diff --git a/lib/has_messages.rb b/lib/has_messages.rb
index 56d677e..5772978 100644
--- a/lib/has_messages.rb
+++ b/lib/has_messages.rb
@@ -38,27 +38,22 @@ module MacroMethods
     #  user = User.find(123)
     #  user.sent_messages
     def has_messages
-      has_many  :messages,
+      has_many  :messages, -> { where(:hidden_at => nil).order('messages.created_at DESC') },
                   :as => :sender,
-                  :class_name => 'Message',
-                  :conditions => {:hidden_at => nil},
-                  :order => 'messages.created_at DESC'
-      has_many  :received_messages,
+                  :class_name => 'Message'
+      has_many  :received_messages, -> { includes('message')
+                    .where('message_recipients.hidden_at IS NULL AND messages.state = ?', 'sent')
+                    .order('messages.created_at DESC') },
                   :as => :receiver,
-                  :class_name => 'MessageRecipient',
-                  :include => :message,
-                  :conditions => ['message_recipients.hidden_at IS NULL AND messages.state = ?', 'sent'],
-                  :order => 'messages.created_at DESC'
+                  :class_name => 'MessageRecipient'
 
       include HasMessages::HasMessagesInstanceMethods
     end
 
     def acts_as_message_topic
-      has_many  :topical_messages,
+      has_many  :topical_messages, -> { order('messages.created_at DESC').where(:hidden_at => nil) },
                   :as => :topic,
-                  :class_name => 'Message',
-                  :conditions => {:hidden_at => nil},
-                  :order => 'messages.created_at DESC'  
+                  :class_name => 'Message'
 
       include HasMessages::ActsAsMessageTopicInstanceMethods
     end
diff --git a/lib/has_messages/models/message.rb b/lib/has_messages/models/message.rb
index 9812fc7..d4cfb44 100644
--- a/lib/has_messages/models/message.rb
+++ b/lib/has_messages/models/message.rb
@@ -31,17 +31,15 @@ class Message < ActiveRecord::Base
   belongs_to  :backup_topic, :polymorphic => true
 
   belongs_to  :original_message, :class_name => 'Message'
-  has_many    :recipients, :class_name => 'MessageRecipient', :order => 'kind DESC, position ASC', :dependent => :destroy
+  has_many    :recipients, -> { order('kind DESC, position ASC') }, :class_name => 'MessageRecipient', :dependent => :destroy
   
-  scope :with_topic, lambda { |topic| where :topic_id => topic.id, :topic_type => topic.class }
-  scope :with_receiver, lambda { |receiver| joins(:recipients).merge(MessageRecipient.with_receiver(receiver)) }
+  scope :with_topic, ->(topic) { where :topic_id => topic.id, :topic_type => topic.class }
+  scope :with_receiver, ->(receiver) { joins(:recipients).merge(MessageRecipient.with_receiver(receiver)) }
 
-  scope :sent, where(:state => :sent)
+  scope :sent, -> { where(:state => :sent) }
 
   validates_presence_of :state, :sender_id, :sender_type
   
-  attr_accessible :subject, :body, :to, :cc, :bcc
-  
   after_save :update_recipients
   
   scope :visible, :conditions => {:hidden_at => nil}
diff --git a/lib/has_messages/models/message_recipient.rb b/lib/has_messages/models/message_recipient.rb
index 2470082..1061834 100644
--- a/lib/has_messages/models/message_recipient.rb
+++ b/lib/has_messages/models/message_recipient.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class MessageRecipient < ActiveRecord::Base
   delegate :sender, :subject, :body, :recipients, :to, :cc, :bcc, :created_at, :thread, :topic,
            :to => :message
 
-  scope :visible, :conditions => {:hidden_at => nil}
+  scope :visible, -> { where(:hidden_at => nil) }
 
   # Defines actions for the recipient
   state_machine :state, :initial => :unread do