diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness.rb
index fd6ef54..48ccb44 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness.rb
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
     def setup_for_rails
       self.default_timezone = ::ActiveRecord::Base.default_timezone
       self.use_time_zones = ::ActiveRecord::Base.time_zone_aware_attributes rescue false
+      self.enable_active_record_datetime_parser!
       load_error_messages
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/active_record/attribute_methods.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
index a115066..8034115 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
@@ -1,51 +1,31 @@
 module ValidatesTimeliness
+
+  def self.enable_active_record_datetime_parser!
+    ::ActiveRecord::Base.send(:include, ValidatesTimeliness::ActiveRecord::AttributeMethods)
+  end
+
   module ActiveRecord
 
-    # Rails 2.1 removed the ability to retrieve the raw value of a time or datetime
-    # attribute. The raw value is necessary to properly validate a string time or 
-    # datetime value instead of the internal Rails type casting which is very limited 
-    # and does not allow custom formats. These methods restore that ability while 
-    # respecting the automatic timezone handling.
-    #
-    # The automatic timezone handling sets the assigned attribute value to the current
-    # zone in Time.zone. To preserve this localised value and capture the raw value 
-    # we cache the localised value on write and store the raw value in the attributes
-    # hash for later retrieval and possibly validation. Any value from the database
-    # will not be in the attribute cache on first read so will be considered in default
-    # timezone and converted to local time. It is then stored back in the attributes
-    # hash and cached to avoid the need for any subsequent differentiation.
     module AttributeMethods
 
+      # Overrides write method for date, time and datetime columns
+      # to use plugin parser. Also adds mechanism to store value
+      # before type cast.
+      #
       def self.included(base)
         base.extend ClassMethods
         base.class_eval do
-          alias_method_chain :read_attribute, :timeliness
+          alias_method_chain :reload, :timeliness
+          alias_method_chain :read_attribute_before_type_cast, :timeliness
           class << self
             alias_method_chain :define_attribute_methods, :timeliness
           end
         end
       end
 
-      # Adds check for cached date/time attributes which have been type cast already
-      # and value can be used from cache. This prevents the raw date/time value from
-      # being type cast using default Rails type casting when writing values
-      # to the database.
-      def read_attribute_with_timeliness(attr_name)
-        attr_name = attr_name.to_s
-        if !(value = @attributes[attr_name]).nil?
-          column = column_for_attribute(attr_name)
-          if column && [:date, :time, :datetime].include?(column.type) && @attributes_cache.has_key?(attr_name)
-            return @attributes_cache[attr_name]
-          end
-        end
-        read_attribute_without_timeliness(attr_name)
-      end
-
-      # If Rails dirty attributes is enabled then the value is added to
-      # changed attributes if changed. Can't use the default dirty checking
-      # implementation as it chains the write_attribute method which deletes
-      # the attribute from the cache.
       def write_date_time_attribute(attr_name, value, type, time_zone_aware)
+        @attributes["_#{attr_name}_before_type_cast"] = value
+
         new = ValidatesTimeliness::Parser.parse(value, type)
 
         if new && type != :date
@@ -53,32 +33,17 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
           new = new.in_time_zone if time_zone_aware
         end
 
-        if defined?(::ActiveRecord::Dirty) && !changed_attributes.include?(attr_name)
-          old = read_attribute(attr_name)
-          if old != new
-            changed_attributes[attr_name] = (old.duplicable? ? old.clone : old)
-          end
-        end
-        @attributes_cache[attr_name] = new
-        @attributes[attr_name] = value
+        write_attribute(attr_name.to_sym, new)
       end
 
-      # If reloading then check if cached, which means its in local time.
-      # If local, convert with parser as local timezone, otherwise use 
-      # read_attribute method for quick default type cast of values from
-      # database using default timezone.
-      def read_date_time_attribute(attr_name, type, time_zone_aware, reload = false)
-        cached = @attributes_cache[attr_name]
-        return cached if @attributes_cache.has_key?(attr_name) && !reload
+      def read_attribute_before_type_cast_with_timeliness(attr_name)
+        return @attributes["_#{attr_name}_before_type_cast"] if @attributes.has_key?("_#{attr_name}_before_type_cast")
+        read_attribute_before_type_cast_without_timeliness(attr_name)
+      end
 
-        if @attributes_cache.has_key?(attr_name)
-          time = read_attribute_before_type_cast(attr_name)
-          time = ValidatesTimeliness::Parser.parse(time, type)
-        else
-          time = read_attribute(attr_name)
-          @attributes[attr_name] = (time && time_zone_aware ? time.in_time_zone : time) unless frozen?
-        end
-        @attributes_cache[attr_name] = time && time_zone_aware ? time.in_time_zone : time
+      def reload_with_timeliness
+        @attributes.keys.grep(/^_.*_before_type_cast$/).each { |key| @attributes.delete(key) }
+        reload_without_timeliness
       end
 
       module ClassMethods
@@ -86,46 +51,24 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
         def define_attribute_methods_with_timeliness
           return if generated_methods?
           columns_hash.each do |name, column|
-            unless instance_method_already_implemented?(name)
-              if [:date, :time, :datetime].include?(column.type)
-                time_zone_aware = create_time_zone_conversion_attribute?(name, column) rescue false
-                define_read_method_for_dates_and_times(name, column.type, time_zone_aware)
-              end
+
+            if [:date, :time, :datetime].include?(column.type)
+              time_zone_aware = create_time_zone_conversion_attribute?(name, column) rescue false
+
+              class_eval <<-EOV
+                def #{name}=(value)
+                  write_date_time_attribute('#{name}', value, #{column.type.inspect}, #{time_zone_aware})
+                end
+              EOV
             end
 
-            unless instance_method_already_implemented?("#{name}=")
-              if [:date, :time, :datetime].include?(column.type)
-                time_zone_aware = create_time_zone_conversion_attribute?(name, column) rescue false
-                define_write_method_for_dates_and_times(name, column.type, time_zone_aware)
-              end
-            end
           end
           define_attribute_methods_without_timeliness
         end
 
-        def define_write_method_for_dates_and_times(attr_name, type, time_zone_aware)
-          method_body = <<-EOV
-            def #{attr_name}=(value)
-              write_date_time_attribute('#{attr_name}', value, #{type.inspect}, #{time_zone_aware})
-            end
-          EOV
-          evaluate_attribute_method attr_name, method_body, "#{attr_name}="
-        end
-
-        def define_read_method_for_dates_and_times(attr_name, type, time_zone_aware)
-          method_body = <<-EOV
-            def #{attr_name}(reload = false)
-              read_date_time_attribute('#{attr_name}', #{type.inspect}, #{time_zone_aware}, reload)
-            end
-          EOV
-          evaluate_attribute_method attr_name, method_body
-        end
-
       end
 
     end
 
   end
 end
-
-ActiveRecord::Base.send(:include, ValidatesTimeliness::ActiveRecord::AttributeMethods)
diff --git a/spec/active_record/attribute_methods_spec.rb b/spec/active_record/attribute_methods_spec.rb
index 18e267a..e450e77 100644
--- a/spec/active_record/attribute_methods_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/active_record/attribute_methods_spec.rb
@@ -20,24 +20,6 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::ActiveRecord::AttributeMethods do
     @person.birth_date_and_time = "2000-01-01 12:00"
   end
 
-  it "should call read_date_time_attribute when date attribute is retrieved" do
-    @person.should_receive(:read_date_time_attribute)
-    @person.birth_date = "2000-01-01"
-    @person.birth_date
-  end
-
-  it "should call read_date_time_attribute when time attribute is retrieved" do
-    @person.should_receive(:read_date_time_attribute)
-    @person.birth_time = "12:00"
-    @person.birth_time
-  end
-
-  it "should call read_date_time_attribute when datetime attribute is retrieved" do
-    @person.should_receive(:read_date_time_attribute)
-    @person.birth_date_and_time = "2000-01-01 12:00"
-    @person.birth_date_and_time
-  end
-
   it "should call parser on write for datetime attribute" do
     ValidatesTimeliness::Parser.should_receive(:parse).once
     @person.birth_date_and_time = "2000-01-01 02:03:04"
@@ -103,7 +85,20 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::ActiveRecord::AttributeMethods do
     @person.birth_date_and_time_before_type_cast.should be_nil
   end
   
-  unless RAILS_VER < '2.1'
+  if RAILS_VER < '2.1'
+
+    it "should return time object from database in default timezone" do
+      ActiveRecord::Base.default_timezone = :utc
+      time_string = "2000-01-01 09:00:00"
+      @person = Person.new
+      @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
+      @person.save
+      @person.reload
+      @person.birth_date_and_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z').should == time_string + ' GMT'
+    end
+
+  else
+
     it "should return stored time string as Time with correct timezone" do
       Time.zone = 'Melbourne'
       time_string = "2000-06-01 02:03:04"
@@ -121,84 +116,6 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::ActiveRecord::AttributeMethods do
       @person.birth_date_and_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z %z').should == time_string + ' EST +1000'
     end
     
-    describe "dirty attributes" do
-    
-      it "should return true for attribute changed? when value updated" do
-        time_string = "2000-01-01 02:03:04"
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-        @person.birth_date_and_time_changed?.should be_true
-      end
-    
-      it "should show changes when time attribute changed from nil to Time object" do
-        time_string = "2000-01-01 02:03:04"
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-        time = @person.birth_date_and_time
-        @person.changes.should == {"birth_date_and_time" => [nil, time]}
-      end
-      
-      it "should show changes when time attribute changed from Time object to nil" do
-        time_string = "2020-01-01 02:03:04"
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-        @person.save false
-        @person.reload
-        time = @person.birth_date_and_time
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = nil
-        @person.changes.should == {"birth_date_and_time" => [time, nil]}
-      end
-      
-      it "should show no changes when assigned same value as Time object" do
-        time_string = "2020-01-01 02:03:04"
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-        @person.save false
-        @person.reload
-        time = @person.birth_date_and_time
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time
-        @person.changes.should == {}
-      end
-      
-      it "should show no changes when assigned same value as time string" do
-        time_string = "2020-01-01 02:03:04"
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-        @person.save false
-        @person.reload
-        @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-        @person.changes.should == {}
-      end
-      
-    end
-  else
-    
-    it "should return time object from database in default timezone" do        
-      ActiveRecord::Base.default_timezone = :utc
-      time_string = "2000-01-01 09:00:00"
-      @person = Person.new
-      @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-      @person.save
-      @person.reload
-      @person.birth_date_and_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z').should == time_string + ' GMT'
-    end
-      
-  end
-  
-  it "should return same time object on repeat reads on existing object" do
-    Time.zone = 'Melbourne' unless RAILS_VER < '2.1'
-    time_string = "2000-01-01 09:00:00"
-    @person = Person.new
-    @person.birth_date_and_time = time_string
-    @person.save!
-    @person.reload
-    time = @person.birth_date_and_time
-    @person.birth_date_and_time.should == time
-  end
-  
-  it "should return same date object on repeat reads on existing object" do
-    date_string = Date.today
-    @person = Person.new
-    @person.birth_date = date_string
-    @person.save!
-    @person.reload
-    date = @person.birth_date
-    @person.birth_date.should == date
   end
   
   it "should return correct date value after new value assigned" do
@@ -220,15 +137,5 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::ActiveRecord::AttributeMethods do
     @person.reload
     @person.birth_date.should == tomorrow
   end
- 
-  it "should skip storing value in attributes hash on read if record frozen" do
-    @person = Person.new
-    @person.birth_date = Date.today
-    @person.save!
-    @person.reload
-    @person.freeze
-    @person.frozen?.should be_true
-    lambda { @person.birth_date }.should_not raise_error
-    @person.birth_date.should == Date.today
-  end
+
 end