diff --git a/src/helma/objectmodel/db/Node.java b/src/helma/objectmodel/db/Node.java
index 1c205338..3444db55 100644
--- a/src/helma/objectmodel/db/Node.java
+++ b/src/helma/objectmodel/db/Node.java
@@ -163,9 +163,11 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
         if (state != CLEAN) {
             markAs(CLEAN);
         }
+    }
 
+    public void invokeOnInit() {
         // Invoke onInit() if it is defined by this Node's prototype
-        if (dbm != null) {
+        if (dbmap != null) {
             try {
                 // We need to reach deap into helma.framework.core to invoke onInit(),
                 // but the functionality is neat so we got to be strong here.
@@ -1971,7 +1973,7 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
 
         lastmodified = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-        if (state == CLEAN) {
+        if (state == CLEAN && propname.charAt(0) != '_') {
             markAs(MODIFIED);
         }
     }
@@ -2082,7 +2084,7 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
 
         lastmodified = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-        if (state == CLEAN) {
+        if (state == CLEAN && propname.charAt(0) != '_') {
             markAs(MODIFIED);
         }
     }
@@ -2119,7 +2121,7 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
 
         lastmodified = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-        if (state == CLEAN) {
+        if (state == CLEAN && propname.charAt(0) != '_') {
             markAs(MODIFIED);
         }
     }
@@ -2156,7 +2158,7 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
 
         lastmodified = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-        if (state == CLEAN) {
+        if (state == CLEAN && propname.charAt(0) != '_') {
             markAs(MODIFIED);
         }
     }
@@ -2193,7 +2195,7 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
 
         lastmodified = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-        if (state == CLEAN) {
+        if (state == CLEAN && propname.charAt(0) != '_') {
             markAs(MODIFIED);
         }
     }
@@ -2230,7 +2232,7 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
 
         lastmodified = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-        if (state == CLEAN) {
+        if (state == CLEAN && propname.charAt(0) != '_') {
             markAs(MODIFIED);
         }
     }
@@ -2267,7 +2269,7 @@ public final class Node implements INode, Serializable {
 
         lastmodified = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-        if (state == CLEAN) {
+        if (state == CLEAN && propname.charAt(0) != '_') {
             markAs(MODIFIED);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/helma/objectmodel/db/NodeManager.java b/src/helma/objectmodel/db/NodeManager.java
index 7b2a98c3..d444b2ef 100644
--- a/src/helma/objectmodel/db/NodeManager.java
+++ b/src/helma/objectmodel/db/NodeManager.java
@@ -504,8 +504,8 @@ public final class NodeManager {
                 if (!((rel != null) && (rel.isPrimitive() || rel.isReference())) &&
                         !name.equalsIgnoreCase(nameField) &&
                         !name.equalsIgnoreCase(prototypeField)) {
-                    continue;
-                }
+                        continue;
+                    }
 
                 stmtNumber++;
                 if (p!=null) {
@@ -585,11 +585,9 @@ public final class NodeManager {
 
                 // skip readonly, virtual and collection relations
                 if ((rel == null) || rel.readonly || rel.virtual ||
-                        ((rel.reftype != Relation.REFERENCE) &&
-                        (rel.reftype != Relation.PRIMITIVE))) {
+                        (!rel.isReference() && !rel.isPrimitive())) {
                     // null out property so we don't consider it later
                     props[i] = null;
-
                     continue;
                 }
 
@@ -1253,7 +1251,7 @@ public final class NodeManager {
                 long logTimeStart = logSql ? System.currentTimeMillis() : 0;
 
                 try {
-                    StringBuffer b = dbm.getSelect(rel);
+                    StringBuffer b = dbm.getSelect(null);
 
                     String idfield = (rel.groupby != null) ? rel.groupby : dbm.getIDField();
                     boolean needsQuotes = dbm.needsQuotes(idfield);
@@ -1957,7 +1955,7 @@ public final class NodeManager {
         }
 
         node.init(dbmap, id, name, protoName, propMap, safe);
-
+        node.invokeOnInit();
         return node;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlDatabaseReader.java b/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlDatabaseReader.java
index 3e9b9f41..22cde24a 100644
--- a/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlDatabaseReader.java
+++ b/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlDatabaseReader.java
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import java.text.ParseException;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.Hashtable;
-import java.util.List;
 
 /**
  * 
@@ -199,7 +198,9 @@ public final class XmlDatabaseReader extends DefaultHandler implements XmlConsta
      */
     public void endElement(String namespaceURI, String localName, String qName)
                     throws SAXException {
-        if (elementType != null) {
+        if ("hopobject".equals(qName) && currentNode != null) {
+            currentNode.invokeOnInit();
+        } else if (elementType != null) {
             Property prop = new Property(elementName, currentNode);
             String charValue = charBuffer.toString();
 
diff --git a/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlWriter.java b/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlWriter.java
index 2b83fef9..8391f24e 100644
--- a/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlWriter.java
+++ b/src/helma/objectmodel/dom/XmlWriter.java
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ public class XmlWriter extends OutputStreamWriter implements XmlConstants {
                           throws IOException {
         Enumeration e = null;
 
-        if ((dbmode == true) && node instanceof helma.objectmodel.db.Node) {
+        if (dbmode && node instanceof helma.objectmodel.db.Node) {
             // a newly constructed db.Node doesn't have a propMap,
             // but returns an enumeration of all it's db-mapped properties
             Hashtable props = ((Node) node).getPropMap();
@@ -284,6 +284,9 @@ public class XmlWriter extends OutputStreamWriter implements XmlConstants {
 
         while (e.hasMoreElements()) {
             String key = (String) e.nextElement();
+            if (dbmode && key.charAt(0) == '_') {
+                continue;
+            }
             IProperty prop = node.get(key);
 
             if (prop != null) {
@@ -376,6 +379,7 @@ public class XmlWriter extends OutputStreamWriter implements XmlConstants {
                 if (str != null) {
                     write(str);
                 }
+                break;
         }
 
         write("</");
@@ -388,7 +392,7 @@ public class XmlWriter extends OutputStreamWriter implements XmlConstants {
      * loop through the children-array and print them as <hop:child>
      */
     private void writeChildren(INode node, int level) throws IOException {
-        if ((dbmode == true) && node instanceof helma.objectmodel.db.Node) {
+        if (dbmode && node instanceof helma.objectmodel.db.Node) {
             Node dbNode = (Node) node;
             DbMapping smap = (dbNode.getDbMapping() == null) ? null
                                                              : dbNode.getDbMapping()