diff --git a/lib/searchkick.rb b/lib/searchkick.rb
index c7ef3ca..e919f58 100644
--- a/lib/searchkick.rb
+++ b/lib/searchkick.rb
@@ -5,65 +5,78 @@ require "searchkick/tasks"
 require "tire"
 
 module Searchkick
-  # TODO fix this monstrosity
-  # TODO add custom synonyms
-  def self.settings(options = {})
-    synonyms = options[:synonyms] || []
-    settings = {
-      analysis: {
-        analyzer: {
-          searchkick_keyword: {
-            type: "custom",
-            tokenizer: "keyword",
-            filter: ["lowercase", "snowball"]
+  module Model
+    def searchkick(field, options = {})
+      custom_settings = {
+        analysis: {
+          analyzer: {
+            searchkick_keyword: {
+              type: "custom",
+              tokenizer: "keyword",
+              filter: ["lowercase", "snowball"]
+            },
+            searchkick: {
+              type: "custom",
+              tokenizer: "standard",
+              # synonym should come last, after stemming and shingle
+              # shingle must come before snowball
+              filter: ["standard", "lowercase", "asciifolding", "stop", "snowball", "searchkick_index_shingle"]
+            },
+            searchkick_search: {
+              type: "custom",
+              tokenizer: "standard",
+              filter: ["standard", "lowercase", "asciifolding", "stop", "snowball", "searchkick_search_shingle"]
+            },
+            searchkick_search2: {
+              type: "custom",
+              tokenizer: "standard",
+              filter: ["standard", "lowercase", "asciifolding", "stop", "snowball"] #, "searchkick_search_shingle"]
+            }
           },
-          searchkick: {
-            type: "custom",
-            tokenizer: "standard",
-            # synonym should come last, after stemming and shingle
-            # shingle must come before snowball
-            filter: ["standard", "lowercase", "asciifolding", "stop", "snowball", "searchkick_index_shingle"]
-          },
-          searchkick_search: {
-            type: "custom",
-            tokenizer: "standard",
-            filter: ["standard", "lowercase", "asciifolding", "stop", "snowball", "searchkick_search_shingle"]
-          },
-          searchkick_search2: {
-            type: "custom",
-            tokenizer: "standard",
-            filter: ["standard", "lowercase", "asciifolding", "stop", "snowball"] #, "searchkick_search_shingle"]
-          }
-        },
-        filter: {
-          searchkick_index_shingle: {
-            type: "shingle",
-            token_separator: ""
-          },
-          # lucky find http://web.archiveorange.com/archive/v/AAfXfQ17f57FcRINsof7
-          searchkick_search_shingle: {
-            type: "shingle",
-            token_separator: "",
-            output_unigrams: false,
-            output_unigrams_if_no_shingles: true
+          filter: {
+            searchkick_index_shingle: {
+              type: "shingle",
+              token_separator: ""
+            },
+            # lucky find http://web.archiveorange.com/archive/v/AAfXfQ17f57FcRINsof7
+            searchkick_search_shingle: {
+              type: "shingle",
+              token_separator: "",
+              output_unigrams: false,
+              output_unigrams_if_no_shingles: true
+            }
           }
         }
-      }
-    }
-    if synonyms.any?
-      settings[:analysis][:filter][:searchkick_synonym] = {
-        type: "synonym",
-        ignore_case: true,
-        synonyms: synonyms
-      }
-      settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick][:filter] << "searchkick_synonym"
-      settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick_search][:filter].insert(-2, "searchkick_synonym")
-      settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick_search][:filter] << "searchkick_synonym"
-      settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick_search2][:filter] << "searchkick_synonym"
+      }.merge(options[:settings] || {})
+      synonyms = options[:synonyms] || []
+      if synonyms.any?
+        custom_settings[:analysis][:filter][:searchkick_synonym] = {
+          type: "synonym",
+          ignore_case: true,
+          synonyms: synonyms
+        }
+        custom_settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick][:filter] << "searchkick_synonym"
+        custom_settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick_search][:filter].insert(-2, "searchkick_synonym")
+        custom_settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick_search][:filter] << "searchkick_synonym"
+        custom_settings[:analysis][:analyzer][:searchkick_search2][:filter] << "searchkick_synonym"
+      end
+
+      class_eval do
+        extend Searchkick::Search
+        extend Searchkick::Reindex
+        include Tire::Model::Search
+        include Tire::Model::Callbacks
+
+        tire do
+          settings custom_settings
+          mapping do
+            indexes field, analyzer: "searchkick"
+          end
+        end
+      end
     end
-    settings
   end
 end
 
-Tire::Model::Search::ClassMethodsProxy.send :include, Searchkick::Reindex
-Tire::Search::Search.send :include, Searchkick::Search
+require "active_record"
+ActiveRecord::Base.send(:extend, Searchkick::Model) if defined?(ActiveRecord)
diff --git a/lib/searchkick/reindex.rb b/lib/searchkick/reindex.rb
index 7d9488e..72e5e95 100644
--- a/lib/searchkick/reindex.rb
+++ b/lib/searchkick/reindex.rb
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ module Searchkick
 
     # https://gist.github.com/jarosan/3124884
     def reindex
-      alias_name = klass.tire.index.name
+      alias_name = tire.index.name
       new_index = alias_name + "_" + Time.now.strftime("%Y%m%d%H%M%S")
 
       # Rake::Task["tire:import"].invoke
       index = Tire::Index.new(new_index)
-      Tire::Tasks::Import.create_index(index, klass)
-      scope = klass.respond_to?(:tire_import) ? klass.tire_import : klass
+      Tire::Tasks::Import.create_index(index, self)
+      scope = respond_to?(:searchkick_import) ? searchkick_import : self
       scope.find_in_batches do |batch|
         index.import batch
       end
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ module Searchkick
       end
 
       puts "[IMPORT] Saved alias #{alias_name} pointing to #{new_index}"
+      true
     end
 
   end
diff --git a/lib/searchkick/search.rb b/lib/searchkick/search.rb
index 909a2a5..3506c11 100644
--- a/lib/searchkick/search.rb
+++ b/lib/searchkick/search.rb
@@ -1,35 +1,38 @@
 module Searchkick
   # can't check mapping for conversions since the new index may not be built
   module Search
-    def searchkick_query(fields, term, conversions = false)
-      query do
-        boolean do
-          must do
-            dis_max do
-              query do
-                match fields, term, boost: 10, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search"
-              end
-              query do
-                match fields, term, boost: 10, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search2"
-              end
-              query do
-                match fields, term, use_dis_max: false, fuzziness: 0.7, max_expansions: 1, prefix_length: 1, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search"
-              end
-              query do
-                match fields, term, use_dis_max: false, fuzziness: 0.7, max_expansions: 1, prefix_length: 1, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search2"
-              end
-            end
-          end
-          if conversions
-            should do
-              nested path: "conversions", score_mode: "total" do
+    def search(term, conversions = false)
+      fields = ["name"]
+      tire.search do
+        query do
+          boolean do
+            must do
+              dis_max do
+                query do
+                  match fields, term, boost: 10, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search"
+                end
+                query do
+                  match fields, term, boost: 10, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search2"
+                end
+                query do
+                  match fields, term, use_dis_max: false, fuzziness: 0.7, max_expansions: 1, prefix_length: 1, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search"
+                end
                 query do
-                  custom_score script: "log(doc['count'].value)" do
-                    match "query", term
-                  end
+                  match fields, term, use_dis_max: false, fuzziness: 0.7, max_expansions: 1, prefix_length: 1, operator: "and", analyzer: "searchkick_search2"
                 end
               end
             end
+            # if conversions
+            #   should do
+            #     nested path: "conversions", score_mode: "total" do
+            #       query do
+            #         custom_score script: "log(doc['count'].value)" do
+            #           match "query", term
+            #         end
+            #       end
+            #     end
+            #   end
+            # end
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/searchkick.gemspec b/searchkick.gemspec
index 6050a0e..4d8b4e9 100644
--- a/searchkick.gemspec
+++ b/searchkick.gemspec
@@ -23,4 +23,6 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.add_development_dependency "bundler", "~> 1.3"
   spec.add_development_dependency "rake"
   spec.add_development_dependency "minitest"
+  spec.add_development_dependency "activerecord"
+  spec.add_development_dependency "pg"
 end
diff --git a/test/searchkick_test.rb b/test/searchkick_test.rb
index 676bb67..0729be5 100644
--- a/test/searchkick_test.rb
+++ b/test/searchkick_test.rb
@@ -1,44 +1,25 @@
 require "test_helper"
 
+class Product < ActiveRecord::Base
+  searchkick :name, synonyms: [
+    "clorox => bleach",
+    "saranwrap => plastic wrap",
+    "scallion => green onion",
+    "qtip => cotton swab",
+    "burger => hamburger",
+    "bandaid => bandag"
+  ], settings: {number_of_shards: 1}
+end
+
 class TestSearchkick < Minitest::Unit::TestCase
 
   def setup
-    $index = Tire::Index.new("products")
-    $index.delete
-    synonyms = [
-      "clorox => bleach",
-      "saranwrap => plastic wrap",
-      "scallion => green onion",
-      "qtip => cotton swab",
-      "burger => hamburger",
-      "bandaid => bandag"
-    ]
-    index_options = {
-      settings: Searchkick.settings(synonyms: synonyms).merge(number_of_shards: 1),
-      mappings: {
-        document: {
-          properties: {
-            name: {
-              type: "string",
-              analyzer: "searchkick"
-            },
-            conversions: {
-              type: "nested",
-              properties: {
-                query: {
-                  type: "string",
-                  analyzer: "searchkick_keyword"
-                },
-                count: {
-                  type: "integer"
-                }
-              }
-            }
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    $index.create index_options
+    Product.index.delete
+    Product.create_elasticsearch_index
+  end
+
+  def test_reindex
+    assert Product.reindex
   end
 
   # exact
@@ -206,9 +187,9 @@ class TestSearchkick < Minitest::Unit::TestCase
 
   def store(documents)
     documents.each do |document|
-      $index.store document
+      Product.index.store document.merge(_type: "product")
     end
-    $index.refresh
+    Product.index.refresh
   end
 
   def store_names(names)
@@ -216,13 +197,7 @@ class TestSearchkick < Minitest::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   def assert_search(term, expected)
-    search =
-      Tire.search "products", type: "document" do
-        searchkick_query ["name"], term, true
-        explain true
-      end
-
-    assert_equal expected, search.results.map(&:name)
+    assert_equal expected, Product.search(term).map(&:name)
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 0930e44..0d8dbab 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,22 @@ require "bundler/setup"
 Bundler.require(:default)
 require "minitest/autorun"
 require "minitest/pride"
+require "active_record"
+
+# for debugging
+# ActiveRecord::Base.logger = Logger.new(STDOUT)
+
+# rails does this in activerecord/lib/active_record/railtie.rb
+ActiveRecord::Base.default_timezone = :utc
+ActiveRecord::Base.time_zone_aware_attributes = true
+
+# migrations
+ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection :adapter => "postgresql", :database => "searchkick_test"
+
+ActiveRecord::Migration.create_table :products, :force => true do |t|
+  t.string :name
+  t.timestamps
+end
 
 File.delete("elasticsearch.log") if File.exists?("elasticsearch.log")
 Tire.configure { logger "elasticsearch.log", :level => "debug" }
--
libgit2 0.21.0