diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
index 99cfa66e..0f9405ea 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ module ActiveModel
 
       def embed(type, options={})
         CONFIG.embed = type
-        CONFIG.include = true if options[:include]
+        CONFIG.side_load = true if options[:side_load] || options[:include]
         ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn <<-WARN
 ** Notice: embed is deprecated. **
 The use of .embed method on a Serializer will be soon removed, as this should have a global scope and not a class scope.
 Please use the global .setup method instead:
 ActiveModel::Serializer.setup do |config|
   config.embed = :#{type}
-  config.include = #{CONFIG.include || false}
+  config.side_load = #{CONFIG.side_load || false}
 end
         WARN
       end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb
index b48552ae..5e41d8b1 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/associations.rb
@@ -5,10 +5,16 @@ module ActiveModel
   class Serializer
     class Association
       def initialize(name, options={})
+        if options.has_key?(:include)
+          ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn <<-WARN
+** Notice: include was renamed to side_load. **
+          WARN
+        end
+
         @name         = name.to_s
         @options      = options
         self.embed    = options.fetch(:embed)   { CONFIG.embed }
-        @side_load    = options.fetch(:include) { CONFIG.include }
+        @side_load    = options.fetch(:side_load) { options.fetch(:include) { CONFIG.side_load } }
         @embed_key    = options[:embed_key] || :id
         @key          = options[:key]
         @embedded_key = options[:root] || name
diff --git a/test/integration/active_record/active_record_test.rb b/test/integration/active_record/active_record_test.rb
index 10e9ef45..3d0f8c9c 100644
--- a/test/integration/active_record/active_record_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/active_record/active_record_test.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ module ActiveModel
       def test_serialization_embedding_ids_including_in_root
         post_serializer = ARPostSerializer.new(@post)
 
-        embed(ARPostSerializer, embed: :ids, include: true) do
+        embed(ARPostSerializer, embed: :ids, side_load: true) do
           assert_equal({
             'ar_post' => {
               title: 'New post', body: 'A body!!!',
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ module ActiveModel
 
         ARPostSerializer._associations.each_value do |association|
           association.embed = options[:embed]
-          association.side_load = options[:include]
+          association.side_load = options[:side_load]
         end
 
         yield
diff --git a/test/unit/active_model/serializer/config_test.rb b/test/unit/active_model/serializer/config_test.rb
index 5cecb1e4..2d5f3b9e 100644
--- a/test/unit/active_model/serializer/config_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/active_model/serializer/config_test.rb
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ module ActiveModel
 
       class ApplyConfigTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
         def test_apply_config_to_associations
-          CONFIG.embed   = :ids
-          CONFIG.include = true
+          CONFIG.embed     = :ids
+          CONFIG.side_load = true
 
           association = PostSerializer._associations[:comments]
           old_association = association.dup