diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj b/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj
index 1e3f0cd99..5b64013fd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 package org.springframework.datastore.graph.neo4j.spi.node;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
 import java.util.*;
 
 import org.aspectj.lang.reflect.FieldSignature;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.GraphDatabaseService;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.Node;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.NotInTransactionException;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.Relationship;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.RelationshipType;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.*;
 import org.neo4j.kernel.EmbeddedGraphDatabase;
 import org.neo4j.util.GraphDatabaseUtil;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
@@ -149,6 +146,24 @@ public aspect Neo4jNodeBacking extends AbstractTypeAnnotatingMixinFields<GraphEn
         if (this.dirty==null) this.dirty=new HashMap<Field, Object>();
         this.dirty.put(f,previousValue);
     }
+/*
+    public <R extends RelationshipBacked, N extends NodeBacked> R NodeBacked.relateTo(N node, Class<R> relationshipType, String type) {
+        Relationship rel = this.getUnderlyingNode().createRelationshipTo(node.getUnderlyingNode(), DynamicRelationshipType.withName(type));
+        return relationshipEntityInstantiator.createEntityFromState(rel, relationshipType);
+    }
+*/
+    public RelationshipBacked NodeBacked.relateTo(NodeBacked node, Class<? extends RelationshipBacked> relationshipType, String type) {
+        Relationship rel = this.getUnderlyingNode().createRelationshipTo(node.getUnderlyingNode(), DynamicRelationshipType.withName(type));
+        try {
+            final RelationshipBacked relationshipEntity = relationshipType.newInstance();
+            relationshipEntity.setUnderlyingRelationship(rel);
+            return relationshipEntity;
+        } catch (InstantiationException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+        } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+        }
+    }
 
     private Iterable<Map.Entry<Field,Object>> NodeBacked.eachDirty() {
         return this.dirty!=null ? this.dirty.entrySet() : Collections.<Field, Object>emptyMap().entrySet();
@@ -174,6 +189,7 @@ public aspect Neo4jNodeBacking extends AbstractTypeAnnotatingMixinFields<GraphEn
 	}
 
 
+
     private Object getValueFromEntity(Field field, NodeBacked entity) {
         try {
             field.setAccessible(true);
@@ -241,6 +257,8 @@ public aspect Neo4jNodeBacking extends AbstractTypeAnnotatingMixinFields<GraphEn
         }
     }
 
+
+
     private void checkConcurrentModification(NodeBacked entity, Map.Entry<Field, Object> entry, Field field) {
         final Object nodeValue = getNodePropertyOrRelationship(field, entity).value;
         final Object previousValue = entry.getValue();
@@ -256,6 +274,7 @@ public aspect Neo4jNodeBacking extends AbstractTypeAnnotatingMixinFields<GraphEn
     private ShouldProceedOrReturn setNodePropertyOrRelationship(Field field, NodeBacked entity, Object newVal) {
         try {
             if (isIdField(field)) return new ShouldProceedOrReturn(null);
+            if (Modifier.isFinal(field.getModifiers())) return new ShouldProceedOrReturn(newVal);
             if (isPropertyType(field.getType())) {
                 String propName = FieldAccessorFactory.getNeo4jPropertyName(field);
                 if (newVal==null) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/Person.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/Person.java
index 5a42b4257..0441908f6 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/Person.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/Person.java
@@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ public class Person {
 	}
 
 	public Friendship knows(Person p) {
-		Relationship rel = this.getUnderlyingNode().createRelationshipTo(p.getUnderlyingNode(), DynamicRelationshipType.withName("knows"));
-		Friendship friendship = new Friendship();
-		friendship.setUnderlyingRelationship(rel);
-		return friendship;
+        return (Friendship)relateTo(p, Friendship.class,"knows");
 	}
 }