diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ad64d3c..00d6ae9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.13.3 - 2026-08-18
+
+- Stop loading `ActiveRecord::Base` when the gem is required. The engine now
+  loads `SolidObjects::Record` from an `ActiveSupport.on_load(:active_record)`
+  hook, so a host application keeps the normal timing of its own
+  `on_load(:active_record)` and `on_load(:active_record_encryption)` hooks. An
+  application that assigns its Active Record encryption keys in
+  `config/initializers` no longer loses them.
+- Apply the configured `connects_to` in the record class body, so the
+  connection follows the class through a development reload.
+
 ## 0.13.2 - 2026-08-17
 
 - Accept a `key:` on `schedule`, naming a reminder for the item it is waiting
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index e4f2665..e7b922f 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 PATH
   remote: .
   specs:
-    solid_objects (0.13.2)
+    solid_objects (0.13.3)
       actioncable (>= 8.0)
       actionpack (>= 8.0)
       actionview (>= 8.0)
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ CHECKSUMS
   rubocop-rails-omakase (1.1.0) sha256=2af73ac8ee5852de2919abbd2618af9c15c19b512c4cfc1f9a5d3b6ef009109d
   ruby-progressbar (1.13.0) sha256=80fc9c47a9b640d6834e0dc7b3c94c9df37f08cb072b7761e4a71e22cff29b33
   securerandom (0.4.1) sha256=cc5193d414a4341b6e225f0cb4446aceca8e50d5e1888743fac16987638ea0b1
-  solid_objects (0.13.2)
+  solid_objects (0.13.3)
   sqlite3 (2.9.5-aarch64-linux-gnu) sha256=78075b6337d3d182c6d2b4691049ed45cd220826160c9ea18946bf6a1de200dc
   sqlite3 (2.9.5-aarch64-linux-musl) sha256=18c801185deb4adc01ddb281e8f672a39e3d1729979ca91e39439cd3eac0402d
   sqlite3 (2.9.5-arm-linux-gnu) sha256=1bdfca0c7d63998c60b0f4a8e3c8df2d33800ccc4abd2d612eddbbbc92a4c48b
diff --git a/app/models/solid_objects/record.rb b/app/models/solid_objects/record.rb
index d080067..7a50867 100644
--- a/app/models/solid_objects/record.rb
+++ b/app/models/solid_objects/record.rb
@@ -13,5 +13,7 @@ def configure_connection
         connects_to(**connection_configuration)
       end
     end
+
+    configure_connection
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/solid_objects/engine.rb b/lib/solid_objects/engine.rb
index f0efca8..26ddaef 100644
--- a/lib/solid_objects/engine.rb
+++ b/lib/solid_objects/engine.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # rbs_inline: enabled
 
-require_relative "../../app/models/solid_objects/record"
-
 module SolidObjects
   class Engine < ::Rails::Engine
+    RECORD_PATH = File.expand_path("../../app/models/solid_objects/record.rb", __dir__)
+
     isolate_namespace SolidObjects
 
     config.generators do |generators|
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ class Engine < ::Rails::Engine
     end
 
     initializer "solid_objects.database", after: :load_config_initializers do
-      SolidObjects::Record.configure_connection
+      ActiveSupport.on_load(:active_record) do
+        require RECORD_PATH
+      end
     end
 
     initializer "solid_objects.helpers" do
diff --git a/lib/solid_objects/version.rb b/lib/solid_objects/version.rb
index 700f48f..0562095 100644
--- a/lib/solid_objects/version.rb
+++ b/lib/solid_objects/version.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # rbs_inline: enabled
 
 module SolidObjects
-  VERSION = "0.13.2"
+  VERSION = "0.13.3"
 end
diff --git a/sig/generated/lib/solid_objects/engine.rbs b/sig/generated/lib/solid_objects/engine.rbs
index 81f9cdd..bca97db 100644
--- a/sig/generated/lib/solid_objects/engine.rbs
+++ b/sig/generated/lib/solid_objects/engine.rbs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 module SolidObjects
   class Engine < ::Rails::Engine
+    RECORD_PATH: untyped
+
     include SolidObjects::ActorHelper
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/dummy/config/initializers/encryption_keys.rb b/test/dummy/config/initializers/encryption_keys.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..042789a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dummy/config/initializers/encryption_keys.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+Rails.application.config.active_record.encryption.primary_key =
+  "solid-objects-dummy-primary-key"
+Rails.application.config.active_record.encryption.deterministic_key =
+  "solid-objects-dummy-deterministic-key"
+Rails.application.config.active_record.encryption.key_derivation_salt =
+  "solid-objects-dummy-key-derivation-salt"
diff --git a/test/dummy/config/initializers/solid_objects_connects_to.rb b/test/dummy/config/initializers/solid_objects_connects_to.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1923822
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dummy/config/initializers/solid_objects_connects_to.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+if ENV["SOLID_OBJECTS_DUMMY_CONNECTS_TO"]
+  SolidObjects.configure do |config|
+    config.connects_to = { database: { writing: :primary } }
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/dummy/connects_to_check.rb b/test/dummy/connects_to_check.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..555108d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dummy/connects_to_check.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+ENV["RAILS_ENV"] = "test"
+ENV["SOLID_OBJECTS_DUMMY_CONNECTS_TO"] = "1"
+
+require_relative "config/environment"
+
+Rails.application.eager_load!
+
+puts ActiveRecord::Base.connection_handler.connection_pool_names.sort.join(" ")
diff --git a/test/dummy/encryption_configuration_check.rb b/test/dummy/encryption_configuration_check.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f04d24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dummy/encryption_configuration_check.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+ENV["RAILS_ENV"] = "test"
+
+require_relative "config/environment"
+
+puts ActiveRecord::Encryption.config.primary_key
diff --git a/test/integration/active_record_load_timing_test.rb b/test/integration/active_record_load_timing_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1121971
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/active_record_load_timing_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "test_helper"
+require "open3"
+
+# Requiring the gem must not load ActiveRecord::Base. A host application and
+# other gems register `ActiveSupport.on_load(:active_record)` hooks from a
+# railtie initializer. A hook that is registered after the constant is already
+# loaded runs at once, before the `config/initializers` files that supply its
+# configuration, so the timing of the load decides whether that configuration
+# arrives at all.
+class ActiveRecordLoadTimingTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+  test "requiring the gem leaves the active record load hooks deferred" do
+    assert_equal "deferred", probe_result,
+      "the gem loads ActiveRecord::Base at require time, so host application hooks run too early"
+  end
+
+  # The reported breakage: an application that assigns its encryption keys in
+  # `config/initializers` lost them, because the railtie hook that reads them
+  # had already run.
+  test "an application initializer configures Active Record encryption" do
+    output, error_output, status = Open3.capture3(
+      Gem.ruby,
+      File.expand_path("../dummy/encryption_configuration_check.rb", __dir__)
+    )
+
+    assert status.success?, error_output
+    assert_equal "solid-objects-dummy-primary-key", output.strip
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  # Computed in a fresh process, because this process loaded Active Record long
+  # before the question was asked.
+  def probe_result
+    output, error_output, status = Open3.capture3(
+      { "BUNDLE_GEMFILE" => gem_root("Gemfile") },
+      Gem.ruby,
+      "-e",
+      probe,
+      chdir: gem_root(".")
+    )
+    assert status.success?, error_output
+    output.strip
+  end
+
+  def probe
+    <<~RUBY
+      require "rails"
+      require "active_record/railtie"
+      require "solid_objects"
+
+      fired = false
+      ActiveSupport.on_load(:active_record) { fired = true }
+      puts(fired ? "immediate" : "deferred")
+    RUBY
+  end
+
+  def gem_root(path)
+    File.expand_path("../../#{path}", __dir__)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/integration/engine_test.rb b/test/integration/engine_test.rb
index 0df49cc..f471a79 100644
--- a/test/integration/engine_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/engine_test.rb
@@ -28,6 +28,20 @@ class EngineTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_equal "/solid_objects/components", output.strip
   end
 
+  # The configuration arrives in `config/initializers`, and the record class
+  # reads it when it loads, which is after those files run.
+  test "connects the record class to the configured database" do
+    command = [
+      Gem.ruby,
+      File.expand_path("../dummy/connects_to_check.rb", __dir__)
+    ]
+
+    output, error_output, status = Open3.capture3(*command)
+
+    assert status.success?, error_output
+    assert_equal "ActiveRecord::Base SolidObjects::Record", output.strip
+  end
+
   test "packages the morph refresh browser module" do
     specification = Gem::Specification.load(
       File.expand_path("../../solid_objects.gemspec", __dir__)