diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/strategy.rb b/lib/factory_girl/strategy.rb
index 7944c71..89cb5d6 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/strategy.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/strategy.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ require "factory_girl/strategy/build"
 require "factory_girl/strategy/create"
 require "factory_girl/strategy/attributes_for"
 require "factory_girl/strategy/stub"
+require "factory_girl/strategy/null"
 require "observer"
 
 module FactoryGirl
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/strategy/attributes_for.rb b/lib/factory_girl/strategy/attributes_for.rb
index 6fb51fc..cc17a32 100644
--- a/lib/factory_girl/strategy/attributes_for.rb
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/strategy/attributes_for.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ module FactoryGirl
   class Strategy #:nodoc:
     class AttributesFor < Strategy #:nodoc:
       def association(runner)
+        runner.run(Strategy::Null)
       end
 
       def result(attribute_assigner, to_create)
diff --git a/lib/factory_girl/strategy/null.rb b/lib/factory_girl/strategy/null.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a74afd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/factory_girl/strategy/null.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+module FactoryGirl
+  class Strategy
+    class Null
+      def association(runner)
+      end
+
+      def result(attribute_assigner, to_create)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/support/shared_examples/strategy.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/strategy.rb
index ffdea62..0aa7408 100644
--- a/spec/support/shared_examples/strategy.rb
+++ b/spec/support/shared_examples/strategy.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 shared_examples_for "strategy without association support" do
+  let(:factory)   { stub("associate_factory") }
   let(:attribute) { FactoryGirl::Attribute::Association.new(:user, :user, {}) }
 
   def association_named(name, overrides)
@@ -6,14 +7,14 @@ shared_examples_for "strategy without association support" do
     subject.association(runner)
   end
 
-  it "returns nil when accessing an association" do
-    association_named(:user, {}).should be_nil
+  before do
+    FactoryGirl.stubs(factory_by_name: factory)
+    factory.stubs(:compile)
+    factory.stubs(:run)
   end
 
-  it "does not attempt to look up the factory when accessing the association" do
-    FactoryGirl.stubs(:factory_by_name)
-    association_named(:awesome, {})
-    FactoryGirl.should have_received(:factory_by_name).never
+  it "returns nil when accessing an association" do
+    association_named(:user, {}).should be_nil
   end
 end