diff --git a/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php b/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
index c1a1c5ae3..8ed3b3ca9 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
@@ -373,9 +373,9 @@ class Model extends Object {
  * List of valid finder method options, supplied as the first parameter to find().
  *
  * @var array
- * @access protected
+ * @access public
  */
-	protected $_findMethods = array(
+	public $findMethods = array(
 		'all' => true, 'first' => true, 'count' => true,
 		'neighbors' => true, 'list' => true, 'threaded' => true
 	);
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ class Model extends Object {
 		}
 
 		if (is_subclass_of($this, 'AppModel')) {
-			$merge = array('_findMethods');
+			$merge = array('findMethods');
 			if ($this->actsAs !== null || $this->actsAs !== false) {
 				$merge[] = 'actsAs';
 			}
@@ -2134,7 +2134,7 @@ class Model extends Object {
 		);
 
 		if ($type !== 'all') {
-			if ($this->_findMethods[$type] === true) {
+			if ($this->findMethods[$type] === true) {
 				$query = $this->{'_find' . ucfirst($type)}('before', $query);
 			}
 		}
@@ -2183,7 +2183,7 @@ class Model extends Object {
 		if ($type === 'all') {
 			return $results;
 		} else {
-			if ($this->_findMethods[$type] === true) {
+			if ($this->findMethods[$type] === true) {
 				return $this->{'_find' . ucfirst($type)}('after', $query, $results);
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/lib/Cake/tests/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php b/lib/Cake/tests/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
index e3540da6f..b22263caf 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/tests/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/tests/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
@@ -1299,7 +1299,7 @@ class ModelIntegrationTest extends BaseModelTest {
 /**
  * test Model::__construct
  *
- * ensure that $actsAS and $_findMethods are merged.
+ * ensure that $actsAS and $findMethods are merged.
  *
  * @return void
  */
@@ -1320,7 +1320,7 @@ class ModelIntegrationTest extends BaseModelTest {
 /**
  * test Model::__construct
  *
- * ensure that $actsAS and $_findMethods are merged.
+ * ensure that $actsAS and $findMethods are merged.
  *
  * @return void
  */