:aasm_read_state) || @instance.private_methods.include?('aasm_read_state')
-    end
-
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/aasm/persistence/active_record_persistence.rb b/lib/aasm/persistence/active_record_persistence.rb
index b2c70d93..f5b511b5 100644
--- a/lib/aasm/persistence/active_record_persistence.rb
+++ b/lib/aasm/persistence/active_record_persistence.rb
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def self.included(base)
         base.extend AASM::Persistence::Base::ClassMethods
         base.extend AASM::Persistence::ActiveRecordPersistence::ClassMethods
         base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::ActiveRecordPersistence::InstanceMethods)
-        base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::ReadState) unless base.method_defined?(:aasm_read_state)
+        base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::ReadState)
         base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::ActiveRecordPersistence::WriteState) unless base.method_defined?(:aasm_write_state)
         base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::ActiveRecordPersistence::WriteStateWithoutPersistence) unless base.method_defined?(:aasm_write_state_without_persistence)
 
diff --git a/lib/aasm/persistence/mongoid_persistence.rb b/lib/aasm/persistence/mongoid_persistence.rb
index e1eda1c8..787031e1 100644
--- a/lib/aasm/persistence/mongoid_persistence.rb
+++ b/lib/aasm/persistence/mongoid_persistence.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def self.included(base)
         base.extend AASM::Persistence::Base::ClassMethods
         base.extend AASM::Persistence::MongoidPersistence::ClassMethods
         base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::MongoidPersistence::InstanceMethods)
-        base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::ReadState) unless base.method_defined?(:aasm_read_state)
+        base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::ReadState)
         base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::MongoidPersistence::WriteState) unless base.method_defined?(:aasm_write_state)
         base.send(:include, AASM::Persistence::MongoidPersistence::WriteStateWithoutPersistence) unless base.method_defined?(:aasm_write_state_without_persistence)
 
diff --git a/lib/aasm/persistence/read_state.rb b/lib/aasm/persistence/read_state.rb
index 74bdf4a3..c6f19a67 100644
--- a/lib/aasm/persistence/read_state.rb
+++ b/lib/aasm/persistence/read_state.rb
@@ -2,16 +2,17 @@ module AASM
   module Persistence
     module ReadState
 
-      # Returns the value of the aasm_column - called from <tt>aasm_current_state</tt>
+      # Returns the value of the aasm_column - called from <tt>aasm.current_state</tt>
       #
       # If it's a new record, and the aasm state column is blank it returns the initial state
       # (example provided here for ActiveRecord, but it's true for Mongoid as well):
       #
       #   class Foo < ActiveRecord::Base
       #     include AASM
-      #     aasm_column :status
-      #     aasm_state :opened
-      #     aasm_state :closed
+      #     aasm :column => :status do
+      #       state :opened
+      #       state :closed
+      #     end
       #   end
       #
       #   foo = Foo.new
diff --git a/spec/models/active_record/api.rb b/spec/models/active_record/api.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7b4f39f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/active_record/api.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+class DefaultState
+  include AASM
+  aasm do
+    state :alpha, :initial => true
+    state :beta
+    state :gamma
+  end
+end
+
+class ProvidedState
+  include AASM
+  aasm do
+    state :alpha, :initial => true
+    state :beta
+    state :gamma
+  end
+
+  def aasm_read_state
+    :beta
+  end
+end
+
+class PersistedState < ActiveRecord::Base
+  include AASM
+  aasm do
+    state :alpha, :initial => true
+    state :beta
+    state :gamma
+  end
+end
+
+class ProvidedAndPersistedState < ActiveRecord::Base
+  include AASM
+  aasm do
+    state :alpha, :initial => true
+    state :beta
+    state :gamma
+  end
+
+  def aasm_read_state
+    :gamma
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/persistence.rb b/spec/models/persistence.rb
index e2e63de0..165c6e83 100644
--- a/spec/models/persistence.rb
+++ b/spec/models/persistence.rb
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ class Gate < ActiveRecord::Base
 end
 
 class Reader < ActiveRecord::Base
+  include AASM
+
   def aasm_read_state
     "fi"
   end
-  include AASM
 end
 
 class Writer < ActiveRecord::Base
diff --git a/spec/schema.rb b/spec/schema.rb
index e6105378..3f1f1102 100644
--- a/spec/schema.rb
+++ b/spec/schema.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 0) do
 
-  %w{gates readers writers transients simples simple_new_dsls thieves localizer_test_models}.each do |table_name|
+  %w{gates readers writers transients simples simple_new_dsls thieves localizer_test_models persisted_states provided_and_persisted_states}.each do |table_name|
     create_table table_name, :force => true do |t|
       t.string "aasm_state"
     end
diff --git a/spec/unit/api_spec.rb b/spec/unit/api_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77682033
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/api_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+require 'models/active_record/api.rb'
+
+describe "retrieving the current state" do
+  it "uses the AASM default" do
+    DefaultState.new.aasm.current_state.should eql :alpha
+  end
+
+  it "uses the provided method" do
+    ProvidedState.new.aasm.current_state.should eql :beta
+  end
+
+  it "uses the persistence storage" do
+    PersistedState.new.aasm.current_state.should eql :alpha
+  end
+
+  it "uses the provided method even if persisted" do
+    ProvidedAndPersistedState.new.aasm.current_state.should eql :gamma
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/unit/persistence/active_record_persistence_spec.rb b/spec/unit/persistence/active_record_persistence_spec.rb
index 9311f8c1..0c2fd9de 100644
--- a/spec/unit/persistence/active_record_persistence_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/persistence/active_record_persistence_spec.rb
@@ -24,16 +24,6 @@
   end
 end
 
-describe "class methods for classes with own read state" do
-  let(:klass) {Reader}
-  it_should_behave_like "aasm model"
-  it "should include all persistence mixins but read state" do
-    klass.included_modules.should_not be_include(AASM::Persistence::ReadState)
-    klass.included_modules.should be_include(AASM::Persistence::ActiveRecordPersistence::WriteState)
-    klass.included_modules.should be_include(AASM::Persistence::ActiveRecordPersistence::WriteStateWithoutPersistence)
-  end
-end
-
 describe "class methods for classes with own write state" do
   let(:klass) {Writer}
   it_should_behave_like "aasm model"