diff --git a/couch_potato.gemspec b/couch_potato.gemspec
index 4d6a7a75..7861258a 100644
--- a/couch_potato.gemspec
+++ b/couch_potato.gemspec
@@ -144,13 +144,16 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
     if Gem::Version.new(Gem::RubyGemsVersion) >= Gem::Version.new('1.2.0') then
       s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<json>, [">= 0"])
       s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<couchrest>, [">= 0.24"])
+      s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<activemodel>, [">= 0"])
     else
       s.add_dependency(%q<json>, [">= 0"])
       s.add_dependency(%q<couchrest>, [">= 0.24"])
+      s.add_dependency(%q<activemodel>, [">= 0"])
     end
   else
     s.add_dependency(%q<json>, [">= 0"])
     s.add_dependency(%q<couchrest>, [">= 0.24"])
+    s.add_dependency(%q<activemodel>, [">= 0"])
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/couch_potato/database.rb b/lib/couch_potato/database.rb
index dafad272..0dfe0b3a 100644
--- a/lib/couch_potato/database.rb
+++ b/lib/couch_potato/database.rb
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ def save_document!(document)
     alias_method :save!, :save_document!
 
     def destroy_document(document)
-      document.run_callbacks :before_destroy
-      document._deleted = true
-      database.delete_doc document.to_hash
-      document.run_callbacks :after_destroy
+      document.run_callbacks :destroy do
+        document._deleted = true
+        database.delete_doc document.to_hash
+      end
       document._id = nil
       document._rev = nil
     end
@@ -112,35 +112,39 @@ def create_document(document, validate)
       
       if validate
         document.errors.clear
-        document.run_callbacks :before_validation_on_save
-        document.run_callbacks :before_validation_on_create
-        return false unless valid_document?(document)
+        document.run_callbacks :validation_on_save do
+          document.run_callbacks :validation_on_create do
+            return false unless valid_document?(document)
+          end
+        end
       end
       
-      document.run_callbacks :before_save
-      document.run_callbacks :before_create
-      res = database.save_doc document.to_hash
-      document._rev = res['rev']
-      document._id = res['id']
-      document.run_callbacks :after_save
-      document.run_callbacks :after_create
+      document.run_callbacks :save do
+        document.run_callbacks :create do
+          res = database.save_doc document.to_hash
+          document._rev = res['rev']
+          document._id = res['id']
+        end
+      end
       true
     end
 
     def update_document(document, validate)
       if validate
         document.errors.clear
-        document.run_callbacks :before_validation_on_save
-        document.run_callbacks :before_validation_on_update
-        return false unless valid_document?(document)
+        document.run_callbacks :validation_on_save do
+          document.run_callbacks :validation_on_update do
+            return false unless valid_document?(document)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      document.run_callbacks :save do
+        document.run_callbacks :update do
+          res = database.save_doc document.to_hash
+          document._rev = res['rev']
+        end
       end
-      
-      document.run_callbacks :before_save
-      document.run_callbacks :before_update
-      res = database.save_doc document.to_hash
-      document._rev = res['rev']
-      document.run_callbacks :after_save
-      document.run_callbacks :after_update
       true
     end
 
@@ -158,4 +162,4 @@ def database
     end
 
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/couch_potato/persistence/callbacks.rb b/lib/couch_potato/persistence/callbacks.rb
index a392ac4a..31c936d3 100644
--- a/lib/couch_potato/persistence/callbacks.rb
+++ b/lib/couch_potato/persistence/callbacks.rb
@@ -1,62 +1,29 @@
+require 'active_support/concern'
+require 'active_model/callbacks'
+
 module CouchPotato
   module Persistence
     module Callbacks
       def self.included(base) #:nodoc:
-        base.extend ClassMethods
+        base.extend ActiveModel::Callbacks
 
         base.class_eval do
           attr_accessor :skip_callbacks
-          def self.callbacks #:nodoc:
-            @callbacks ||= {:before_validation => [], :before_validation_on_create => [], 
-              :before_validation_on_update => [], :before_validation_on_save => [], :before_create => [], 
-              :after_create => [], :before_update => [], :after_update => [],
-              :before_save => [], :after_save => [],
-              :before_destroy => [], :after_destroy => []}
-          end
+
+          define_model_callbacks :create, :save, :update, :destroy
+          define_model_callbacks *[:save, :create, :update].map {|c| :"validation_on_#{c}"}
+          define_model_callbacks :validation unless Config.validation_framework == :active_model
         end
       end
 
       # Runs all callbacks on a model with the given name, e.g. :after_create.
       # 
       # This method is called by the CouchPotato::Database object when saving/destroying an object 
-      def run_callbacks(name)
+      def run_callbacks(name, &block)
         return if skip_callbacks
-        
-        callbacks = self.class.ancestors.map do |clazz|
-          clazz.callbacks[name] if clazz.respond_to?(:callbacks)
-        end.flatten.compact.uniq
-        
-        callbacks.each do |callback|
-          if [Symbol, String].include?(callback.class)
-            send callback
-          elsif callback.is_a?(Proc)
-            callback.call self
-          else
-            raise "Don't know how to handle callback of type #{callback.class.name}"
-          end
-        end
-      end
 
-      module ClassMethods
-        [
-          :before_validation,
-          :before_validation_on_create,
-          :before_validation_on_update,
-          :before_validation_on_save,
-          :before_create,
-          :before_save,
-          :before_update,
-          :before_destroy,
-          :after_update,
-          :after_save,
-          :after_create,
-          :after_destroy
-        ].each do |callback|
-          define_method callback do |*names|
-            callbacks[callback].push *names
-          end
-        end
+        send(:"_run_#{name}_callbacks", &block)
       end
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/couch_potato/validation/with_validatable.rb b/lib/couch_potato/validation/with_validatable.rb
index 62a448ce..b6167d01 100644
--- a/lib/couch_potato/validation/with_validatable.rb
+++ b/lib/couch_potato/validation/with_validatable.rb
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@ def self.included(base)
           # Override the validate method to first run before_validation callback
           def valid?
             errors.clear
-            run_callbacks :before_validation
-            before_validation_errors = errors.errors.dup
-            super
-            before_validation_errors.each do |k, v|
-              v.each {|message| errors.add(k, message)}
+            run_callbacks :validation do
+              before_validation_errors = errors.errors.dup
+              super
+              before_validation_errors.each do |k, v|
+                v.each {|message| errors.add(k, message)}
+              end
             end
             errors.empty?
           end
diff --git a/spec/callbacks_spec.rb b/spec/callbacks_spec.rb
index eeafc2ea..b6c38d9d 100644
--- a/spec/callbacks_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/callbacks_spec.rb
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def eat_apple
   
   it "should run all callback methods given to the callback method call" do
     monkey = Monkey.new
-    monkey.run_callbacks :before_create
+    monkey.run_callbacks :create
     monkey.eaten_banana.should be_true
     monkey.eaten_apple.should be_true
   end
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ def eat_apple
 describe "lambda callbacks" do
   it "should run the lambda" do
     recorder = CallbackRecorder.new
-    recorder.run_callbacks :before_create
+    recorder.run_callbacks :create
     recorder.lambda_works.should be_true
   end
 end
@@ -305,4 +305,4 @@ def check_name
     user.valid?.should == true
     user.errors.on(:name).should == nil
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/spec/unit/callbacks_spec.rb b/spec/unit/callbacks_spec.rb
index 2ac1d465..4698aa1e 100644
--- a/spec/unit/callbacks_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/callbacks_spec.rb
@@ -69,4 +69,4 @@ def watered?
     end
   end
   
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end