diff --git a/lib/ex_machina.ex b/lib/ex_machina.ex
index 8e06471..6df331e 100644
--- a/lib/ex_machina.ex
+++ b/lib/ex_machina.ex
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ defmodule ExMachina do
       end
 
       def create(built_record) when is_map(built_record) do
-        __MODULE__.save_record(built_record)
+        ExMachina.create(__MODULE__, built_record)
       end
 
       def create(factory_name, attrs \\ %{}) do
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ defmodule ExMachina do
       # Saves and returns %{name: "John Doe", admin: true}
       create(:user, admin: true)
   """
+
+  def create(module, built_record) when is_map(built_record) do
+    module.save_record(built_record)
+  end
+
   def create(module, factory_name, attrs \\ %{}) do
     ExMachina.build(module, factory_name, attrs) |> module.save_record
   end
diff --git a/lib/ex_machina/ecto.ex b/lib/ex_machina/ecto.ex
index 6303382..148af18 100644
--- a/lib/ex_machina/ecto.ex
+++ b/lib/ex_machina/ecto.ex
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ defmodule ExMachina.Ecto do
         end
 
         def save_record(record) do
-          ExMachina.Ecto.save_record(@repo, record)
+          ExMachina.Ecto.save_record(__MODULE__, @repo, record)
         end
       end
     else
@@ -104,11 +104,33 @@ defmodule ExMachina.Ecto do
   end
 
   @doc """
-  Saves a record using `Repo.insert!` when `create` is called.
+  Saves a record and all associated records using `Repo.insert!`
   """
-  def save_record(repo, record) do
+  def save_record(module, repo, record) do
     if repo do
-      repo.insert!(record)
+      record
+      |> associate_records(module)
+      |> repo.insert!
     end
   end
+
+  defp associate_records(built_record = %{__struct__: struct}, module) do
+    association_names = struct.__schema__(:associations)
+
+    Enum.reduce association_names, built_record, fn(association_name, record) ->
+      case association = Map.get(record, association_name) do
+        %{__meta__: %{state: :built}} ->
+          association = ExMachina.create(module, association)
+          put_assoc(record, association_name, association)
+        %{__meta__: %{state: :loaded}} ->
+          put_assoc(record, association_name, association)
+        _ -> record
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp put_assoc(record, association_name, association) do
+    association_id = "#{association_name}_id" |> String.to_atom
+    Map.put(record, association_id, association.id)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/ex_machina/ecto_test.exs b/test/ex_machina/ecto_test.exs
index b0fa3bd..30f3231 100644
--- a/test/ex_machina/ecto_test.exs
+++ b/test/ex_machina/ecto_test.exs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ defmodule ExMachina.EctoTest do
     end
   end
 
-  defmodule EctoFactories do
+  defmodule Factory do
     use ExMachina.Ecto, repo: TestRepo
 
     factory :user do
@@ -59,15 +59,15 @@ defmodule ExMachina.EctoTest do
     factory :article do
       %Article{
         title: "My Awesome Article",
-        author_id: assoc(:author, factory: :user).id
+        author: assoc(:author, factory: :user)
       }
     end
 
     factory :comment do
       %Comment{
         body: "Great article!",
-        article_id: assoc(:article).id,
-        user_id: assoc(:user).id
+        article: assoc(:article),
+        user: assoc(:user)
       }
     end
   end
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ defmodule ExMachina.EctoTest do
   end
 
   test "fields_for/2 removes Ecto specific fields" do
-    assert EctoFactories.fields_for(:user) == %{
+    assert Factory.fields_for(:user) == %{
       id: nil,
       name: "John Doe",
       admin: false
@@ -96,37 +96,57 @@ defmodule ExMachina.EctoTest do
 
   test "fields_for/2 raises when passed a map" do
     assert_raise ArgumentError, fn ->
-      EctoFactories.fields_for(:user_map)
+      Factory.fields_for(:user_map)
     end
   end
 
   test "save_record/1 inserts the record into @repo" do
-    model = EctoFactories.save_record(%User{name: "John"})
+    model = Factory.save_record(%User{name: "John"})
 
     new_user = TestRepo.one!(User)
     assert model == new_user
   end
 
+  test "save_record/1 saves associated records and sets the association id" do
+    author = Factory.build(:user)
+    article = Factory.save_record(%Article{title: "Ecto is Awesome", author: author})
+
+    assert article.author_id == 1
+    assert article.title == "Ecto is Awesome"
+    assert TestRepo.get_by(Article, title: "Ecto is Awesome", author_id: 1)
+    assert TestRepo.one(User)
+  end
+
+  test "save_record/1 assigns the id of already saved records" do
+    author = Factory.create(:user)
+    article = Factory.save_record(%Article{title: "Ecto is Awesome", author: author})
+
+    assert article.author_id == author.id
+    assert article.title == "Ecto is Awesome"
+    assert TestRepo.get_by(Article, title: "Ecto is Awesome", author_id: author.id)
+    assert TestRepo.one(User)
+  end
+
   test "assoc/3 returns the passed in key if it exists" do
     existing_account = %{id: 1, plan_type: "free"}
     attrs = %{account: existing_account}
 
-    assert ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(EctoFactories, attrs, :account) == existing_account
+    assert ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(Factory, attrs, :account) == existing_account
   end
 
   test "assoc/3 does not insert a record if it exists" do
     existing_account = %{id: 1, plan_type: "free"}
     attrs = %{account: existing_account}
 
-    ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(EctoFactories, attrs, :account)
+    ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(Factory, attrs, :account)
 
-    TestRepo.all(User) == []
+    assert TestRepo.all(User) == []
   end
 
   test "assoc/3 builds and returns a factory if one was not in attrs" do
     attrs = %{}
 
-    user = ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(EctoFactories, attrs, :user)
+    user = ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(Factory, attrs, :user)
 
     refute TestRepo.one(User)
     assert user.name == "John Doe"
@@ -136,17 +156,24 @@ defmodule ExMachina.EctoTest do
   test "assoc/3 can specify a factory for the association" do
     attrs = %{}
 
-    account = ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(EctoFactories, attrs, :account, factory: :user)
+    account = ExMachina.Ecto.assoc(Factory, attrs, :account, factory: :user)
 
-    assert account == EctoFactories.build(:user)
+    assert account == Factory.build(:user)
     refute TestRepo.one(User)
   end
 
   test "can use assoc/3 in a factory to override associations" do
-    my_article = EctoFactories.create(:article, title: "So Deep")
+    my_article = Factory.create(:article, title: "So Deep")
 
-    comment = EctoFactories.create(:comment, article: my_article)
+    comment = Factory.create(:comment, article: my_article)
 
     assert comment.article == my_article
   end
+
+  test "chaining build and create" do
+    Factory.build(:article, title: "Ecto is Awesome") |> Factory.create
+
+    article = TestRepo.get_by!(Article, title: "Ecto is Awesome")
+    assert article.author_id
+  end
 end