diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb
index 4d4bee05..61c1f9d2 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@ module ActiveModel
       def initialize(name, options={})
         @name          = name.to_s
         @options       = options
-
-        self.embed     = options[:embed] || CONFIG.embed || :objects
-        @embed_in_root = @embed_ids && (options[:include] || CONFIG.include)
+        self.embed     = options.fetch(:embed)   { CONFIG.embed }
+        @embed_in_root = options.fetch(:include) { CONFIG.include }
         @embed_key     = options[:embed_key] || :id
         @key           = options[:key]
         @embedded_key  = options[:root] || name
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/config.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/config.rb
index 1493fd5a..80c86c44 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer/config.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/config.rb
@@ -48,5 +48,6 @@ module ActiveModel
     end
 
     CONFIG = Config.new
+    CONFIG.embed = :objects
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/unit/active_model/serializer/has_many_test.rb b/test/unit/active_model/serializer/has_many_test.rb
index c442868c..8352e434 100644
--- a/test/unit/active_model/serializer/has_many_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/active_model/serializer/has_many_test.rb
@@ -98,6 +98,20 @@ module ActiveModel
         CONFIG.clear
       end
 
+      def test_associations_embedding_nothing_including_objects_serialization_using_as_json
+        CONFIG.embed = nil
+        CONFIG.include = true
+
+        PostSerializer._associations[:comments].send :initialize, @association.name, @association.options
+
+        assert_equal({
+          'post' => { title: 'Title 1', body: 'Body 1' },
+          'comments' => [{ content: 'C1' }, { content: 'C2' }]
+        }, @post_serializer.as_json)
+      ensure
+        CONFIG.clear
+      end
+
       def test_associations_using_a_given_serializer
         @association.embed_in_root = true
         @post_serializer.root = nil