diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index f7cbb868..e18615ca 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Version 1.99.4 (2011-12-22 11:20:45) stable
+Version 1.99.4 (2011-12-24 10:52:51) stable
diff --git a/gluon/dal.py b/gluon/dal.py
index a225f8d1..27a321a3 100644
--- a/gluon/dal.py
+++ b/gluon/dal.py
@@ -4766,7 +4766,7 @@ class DAL(dict):
             migrate = fake_migrate = False
         adapter = self._adapter
         self._uri_hash = hashlib.md5(adapter.uri).hexdigest()
-        self.tables = SQLCallableList()
+        self._tables = SQLCallableList()
         self.check_reserved = check_reserved
         if self.check_reserved:
             from reserved_sql_keywords import ADAPTERS as RSK
@@ -4778,6 +4778,10 @@ class DAL(dict):
         if auto_import:
             self.import_table_definitions(adapter.folder)
 
+    @property
+    def tables(self):
+        return self._tables
+
     def import_table_definitions(self,path,migrate=False,fake_migrate=False):
         pattern = os.path.join(path,self._uri_hash+'_*.table')
         for filename in glob.glob(pattern):
@@ -5374,7 +5378,7 @@ class Table(dict):
         fields = newfields
         self._db = db
         tablename = tablename
-        self.fields = SQLCallableList()
+        self._fields = SQLCallableList()
         self.virtualfields = []
         fields = list(fields)
 
@@ -5421,6 +5425,10 @@ class Table(dict):
                 else:
                     self[k].notnull = True
 
+    @property
+    def fields(self):
+        return self._fields
+
     def update(self,*args,**kwargs):
         raise RuntimeError, "Syntax Not Supported"