diff --git a/lib/collection.js b/lib/collection.js
index 1c2ab7d2437..1c38286a8ed 100644
--- a/lib/collection.js
+++ b/lib/collection.js
@@ -17,13 +17,22 @@ var STATES = require('./connectionstate')
  */
 
 function Collection (name, conn, opts) {
+  if (undefined === opts) opts = {};
+  if (undefined === opts.capped) opts.capped = {};
+
+  opts.bufferCommands = undefined === opts.bufferCommands
+    ? true
+    : opts.bufferCommands;
+
+  if ('number' == typeof opts.capped) {
+    opts.capped = { size: opts.capped };
+  }
+
+  this.opts = opts;
   this.name = name;
   this.conn = conn;
-  this.buffer = true;
   this.queue = [];
-
-  if ('number' == typeof opts) opts = { size: opts };
-  this.opts = opts || {};
+  this.buffer = this.opts.bufferCommands;
 
   if (STATES.connected == this.conn.readyState) {
     this.onOpen();
@@ -67,7 +76,9 @@ Collection.prototype.onOpen = function () {
  */
 
 Collection.prototype.onClose = function () {
-  this.buffer = true;
+  if (this.opts.bufferCommands) {
+    this.buffer = true;
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/drivers/node-mongodb-native/collection.js b/lib/drivers/node-mongodb-native/collection.js
index 0399dfeb92d..da0f6e745c2 100644
--- a/lib/drivers/node-mongodb-native/collection.js
+++ b/lib/drivers/node-mongodb-native/collection.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ NativeCollection.prototype.onOpen = function () {
   // always get a new collection in case the user changed host:port
   // of parent db instance when re-opening the connection.
 
-  if (!self.opts.size) {
+  if (!self.opts.capped.size) {
     // non-capped
     return self.conn.db.collection(self.name, callback);
   }
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ NativeCollection.prototype.onOpen = function () {
         }
       } else {
         // create
-        var opts = utils.clone(self.opts);
+        var opts = utils.clone(self.opts.capped);
         opts.capped = true;
         self.conn.db.createCollection(self.name, opts, callback);
       }
diff --git a/lib/model.js b/lib/model.js
index 6c51f138a6f..783006928b0 100644
--- a/lib/model.js
+++ b/lib/model.js
@@ -1972,9 +1972,15 @@ Model.compile = function compile (name, schema, collectionName, connection, base
   model.prototype.__proto__ = Model.prototype;
   model.prototype.db = connection;
   model.prototype._setSchema(schema);
+
+  var collectionOptions = {
+      bufferCommands: schema.options.bufferCommands
+    , capped: schema.options.capped
+  };
+
   model.prototype.collection = connection.collection(
       collectionName
-    , schema.options.capped
+    , collectionOptions
   );
 
   // apply methods
@@ -2031,7 +2037,12 @@ Model.__subclass = function subclass (conn, schema, collection) {
               || utils.toCollectionName(model.modelName);
   }
 
-  Model.prototype.collection = conn.collection(collection, s && s.options.capped);
+  var collectionOptions = {
+      bufferCommands: s ? s.options.bufferCommands : true
+    , capped: s && s.options.capped
+  };
+
+  Model.prototype.collection = conn.collection(collection, collectionOptions);
   Model.collection = Model.prototype.collection;
   Model.init();
   return Model;
diff --git a/lib/schema.js b/lib/schema.js
index cbd4f9d7a02..1631898c872 100644
--- a/lib/schema.js
+++ b/lib/schema.js
@@ -24,10 +24,12 @@ var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter
  * ####Options:
  *
  * - [autoIndex](/docs/guide.html#autoIndex): bool - defaults to true
+ * - [bufferCommands](/docs/guide.html#bufferCommands): bool - defaults to true
  * - [capped](/docs/guide.html#capped): bool - defaults to false
  * - [collection](/docs/guide.html#collection): string - no default
  * - [id](/docs/guide.html#id): bool - defaults to true
  * - [_id](/docs/guide.html#_id): bool - defaults to true
+ * - `minimize`: bool - controls [document#toObject](#document_Document-toObject) behavior when called manually - defaults to true
  * - [read](/docs/guide.html#read): string
  * - [safe](/docs/guide.html#safe): bool - defaults to true.
  * - [shardKey](/docs/guide.html#shardKey): bool - defaults to `null`
@@ -35,7 +37,6 @@ var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter
  * - [toJSON](/docs/guide.html#toJSON) - object - no default
  * - [toObject](/docs/guide.html#toObject) - object - no default
  * - [versionKey](/docs/guide.html#versionKey): bool - defaults to "__v"
- * - `minimize`: bool - controls [document#toObject](#document_Document-toObject) behavior when called manually - defaults to true
  *
  * ####Note:
  *
@@ -150,6 +151,7 @@ Schema.prototype.defaultOptions = function (options) {
 
   options = utils.options({
       strict: true
+    , bufferCommands: true
     , capped: false // { size, max, autoIndexId }
     , versionKey: '__v'
     , minimize: true
diff --git a/test/model.test.js b/test/model.test.js
index 9e3981cf3bb..059b3462934 100644
--- a/test/model.test.js
+++ b/test/model.test.js
@@ -3849,13 +3849,14 @@ describe('model', function(){
   describe('auto_reconnect', function(){
     describe('if disabled', function(){
       describe('with mongo down', function(){
-        it('should pass an error', function(done){
+        it('and no command buffering should pass an error', function(done){
           var db = start({ server: { auto_reconnect: false }});
-          var T = db.model('Thing', new Schema({ type: String }));
+          var schema = Schema({ type: String }, { bufferCommands: false });
+          var T = db.model('Thing', schema);
           db.on('open', function () {
             var t = new T({ type: "monster" });
-
             var worked = false;
+
             t.save(function (err) {
               assert.equal(err.message, 'no open connections');
               worked = true;
@@ -3866,7 +3867,7 @@ describe('model', function(){
             setTimeout(function () {
               assert.ok(worked);
               done();
-            }, 500);
+            }, 100);
           });
         });
       });