diff --git a/src/backend/dataproxy.js b/src/backend/dataproxy.js
index eb305189..df2ed03b 100644
--- a/src/backend/dataproxy.js
+++ b/src/backend/dataproxy.js
@@ -3,95 +3,78 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
 this.recline.Backend.DataProxy = this.recline.Backend.DataProxy || {};
 
 (function($, my) {
-  // ## DataProxy Backend
-  // 
-  // For connecting to [DataProxy-s](http://github.com/okfn/dataproxy).
-  //
-  // When initializing the DataProxy backend you can set the following
-  // attributes in the options object:
-  //
-  // * dataproxy: {url-to-proxy} (optional). Defaults to http://jsonpdataproxy.appspot.com
-  //
-  // Datasets using using this backend should set the following attributes:
-  //
-  // * url: (required) url-of-data-to-proxy
-  // * format: (optional) csv | xls (defaults to csv if not specified)
-  //
-  // Note that this is a **read-only** backend.
-  my.Backbone = function(options) {
-    var self = this;
-    this.__type__ = 'dataproxy';
-    this.readonly = true;
+  my.__type__ = 'dataproxy';
+  // URL for the dataproxy
+  my.dataproxy_url = 'http://jsonpdataproxy.appspot.com';
 
-    this.dataproxy_url = options && options.dataproxy_url ? options.dataproxy_url : 'http://jsonpdataproxy.appspot.com';
-
-    this.sync = function(method, model, options) {
-      if (method === "read") {
-        if (model.__type__ == 'Dataset') {
-          // Do nothing as we will get fields in query step (and no metadata to
-          // retrieve)
-          var dfd = $.Deferred();
-          dfd.resolve(model);
-          return dfd.promise();
-        }
-      } else {
-        alert('This backend only supports read operations');
+  // ## load
+  //
+  // Load data from a URL via the [DataProxy](http://github.com/okfn/dataproxy).
+  my.fetch = function(dataset) {
+    var data = {
+      url: dataset.get('url'),
+      'max-results':  dataset.get('size') || dataset.get('rows') || 1000,
+      type: dataset.get('format') || ''
+    };
+    var jqxhr = $.ajax({
+      url: my.dataproxy_url,
+      data: data,
+      dataType: 'jsonp'
+    });
+    var dfd = $.Deferred();
+    _wrapInTimeout(jqxhr).done(function(results) {
+      if (results.error) {
+        dfd.reject(results.error);
       }
-    };
 
-    this.query = function(dataset, queryObj) {
-      var self = this;
-      var data = {
-        url: dataset.get('url'),
-        'max-results':  queryObj.size,
-        type: dataset.get('format')
-      };
-      var jqxhr = $.ajax({
-        url: this.dataproxy_url,
-        data: data,
-        dataType: 'jsonp'
-      });
-      var dfd = $.Deferred();
-      _wrapInTimeout(jqxhr).done(function(results) {
-        if (results.error) {
-          dfd.reject(results.error);
+      // Rename duplicate fieldIds as each field name needs to be
+      // unique.
+      var seen = {};
+      var fields = _.map(results.fields, function(field, index) {
+        var fieldId = field;
+        while (fieldId in seen) {
+          seen[field] += 1;
+          fieldId = field + seen[field];
         }
-
-        // Rename duplicate fieldIds as each field name needs to be
-        // unique.
-        var seen = {};
-        _.map(results.fields, function(fieldId, index) {
-          if (fieldId in seen) {
-            seen[fieldId] += 1;
-            results.fields[index] = fieldId + "("+seen[fieldId]+")";
-          } else {
-            seen[fieldId] = 1;
-          }
-        });
-
-        dataset.fields.reset(_.map(results.fields, function(fieldId) {
-          return {id: fieldId};
-          })
-        );
-        var _out = _.map(results.data, function(doc) {
-          var tmp = {};
-          _.each(results.fields, function(key, idx) {
-            tmp[key] = doc[idx];
-          });
-          return tmp;
-        });
-        dfd.resolve({
-          total: null,
-          hits: _.map(_out, function(row) {
-            return { _source: row };
-          })
-        });
-      })
-      .fail(function(arguments) {
-        dfd.reject(arguments);
+        if (!(field in seen)) {
+          seen[field] = 0;
+        }
+        return { id: fieldId, label: field }
       });
-      return dfd.promise();
+
+      // data is provided as arrays so need to zip together with fields
+      var records = _.map(results.data, function(doc) {
+        var tmp = {};
+        _.each(results.fields, function(key, idx) {
+          tmp[key] = doc[idx];
+        });
+        return tmp;
+      });
+      var store = new recline.Backend.Memory.Store(records, fields);
+      dataset._dataCache = store;
+      dataset.fields.reset(fields);
+      dataset.query();
+      dfd.resolve(dataset);
+    })
+    .fail(function(arguments) {
+      dfd.reject(arguments);
+    });
+    return dfd.promise();
+  };
+
+  my.query = function(dataset, queryObj) {
+    var dfd = $.Deferred();
+    var results = dataset._dataCache.query(queryObj);
+    var hits = _.map(results.records, function(row) {
+      return { _source: row };
+    });
+    var out = {
+      total: results.total,
+      hits: hits,
+      facets: results.facets
     };
+    dfd.resolve(out);
+    return dfd.promise();
   };
 
   // ## _wrapInTimeout
diff --git a/src/model.js b/src/model.js
index 75f1ee09..982111f9 100644
--- a/src/model.js
+++ b/src/model.js
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ my.Dataset = Backbone.Model.extend({
       current = current[parts[ii]];
     }
     if (current) {
-      return new current();
+      return current;
     }
 
     // alternatively we just had a simple string
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ my.Dataset = Backbone.Model.extend({
     if (recline && recline.Backend) {
       _.each(_.keys(recline.Backend), function(name) {
         if (name.toLowerCase() === backendString.toLowerCase()) {
-          backend = new recline.Backend[name].Backbone();
+          backend = recline.Backend[name];
         }
       });
     }
diff --git a/test/backend.test.js b/test/backend.test.js
index 332ab6b9..7d384d98 100644
--- a/test/backend.test.js
+++ b/test/backend.test.js
@@ -67,14 +67,13 @@ var dataProxyData = {
 test('DataProxy Backend', function() {
   // needed only if not stubbing
   // stop();
-  var backend = new recline.Backend.DataProxy.Backbone();
-  ok(backend.readonly);
+  var backend = recline.Backend.DataProxy;
   equal(backend.__type__, 'dataproxy');
 
   var dataset = new recline.Model.Dataset({
       url: 'http://webstore.thedatahub.org/rufuspollock/gold_prices/data.csv'
     },
-    backend
+    'dataproxy'
   );
 
   var stub = sinon.stub($, 'ajax', function(options) {
@@ -92,15 +91,18 @@ test('DataProxy Backend', function() {
     }
   });
 
-  dataset.fetch().done(function(dataset) {
-    dataset.query().done(function(docList) {
-      deepEqual(['__id__', 'date', 'price'], _.pluck(dataset.fields.toJSON(), 'id'));
-      equal(null, dataset.docCount)
-      equal(10, docList.length)
-      equal("1950-01", docList.models[0].get('date'));
-      // needed only if not stubbing
-      start();
-    });
+  expect(6);
+  dataset.fetch().then(function() {
+    deepEqual(['__id__', 'date', 'price'], _.pluck(dataset.fields.toJSON(), 'id'));
+    equal(10, dataset.docCount)
+    equal(dataset.currentRecords.models[0].get('date'), "1950-01");
+    // needed only if not stubbing
+    // start();
+  });
+
+  dataset.query({q: '1950-01'}).then(function() {
+    equal(dataset.docCount, 1);
+    equal(dataset.currentRecords.models[0].get('price'), '34.73');
   });
   $.ajax.restore();
 });