diff --git a/lib/route.js b/lib/route.js
index b6de20884..614267056 100644
--- a/lib/route.js
+++ b/lib/route.js
@@ -544,32 +544,67 @@ function route(name, model, inflect) {
     return adapter.findMany(model, ids);
   }
 
-  function appendLinked(body, resources, schema, inclusions, req, res) {
-    var promises = [],
-        _this = this;
+  function getLinked(fetchedIds, resources, schema, key, req, res) {
+    var ids = linkedIds(resources, key);
+    if (ids.length > 0) {
+      var type = _.isArray(schema[key]) ? schema[key][0] : schema[key];
+      type = _.isPlainObject(type) ? type.ref : type;
 
-    inclusions = _.sortBy(inclusions, function(path) { return path.length; });
+      fetchedIds[type] = fetchedIds[type] || [];
+      ids = _.without(ids, fetchedIds[type]);
+      fetchedIds[type] = fetchedIds[type].concat(ids);
 
-    _.each(inclusions, function(path) {
+      return findResources.call(this,type,ids).then(function(resources) {
+        return RSVP.all(resources.map(function(resource) {
+          return afterTransform(inflect.singularize(type), resource, req, res);
+        })).then(function() {
+          return {type: inflect.pluralize(type), resources: resources};
+        });
+      });
+    }
 
-      var ids = linkedIds(resources, path);
-      if (ids.length > 0) {
-        var type = _.isArray(schema[path]) ? schema[path][0] : schema[path];
-        type = _.isPlainObject(type) ? type.ref : type;
-        promises.push(findResources.call(_this,type,ids).then(function(resources) {
-          body.linked = body.linked || {};
-          body.linked[inflect.pluralize(type)] = resources;
-          return RSVP.all(resources.map(function(resource) {
-            return afterTransform(inflect.singularize(type), resource, req, res);
-          }));
-        }));
-      }
-    });
+    var deferred = RSVP.defer();
+    deferred.resolve();
+    return deferred.promise;
+  }
 
-    return RSVP.all(promises)
-      .then(function() {
-        return body;
+  function appendLinked(body, resources, schema, inclusions, req, res) {
+    // build of tree of paths to fetch and maybe include
+    var includePaths = {},
+        _this = this;
+    _.each(inclusions, function(include) {
+      include = include.split('.');
+      var location = includePaths;
+      _.each(include, function(part) {
+        if (!location[part]) {
+          location[part] = {__includeInBody: false};
+        }
+        location = location[part];
       });
+      location.__includeInBody = true;
+    });
+    var fetchedIds = {};
+    body.linked = {};
+    
+    function fetchChildren(config, resources, schema, req, res) {
+      return RSVP.all(_.map(_.keys(config), function(key) {
+        if (key !== "__includeInBody") {
+          return getLinked.call(_this,fetchedIds, resources, schema, key, req, res)
+            .then(function(result) {
+              if (result) {
+                if (config[key].__includeInBody) {
+                  body.linked[result.type] = body.linked[result.type] || [];
+                  body.linked[result.type] = body.linked[result.type].concat(result.resources);
+                }
+                return fetchChildren(config[key], result.resources, _this._schema[inflect.singularize(result.type)], req, res);
+              }
+            });
+        }
+      }));
+    }
+    return fetchChildren(includePaths, resources, schema, req, res).then(function() {
+      return body;
+    });
   }
 
   /*
@@ -582,7 +617,6 @@ function route(name, model, inflect) {
   function appendLinks(body, req, res) {
     var schemas = this._schema,
         _this = this;
-
     var promises = [];
 
     _.each(body, function(value, key) {
@@ -591,8 +625,9 @@ function route(name, model, inflect) {
         , schema = schemas[modelName];
       if (schema) {
         addLinksToBody.call(_this, body, schema, key);
-        if (req.query.include)
+        if (req.query.include) {
           promises.push(appendLinked.call(_this,body, body[key], schema, req.query.include.split(','), req, res));
+        }
       }
     });
 
diff --git a/test/all.js b/test/all.js
index 437d4e856..5a891e2ab 100644
--- a/test/all.js
+++ b/test/all.js
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ _.each(global.adapters, function(port, adapter) {
           });
       });
 
-      it("should return immediate child documents of people by default", function(done) {
+      it("should return immediate child documents of people when requested", function(done) {
         new RSVP.Promise(function(resolve) {
           request(baseUrl)
             .put('/people/' + ids.people[0])
@@ -397,6 +397,84 @@ _.each(global.adapters, function(port, adapter) {
             });
         });  
       });
+
+      it("should return grandchild plus child documents of people when requested", function(done) {
+        new RSVP.Promise(function(resolve) {
+          request(baseUrl)
+            .put('/people/' + ids.people[1])
+            .send({people: [{
+              links: {
+                pets: [ids.pets[1]]
+              }
+            }]})
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect(200)
+            .end(function(error, response) {
+              should.not.exist(error);
+              var body = JSON.parse(response.text);
+              (body.people[0].links.pets).should.includeEql(ids.pets[1]);
+              resolve();
+            });
+        })
+        .then(function() {
+          request(baseUrl)
+            .get('/people/' + ids.people[0] + '?include=pets,soulmate,soulmate.pets')
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect(200)
+            .end(function(error, response) {
+              should.not.exist(error);
+              var body = JSON.parse(response.text);
+              body.linked.pets.length.should.equal(2);
+              body.linked.pets[0].id.should.equal(ids.pets[0]);
+              body.linked.pets[0].name.should.equal(fixtures.pets[0].name);
+              body.linked.pets[1].id.should.equal(ids.pets[1]);
+              body.linked.pets[1].name.should.equal(fixtures.pets[1].name);
+              body.linked.people.length.should.equal(1);
+              body.linked.people[0].name.should.equal(fixtures.people[1].name);
+              body.people[0].nickname.should.equal('Super ' + fixtures.people[0].name);
+              body.linked.people[0].nickname.should.equal('Super ' + fixtures.people[1].name);
+              done();
+            });
+        });  
+      });
+
+      it("should return grandchild without child documents of people when requested", function(done) {
+        new RSVP.Promise(function(resolve) {
+          request(baseUrl)
+            .put('/people/' + ids.people[1])
+            .send({people: [{
+              links: {
+                pets: [ids.pets[1]]
+              }
+            }]})
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect(200)
+            .end(function(error, response) {
+              should.not.exist(error);
+              var body = JSON.parse(response.text);
+              (body.people[0].links.pets).should.includeEql(ids.pets[1]);
+              resolve();
+            });
+        })
+        .then(function() {
+          request(baseUrl)
+            .get('/people/' + ids.people[0] + '?include=pets,soulmate.pets')
+            .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+            .expect(200)
+            .end(function(error, response) {
+              should.not.exist(error);
+              var body = JSON.parse(response.text);
+              body.linked.pets.length.should.equal(2);
+              body.linked.pets[0].id.should.equal(ids.pets[0]);
+              body.linked.pets[0].name.should.equal(fixtures.pets[0].name);
+              body.linked.pets[1].id.should.equal(ids.pets[1]);
+              body.linked.pets[1].name.should.equal(fixtures.pets[1].name);
+              should.not.exist(body.linked.people);
+              done();
+            });
+        });  
+      });
+
     });
 
     after(function(done) {