diff --git a/lib/factory_girl.rb b/lib/factory_girl.rb
index e1f999f06..f026f17a2 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 require 'factory_girl/attribute/sequence'
 require 'factory_girl/attribute/implicit'
 require 'factory_girl/sequence'
+require 'factory_girl/attribute_group'
 require 'factory_girl/aliases'
 require 'factory_girl/definition_proxy'
 require 'factory_girl/syntax/methods'
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/attribute_group.rb b/lib/factory_girl/attribute_group.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6e6e5784
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/attribute_group.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+module FactoryGirl
+
+  class AttributeGroup
+    attr_reader :name
+    attr_reader :attributes
+    
+    def initialize(name, &block) #:nodoc:
+      @name = name
+      @attributes = []
+      proxy = FactoryGirl::DefinitionProxy.new(self)
+      proxy.instance_eval(&block) if block_given?
+    end
+
+    def define_attribute(attribute)
+      name = attribute.name
+      if attribute_defined?(name)
+        raise AttributeDefinitionError, "Attribute already defined: #{name}"
+      end
+      @attributes << attribute
+    end
+    
+    private
+    
+    def attribute_defined? (name)
+      !@attributes.detect {|attr| attr.name == name && !attr.is_a?(Attribute::Callback) }.nil?
+    end
+
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/definition_proxy.rb b/lib/factory_girl/definition_proxy.rb
index b9be6bcbb..bd81108be 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/definition_proxy.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/definition_proxy.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ class DefinitionProxy
     end
 
     attr_reader :child_factories
-
     def initialize(factory)
       @factory = factory
       @child_factories = []
@@ -154,5 +153,9 @@ def to_create(&block)
     def factory(name, options = {}, &block)
       @child_factories << [name, options, block]
     end
+    
+    def attr_group(name, &block)
+      @factory.define_attribute_group(AttributeGroup.new(name, &block))
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/factory.rb b/lib/factory_girl/factory.rb
index fb047b51f..34a871e50 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/factory.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/factory.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ class DuplicateDefinitionError < RuntimeError
   class Factory
     attr_reader :name #:nodoc:
     attr_reader :attributes #:nodoc:
-
+    attr_reader :attribute_groups #:nodoc:
+    
     def factory_name
       puts "WARNING: factory.factory_name is deprecated. Use factory.name instead."
       name
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ def initialize(name, options = {}) #:nodoc:
       @name       = factory_name_for(name)
       @options    = options
       @attributes = []
+      @attribute_groups = {}
     end
 
     def inherit_from(parent) #:nodoc:
@@ -55,7 +57,24 @@ def inherit_from(parent) #:nodoc:
       end
 
       @attributes.unshift *new_attributes
-      @attributes = @attributes.partition {|attr| attr.priority.zero? }.flatten
+      @attributes = @attributes.partition{|attr| attr.priority.zero? }.flatten
+    end
+    
+    def apply_attribute_groups(groups)
+      groups.reverse.map{ |name| attribute_group_by_name(name) }.each do |group|
+        new_attributes=[]
+        group.attributes.each do |attribute|
+          if attribute_defined?(attribute.name)
+            @attributes.delete_if do |attrib|
+              new_attributes << attrib.clone if attrib.name == attribute.name
+            end
+          else
+            new_attributes << attribute.clone
+          end
+        end
+        @attributes.unshift *new_attributes
+        @attributes = @attributes.partition{|attr| attr.priority.zero?}.flatten
+      end
     end
 
     def define_attribute(attribute)
@@ -69,6 +88,10 @@ def define_attribute(attribute)
       end
       @attributes << attribute
     end
+    
+    def define_attribute_group(group)
+      @attribute_groups[group.name.to_sym] = group
+    end
 
     def add_callback(name, &block)
       unless [:after_build, :after_create, :after_stub].include?(name.to_sym)
@@ -100,6 +123,14 @@ def associations
       attributes.select {|attribute| attribute.association? }
     end
 
+    def attribute_group_by_name(name)
+      name=name.to_sym
+      group = @attribute_groups[name]
+      unless @options[:parent].nil?
+        group ||= FactoryGirl.factory_by_name(@options[:parent]).attribute_group_by_name(name)
+      end
+      group
+    end
     # Names for this factory, including aliases.
     #
     # Example:
@@ -159,7 +190,7 @@ def attribute_defined? (name)
     end
 
     def assert_valid_options(options)
-      invalid_keys = options.keys - [:class, :parent, :default_strategy, :aliases]
+      invalid_keys = options.keys - [:class, :parent, :default_strategy, :aliases, :attr_groups]
       unless invalid_keys == []
         raise ArgumentError, "Unknown arguments: #{invalid_keys.inspect}"
       end
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/syntax/default.rb b/lib/factory_girl/syntax/default.rb
index 4165a616c..03d20eb2e 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/syntax/default.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/syntax/default.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ def factory(name, options = {}, &block)
           factory = Factory.new(name, options)
           proxy = FactoryGirl::DefinitionProxy.new(factory)
           proxy.instance_eval(&block) if block_given?
+
+          if groups = options.delete(:attr_groups)
+            factory.apply_attribute_groups(groups)
+          end
+
           if parent = options.delete(:parent)
             factory.inherit_from(FactoryGirl.factory_by_name(parent))
           end
@@ -25,7 +30,7 @@ def factory(name, options = {}, &block)
             factory(child_name, child_options.merge(:parent => name), &child_block)
           end
         end
-
+                
         def sequence(name, start_value = 1, &block)
           FactoryGirl.register_sequence(Sequence.new(name, start_value, &block))
         end
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/attribute_groups_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/attribute_groups_spec.rb
index 07b866870..2e4917727 100644
--- a/spec/acceptance/attribute_groups_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/acceptance/attribute_groups_spec.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
         end
 
         attr_group :male do
+          name   "Joe"
           gender "Male"
         end
 
@@ -38,47 +39,47 @@
     its(:gender) { should be_nil }
     it { should_not be_admin }
   end
-
+  
   context "the child class with one attribute group" do
     subject      { FactoryGirl.create(:admin) }
     its(:name)   { should == "John" }
     its(:gender) { should be_nil }
     it { should be_admin }
   end
-
+  
   context "the other child class with one attribute group" do
     subject      { FactoryGirl.create(:female) }
     its(:name)   { should == "Jane" }
     its(:gender) { should == "Female" }
     it { should_not be_admin }
   end
-
+  
   context "the child with multiple attribute groups" do
     subject      { FactoryGirl.create(:female_admin) }
     its(:name)   { should == "Jane" }
     its(:gender) { should == "Female" }
     it { should be_admin }
   end
-
+  
   context "the child with multiple attribute groups and overridden attributes" do
     subject      { FactoryGirl.create(:female_admin, :name => "Jill", :gender => nil) }
     its(:name)   { should == "Jill" }
     its(:gender) { should be_nil }
     it { should be_admin }
   end
-
+  
   context "the child with multiple attribute groups who override the same attribute" do
     context "when the male assigns name after female" do
       subject      { FactoryGirl.create(:male_after_female_admin) }
-
-      its(:name)   { should == "John" }
+  
+      its(:name)   { should == "Joe" }
       its(:gender) { should == "Male" }
       it { should be_admin }
     end
-
+  
     context "when the female assigns name after male" do
       subject      { FactoryGirl.create(:female_after_male_admin) }
-
+      
       its(:name)   { should == "Jane" }
       its(:gender) { should == "Female" }
       it { should be_admin }