diff --git a/cake/libs/model/datasources/datasource.php b/cake/libs/model/datasources/datasource.php
index 7bc700c7e..c23ce9b03 100644
--- a/cake/libs/model/datasources/datasource.php
+++ b/cake/libs/model/datasources/datasource.php
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ class DataSource extends Object {
 						}
 					break;
 					case '{$__cakeForeignKey__$}':
-						foreach ($model->__associations as $id => $name) {
+						foreach ($model->associations() as $id => $name) {
 							foreach ($model->$name as $assocName => $assoc) {
 								if ($assocName === $association) {
 									if (isset($assoc['foreignKey'])) {
diff --git a/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo/dbo_oracle.php b/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo/dbo_oracle.php
index 063dc4764..3734e4e43 100644
--- a/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo/dbo_oracle.php
+++ b/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo/dbo_oracle.php
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ class DboOracle extends DboSource {
 				if (!empty($fetch) && is_array($fetch)) {
 					if ($recursive > 0) {
 
-						foreach ($linkModel->__associations as $type1) {
+						foreach ($linkModel->associations() as $type1) {
 							foreach ($linkModel->{$type1} as $assoc1 => $assocData1) {
 								$deepModel =& $linkModel->{$assoc1};
 								$tmpStack = $stack;
@@ -1088,7 +1088,7 @@ class DboOracle extends DboSource {
 				if (!empty($fetch) && is_array($fetch)) {
 					if ($recursive > 0) {
 
-						foreach ($linkModel->__associations as $type1) {
+						foreach ($linkModel->associations() as $type1) {
 							foreach ($linkModel->{$type1} as $assoc1 => $assocData1) {
 
 								$deepModel =& $linkModel->{$assoc1};
diff --git a/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.php b/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.php
index 55416c63c..e2a845f72 100755
--- a/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.php
+++ b/cake/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.php
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ class DboSource extends DataSource {
 			$queryData['fields'] = $this->fields($model);
 		}
 
-		$_associations = $model->__associations;
+		$_associations = $model->associations();
 
 		if ($model->recursive == -1) {
 			$_associations = array();
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ class DboSource extends DataSource {
 
 				if (!empty($fetch) && is_array($fetch)) {
 					if ($recursive > 0) {
-						foreach ($linkModel->__associations as $type1) {
+						foreach ($linkModel->associations() as $type1) {
 							foreach ($linkModel->{$type1} as $assoc1 => $assocData1) {
 								$deepModel =& $linkModel->{$assoc1};
 								$tmpStack = $stack;
@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ class DboSource extends DataSource {
 
 				if (!empty($fetch) && is_array($fetch)) {
 					if ($recursive > 0) {
-						foreach ($linkModel->__associations as $type1) {
+						foreach ($linkModel->associations() as $type1) {
 							foreach ($linkModel->{$type1} as $assoc1 => $assocData1) {
 								$deepModel =& $linkModel->{$assoc1};
 
diff --git a/cake/libs/model/model.php b/cake/libs/model/model.php
index ab26e8dae..59035bcb6 100644
--- a/cake/libs/model/model.php
+++ b/cake/libs/model/model.php
@@ -2814,6 +2814,16 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 		return $db;
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Get associations
+ *
+ * @return array
+ * @access public
+ */
+	function associations() {
+		return $this->__associations;
+	}
+
 /**
  * Gets all the models with which this model is associated.
  *
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.test.php
index bee5967a5..c87476e12 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/datasources/dbo_source.test.php
@@ -1400,7 +1400,7 @@ class DboSourceTest extends CakeTestCase {
 
 		$queryData = array();
 
-		foreach ($this->Model->Category2->__associations as $type) {
+		foreach ($this->Model->Category2->associations() as $type) {
 			foreach ($this->Model->Category2->{$type} as $assoc => $assocData) {
 				$linkModel =& $this->Model->Category2->{$assoc};
 				$external = isset($assocData['external']);
@@ -2185,7 +2185,7 @@ class DboSourceTest extends CakeTestCase {
  * @return void
  */
 	function _buildRelatedModels(&$model) {
-		foreach ($model->__associations as $type) {
+		foreach ($model->associations() as $type) {
 			foreach ($model->{$type} as $assoc => $assocData) {
 				if (is_string($assocData)) {
 					$className = $assocData;