diff --git a/elasticsearch-model/lib/elasticsearch/model/indexing.rb b/elasticsearch-model/lib/elasticsearch/model/indexing.rb
index 610d6444e..05dfbb8a7 100644
--- a/elasticsearch-model/lib/elasticsearch/model/indexing.rb
+++ b/elasticsearch-model/lib/elasticsearch/model/indexing.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def as_json(options={})
       # Wraps the [index mappings](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/mapping.html)
       #
       class Mappings
-        attr_accessor :options
+        attr_accessor :options, :type
 
         def initialize(type, options={})
           raise ArgumentError, "`type` is missing" if type.nil?
diff --git a/elasticsearch-model/test/unit/adapter_mongoid_test.rb b/elasticsearch-model/test/unit/adapter_mongoid_test.rb
index fbec800d0..ca9b0d20b 100644
--- a/elasticsearch-model/test/unit/adapter_mongoid_test.rb
+++ b/elasticsearch-model/test/unit/adapter_mongoid_test.rb
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ def ids
 
     context "Importing" do
       should "implement the __find_in_batches method" do
-        DummyClassForMongoid.expects(:all).returns([])
+        relation = mock()
+        relation.stubs(:no_timeout).returns([])
+        DummyClassForMongoid.expects(:all).returns(relation)
 
         DummyClassForMongoid.__send__ :extend, Elasticsearch::Model::Adapter::Mongoid::Importing
         DummyClassForMongoid.__find_in_batches do; end
diff --git a/elasticsearch-persistence/lib/elasticsearch/persistence/model.rb b/elasticsearch-persistence/lib/elasticsearch/persistence/model.rb
index 9dcbd8355..3eb3c3a0d 100644
--- a/elasticsearch-persistence/lib/elasticsearch/persistence/model.rb
+++ b/elasticsearch-persistence/lib/elasticsearch/persistence/model.rb
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ def gateway(&block)
             delegate :settings,
                      :mappings,
                      :mapping,
-                     :document_type,
                      :document_type=,
                      :index_name,
                      :index_name=,
@@ -80,6 +79,13 @@ def gateway(&block)
                      :create_index!,
                      :refresh_index!,
               to: :gateway
+
+            # forward document type to mappings when set
+            def document_type(type = nil)
+              return gateway.document_type unless type
+              gateway.document_type type
+              mapping.type = type
+            end
           end
 
           # Configure the repository based on the model (set up index_name, etc)
diff --git a/elasticsearch-persistence/test/integration/model/model_basic_test.rb b/elasticsearch-persistence/test/integration/model/model_basic_test.rb
index 172d0bb2f..b43571e6e 100644
--- a/elasticsearch-persistence/test/integration/model/model_basic_test.rb
+++ b/elasticsearch-persistence/test/integration/model/model_basic_test.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class ::Person
         include Elasticsearch::Persistence::Model::Rails
 
         settings index: { number_of_shards: 1 }
+        document_type 'human_being'
 
         attribute :name, String,
                   mapping: { fields: {
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ class ::Person
           assert_equal 'John Smith', document.name
           assert_equal 'John Smith', Person.find(person.id).name
 
-          assert_not_nil Elasticsearch::Persistence.client.get index: 'people', type: 'person', id: person.id
+          assert_not_nil Elasticsearch::Persistence.client.get index: 'people', type: 'human_being', id: person.id
         end
 
         should "not save an invalid object" do
diff --git a/elasticsearch-persistence/test/unit/model_base_test.rb b/elasticsearch-persistence/test/unit/model_base_test.rb
index 10141006e..f605ce529 100644
--- a/elasticsearch-persistence/test/unit/model_base_test.rb
+++ b/elasticsearch-persistence/test/unit/model_base_test.rb
@@ -20,29 +20,53 @@ class DummyBaseModel
     end
 
     should "set the ID from attributes during initialization" do
-      m = DummyBaseModel.new id: 1
-      assert_equal 1, m.id
+      model = DummyBaseModel.new id: 1
+      assert_equal 1, model.id
 
-      m = DummyBaseModel.new 'id' => 2
-      assert_equal 2, m.id
+      model = DummyBaseModel.new 'id' => 2
+      assert_equal 2, model.id
     end
 
     should "set the ID using setter method" do
-      m = DummyBaseModel.new id: 1
-      assert_equal 1, m.id
+      model = DummyBaseModel.new id: 1
+      assert_equal 1, model.id
 
-      m.id = 2
-      assert_equal 2, m.id
+      model.id = 2
+      assert_equal 2, model.id
     end
 
     should "have ID in attributes" do
-      m = DummyBaseModel.new id: 1, name: 'Test'
-      assert_equal 1, m.attributes[:id]
+      model = DummyBaseModel.new id: 1, name: 'Test'
+      assert_equal 1, model.attributes[:id]
     end
 
     should "have the customized inspect method" do
-      m = DummyBaseModel.new name: 'Test'
-      assert_match /name\: "Test"/, m.inspect
+      model = DummyBaseModel.new name: 'Test'
+      assert_match /name\: "Test"/, model.inspect
+    end
+
+    context "#document_type" do
+      setup do
+        @model = DummyBaseModel
+        @gateway = mock()
+        @mapping = mock()
+        @model.stubs(:gateway).returns(@gateway)
+        @gateway.stubs(:mapping).returns(@mapping)
+        @document_type = 'dummybase'
+      end
+
+      should "forward argument to mapping" do
+        @gateway.expects(:document_type).with(@document_type).once
+        @mapping.expects(:type=).with(@document_type).once
+        @model.document_type @document_type
+      end
+
+      should "return the value from gateway" do
+        @gateway.expects(:document_type).once.returns(@document_type)
+        @mapping.expects(:type=).never
+        returned_type = @model.document_type
+        assert_equal @document_type, returned_type
+      end
     end
   end
 end