diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/hibernate/Node.hbm.xml b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/hibernate/Node.hbm.xml
index b02a880151..6c7b1d4f58 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/hibernate/Node.hbm.xml
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/hibernate/Node.hbm.xml
@@ -203,27 +203,25 @@
       <id name="id" column="id" type="long" >
          <generator class="native" />
       </id>
-      <natural-id mutable="true">
-         <!-- forward assoc to source node -->
-         <many-to-one
-               name="source"
-               class="org.alfresco.repo.domain.hibernate.NodeImpl"
-               lazy="false"
-               fetch="join"
-               not-null="true" >
-            <column name="source_node_id" />
-         </many-to-one>
-         <!-- forward assoc to target node -->
-         <many-to-one
-               name="target"
-               class="org.alfresco.repo.domain.hibernate.NodeImpl"
-               lazy="false"
-               fetch="join"
-               not-null="true" >
-            <column name="target_node_id" />
-         </many-to-one>
-         <property name="typeQName" column="type_qname" type="QName" length="255" not-null="true" />
-      </natural-id>
+      <!-- forward assoc to source node -->
+      <many-to-one
+            name="source"
+            class="org.alfresco.repo.domain.hibernate.NodeImpl"
+            lazy="false"
+            fetch="join"
+            not-null="true" >
+         <column name="source_node_id" />
+      </many-to-one>
+      <!-- forward assoc to target node -->
+      <many-to-one
+            name="target"
+            class="org.alfresco.repo.domain.hibernate.NodeImpl"
+            lazy="false"
+            fetch="join"
+            not-null="true" >
+         <column name="target_node_id" />
+      </many-to-one>
+      <property name="typeQName" column="type_qname" type="QName" length="255" not-null="true" />
    </class>
    
    <query name="store.GetAllStores">
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/NodeDaoService.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/NodeDaoService.java
index 9d1a41f878..474ba27a81 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/NodeDaoService.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/NodeDaoService.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
  */
 package org.alfresco.repo.node.db;
 
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.alfresco.repo.domain.ChildAssoc;
@@ -173,16 +172,6 @@ public interface NodeDaoService
             Node targetNode,
             QName assocTypeQName);
     
-    /**
-     * @return Returns the target nodes for the association
-     */
-    public Collection<Node> getNodeAssocTargets(Node sourceNode, QName assocTypeQName);
-    
-    /**
-     * @return Returns the source nodes for the association
-     */
-    public Collection<Node> getNodeAssocSources(Node targetNode, QName assocTypeQName);
-    
     /**
      * @param assoc the node association to remove
      */
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/hibernate/HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/hibernate/HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl.java
index 9918a69758..a9f298b566 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/hibernate/HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/node/db/hibernate/HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import org.alfresco.repo.domain.hibernate.StoreImpl;
 import org.alfresco.repo.node.db.NodeDaoService;
 import org.alfresco.repo.transaction.AlfrescoTransactionSupport;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.dictionary.InvalidTypeException;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.AssociationRef;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.ChildAssociationRef;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeRef;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
@@ -56,9 +57,6 @@ import org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.support.HibernateDaoSupport;
 public class HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl extends HibernateDaoSupport implements NodeDaoService
 {
     private static final String QUERY_GET_ALL_STORES = "store.GetAllStores";
-    private static final String QUERY_GET_NODE_ASSOC = "node.GetNodeAssoc";
-    private static final String QUERY_GET_NODE_ASSOC_TARGETS = "node.GetNodeAssocTargets";
-    private static final String QUERY_GET_NODE_ASSOC_SOURCES = "node.GetNodeAssocSources";
     private static final String QUERY_GET_CONTENT_DATA_STRINGS = "node.GetContentDataStrings";
     
     /** a uuid identifying this unique instance */
@@ -469,62 +467,27 @@ public class HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl extends HibernateDaoSupport implements
             final Node targetNode,
             final QName assocTypeQName)
     {
-        HibernateCallback callback = new HibernateCallback()
+        AssociationRef nodeAssocRef = new AssociationRef(
+                sourceNode.getNodeRef(),
+                assocTypeQName,
+                targetNode.getNodeRef());
+        // get all the source's target associations
+        Collection<NodeAssoc> assocs = sourceNode.getTargetNodeAssocs();
+        // hunt down the desired assoc
+        for (NodeAssoc assoc : assocs)
         {
-            public Object doInHibernate(Session session)
+            // is it a match?
+            if (!assoc.getNodeAssocRef().equals(nodeAssocRef))    // not a match
             {
-                Query query = session.getNamedQuery(HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl.QUERY_GET_NODE_ASSOC);
-                query.setEntity("sourceNode", sourceNode)
-                     .setEntity("targetNode", targetNode)
-                     .setString("assocTypeQName", assocTypeQName.toString())
-                     .setMaxResults(1);
-                return query.uniqueResult();
+                continue;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                return assoc;
             }
-        };
-        Object queryResult = getHibernateTemplate().execute(callback);
-        if (queryResult == null)
-        {
-            return null;
         }
-        NodeAssoc assoc = (NodeAssoc) queryResult;
-        // done
-        return assoc;
-    }
-
-    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    public Collection<Node> getNodeAssocTargets(final Node sourceNode, final QName assocTypeQName)
-    {
-        HibernateCallback callback = new HibernateCallback()
-        {
-            public Object doInHibernate(Session session)
-            {
-                Query query = session.getNamedQuery(HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl.QUERY_GET_NODE_ASSOC_TARGETS);
-                query.setEntity("sourceNode", sourceNode)
-                     .setString("assocTypeQName", assocTypeQName.toString());
-                return query.list();
-            }
-        };
-        List<Node> queryResults = (List) getHibernateTemplate().execute(callback);
-        // done
-        return queryResults;
-    }
-
-    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    public Collection<Node> getNodeAssocSources(final Node targetNode, final QName assocTypeQName)
-    {
-        HibernateCallback callback = new HibernateCallback()
-        {
-            public Object doInHibernate(Session session)
-            {
-                Query query = session.getNamedQuery(HibernateNodeDaoServiceImpl.QUERY_GET_NODE_ASSOC_SOURCES);
-                query.setEntity("targetNode", targetNode)
-                     .setString("assocTypeQName", assocTypeQName.toString());
-                return query.list();
-            }
-        };
-        List<Node> queryResults = (List) getHibernateTemplate().execute(callback);
-        // done
-        return queryResults;
+        // not found
+        return null;
     }
 
     public void deleteNodeAssoc(NodeAssoc assoc)