diff --git a/lib/waterline/utils/query/forge-stage-two-query.js b/lib/waterline/utils/query/forge-stage-two-query.js
index 6fd6ea1f6..ea8653649 100644
--- a/lib/waterline/utils/query/forge-stage-two-query.js
+++ b/lib/waterline/utils/query/forge-stage-two-query.js
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ module.exports = function forgeStageTwoQuery(query, orm) {
         // Otherwise, this simply must be `true`.  Otherwise it's invalid.
         else {
 
-          if (query.populates[populateAttrName] !== true) {
+          if (query.populates[populateAttrName] !== true && (_.isUndefined(query.populates[populateAttrName].select) && _.isUndefined(query.populates[populateAttrName].omit))) {
             throw buildUsageError(
               'E_INVALID_POPULATES',
               'Could not populate `'+populateAttrName+'`.  '+
@@ -886,14 +886,19 @@ module.exports = function forgeStageTwoQuery(query, orm) {
               'since it generally wouldn\'t make any sense.  But that\'s the trouble-- it '+
               'looks like some sort of a subcriteria (or something) _was_ provided!\n'+
               '(Note that subcriterias consisting ONLY of `omit` or `select` are a special '+
-              'case that _does_ make sense.  This usage will be supported in a future version '+
-              'of Waterline.)\n'+
+              'case that _does_ make sense.\n'+
               '\n'+
               'Here\'s what was passed in:\n'+
               util.inspect(query.populates[populateAttrName], {depth: 5}),
               query.using
             );
           }//-•
+          else {
+            query.populates[populateAttrName] = {
+              select: query.populates[populateAttrName].select? query.populates[populateAttrName].select : undefined,
+              omit: query.populates[populateAttrName].omit? query.populates[populateAttrName].omit : undefined
+            };
+          }
 
         }//>-•