diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 1c3e9b6..46d2871 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,30 +1,30 @@
 PATH
   remote: .
   specs:
-    gql_serializer (2.1.1)
-      activerecord (>= 5.2, < 6.1)
+    gql_serializer (2.2.0)
+      activerecord (>= 5.2, < 8.0)
 
 GEM
   remote: https://rubygems.org/
   specs:
-    activemodel (6.0.3.5)
-      activesupport (= 6.0.3.5)
-    activerecord (6.0.3.5)
-      activemodel (= 6.0.3.5)
-      activesupport (= 6.0.3.5)
-    activesupport (6.0.3.5)
+    activemodel (6.1.5)
+      activesupport (= 6.1.5)
+    activerecord (6.1.5)
+      activemodel (= 6.1.5)
+      activesupport (= 6.1.5)
+    activesupport (6.1.5)
       concurrent-ruby (~> 1.0, >= 1.0.2)
-      i18n (>= 0.7, < 2)
-      minitest (~> 5.1)
-      tzinfo (~> 1.1)
-      zeitwerk (~> 2.2, >= 2.2.2)
+      i18n (>= 1.6, < 2)
+      minitest (>= 5.1)
+      tzinfo (~> 2.0)
+      zeitwerk (~> 2.3)
     coderay (1.1.3)
-    concurrent-ruby (1.1.8)
+    concurrent-ruby (1.1.9)
     diff-lcs (1.4.4)
-    i18n (1.8.9)
+    i18n (1.10.0)
       concurrent-ruby (~> 1.0)
     method_source (1.0.0)
-    minitest (5.14.4)
+    minitest (5.15.0)
     pry (0.13.1)
       coderay (~> 1.1)
       method_source (~> 1.0)
@@ -43,10 +43,9 @@ GEM
       rspec-support (~> 3.10.0)
     rspec-support (3.10.0)
     sqlite3 (1.4.2)
-    thread_safe (0.3.6)
-    tzinfo (1.2.9)
-      thread_safe (~> 0.1)
-    zeitwerk (2.4.2)
+    tzinfo (2.0.4)
+      concurrent-ruby (~> 1.0)
+    zeitwerk (2.5.4)
 
 PLATFORMS
   ruby
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 76bc907..6b7433e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -120,7 +120,11 @@ In a Rails application, the configuration can be added to an initializer in `con
 
 ```ruby
 GqlSerializer.configure do |config|
-  config.case = GqlSerializer::Configuration::NONE_CASE # no case conversion
+  # no case conversion
+  config.case = GqlSerializer::Configuration::NONE_CASE 
+  # set to true to avoid additional query in some cases. 
+  # The default of false avoids a potential breaking change from version 2.1 to 2.2
+  config.preload = false 
 end
 ```
 
diff --git a/gql_serializer.gemspec b/gql_serializer.gemspec
index 5aa4ea7..0293320 100644
--- a/gql_serializer.gemspec
+++ b/gql_serializer.gemspec
@@ -32,5 +32,5 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.add_development_dependency "pry", "~> 0.13.1"
   spec.add_development_dependency "sqlite3", "~> 1.4.2"
 
-  spec.add_runtime_dependency "activerecord", ">= 5.2", "< 7.0"
+  spec.add_runtime_dependency "activerecord", ">= 5.2", "< 8.0"
 end
diff --git a/lib/gql_serializer.rb b/lib/gql_serializer.rb
index 1e2392a..5d98d58 100644
--- a/lib/gql_serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/gql_serializer.rb
@@ -27,15 +27,15 @@ def self.parse_query(input)
 
   def self.query_include(model, hasharray)
     include_array = []
-    relations = model.reflections.keys
-    hasharray.each do |e|
-      if e.is_a? String
-        key = e.split(':')[0]
-        include_array.push(key) if relations.include?(key)
-      elsif e.is_a? Hash
-        key = e.keys.first.split(':')[0]
+    relations = model.reflections
+    hasharray.each do |element|
+      if element.is_a? String
+        key = element.split(':')[0]
+        include_array.push(key) if relations[key]
+      elsif element.is_a? Hash
+        key = element.keys.first.split(':')[0]
         relation_model = model.reflections[key].klass
-        relation_hasharray = self.query_include(relation_model, e.values.first)
+        relation_hasharray = self.query_include(relation_model, element.values.first)
         if relation_hasharray.empty?
           include_array.push(key)
         else
@@ -46,53 +46,71 @@ def self.query_include(model, hasharray)
     include_array
   end
 
-  def self.serialize(record, hasharray, options)
+  # example hasharray = ["id", "name", "tags", { "panels" => ["id", { "cards" => ["content"] }] }]
+  def self.serialize(records, hasharray, options, instructions = {})
 
-    if record.nil?
+    if records.nil?
       return nil
     end
 
-    if record.respond_to? :map
-      return record.map do |r|
-        self.serialize(r, hasharray, options)
+
+    if records.respond_to? :map
+      return records.map do |record|
+        self.serialize(record, hasharray, options, instructions)
       end
     end
+    record = records
 
-    hash = {}
-    model = record.class
-    all_relations = model.reflections.keys
+    id = "#{record.class}, #{hasharray}"
+    instruction = instructions[id]
+    if (!instruction)
+      instruction = {klass: record.class, hasharray: hasharray, relations: [], attributes: []}
+      instructions[id] = instruction
 
-    relations = hasharray.filter do |e|
-      next true if !e.is_a?(String)
 
-      key, alias_key = e.split(':')
-      all_relations.include?(key)
-    end
+      model = record.class
+      all_relations = model.reflections.keys
 
-    attributes = hasharray - relations
-    attributes = model.attribute_names if attributes.empty?
+      relations = hasharray.filter do |relation|
+        next true if !relation.is_a?(String)
 
-    attributes.each do |e|
-      key, alias_key = e.split(':')
-      alias_key = apply_case(alias_key || key, options[:case])
+        key, alias_key = relation.split(':')
 
-      hash[alias_key] = coerce_value(record.public_send(key))
-    end
+        all_relations.include?(key)
+      end
 
-    relations.each do |e|
-      if e.is_a? String
-        key, alias_key = e.split(':')
-        alias_key = apply_case(alias_key || key, options[:case])
+      attributes = hasharray - relations
+      attributes = model.attribute_names if attributes.empty?
 
-        rel_records = record.public_send(key)
-        hash[alias_key] = self.serialize(rel_records, [], options)
-      else
-        key, alias_key = e.keys.first.split(':')
+      attributes.each do |attribute|
+        key, alias_key = attribute.split(':')
         alias_key = apply_case(alias_key || key, options[:case])
 
-        rel_records = record.public_send(key)
-        hash[alias_key] = self.serialize(rel_records, e.values.first, options)
+        instruction[:attributes].push({key: key, alias_key: alias_key})
       end
+
+      relations.each do |relation|
+        if relation.is_a? String
+          key, alias_key = relation.split(':')
+          alias_key = apply_case(alias_key || key, options[:case])
+
+          instruction[:relations].push({key: key, alias_key: alias_key, hasharray: []})
+        else
+          key, alias_key = relation.keys.first.split(':')
+          alias_key = apply_case(alias_key || key, options[:case])
+
+          instruction[:relations].push({key: key, alias_key: alias_key, hasharray: relation.values.first})
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    hash = {}
+    instruction[:attributes].each do |attribute|
+      hash[attribute[:alias_key]] = coerce_value(record.public_send(attribute[:key]))
+    end
+    instruction[:relations].each do |relation|
+      relation_records = record.public_send(relation[:key])
+      hash[relation[:alias_key]] = self.serialize(relation_records, relation[:hasharray], options, instructions)
     end
 
     hash
diff --git a/lib/gql_serializer/configuration.rb b/lib/gql_serializer/configuration.rb
index 48bde79..32e5e62 100644
--- a/lib/gql_serializer/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/gql_serializer/configuration.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def initialize
       reset
     end
 
-    attr_reader :case
+    attr_reader :case, :preload
 
     def case=(value)
       raise "Specified case '#{value}' is not supported" unless SUPPORTED_CASES.include?(value)
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ def case=(value)
 
     def reset
       @case = NONE_CASE
+      @preload = false # Default will be true in version 3+
     end
 
     def to_h
diff --git a/lib/gql_serializer/extensions.rb b/lib/gql_serializer/extensions.rb
index 7413656..b8ebd7d 100644
--- a/lib/gql_serializer/extensions.rb
+++ b/lib/gql_serializer/extensions.rb
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ def as_gql(query = nil)
 
   module Relation
     def as_gql(query = nil, options = {})
+      options_with_defaults = GqlSerializer.configuration.to_h.merge(options)
       query_hasharray = query ? GqlSerializer.parse_query(query) : []
       include_hasharray = GqlSerializer.query_include(self.model, query_hasharray)
       records = self.includes(include_hasharray).records
-      options_with_defaults = GqlSerializer.configuration.to_h.merge(options)
       GqlSerializer.serialize(records, query_hasharray, options_with_defaults)
     end
   end
@@ -23,12 +23,26 @@ def self.as_gql(query = nil, options = {})
     end
 
     def as_gql(query = nil, options = {})
-
+      options_with_defaults = GqlSerializer.configuration.to_h.merge(options)
       query_hasharray = query ? GqlSerializer.parse_query(query) : []
       include_hasharray = GqlSerializer.query_include(self.class, query_hasharray)
-      record = include_hasharray.empty? ? self : self.class.where(id: self).includes(include_hasharray).first
-      options_with_defaults = GqlSerializer.configuration.to_h.merge(options)
-      GqlSerializer.serialize(record, query_hasharray, options_with_defaults)
+      if options_with_defaults[:preload]
+        GqlSerializer._preload([self], include_hasharray)
+        GqlSerializer.serialize(self, query_hasharray, options_with_defaults)
+      else
+        record = include_hasharray.empty? ? self : self.class.where(id: self).includes(include_hasharray).first
+        GqlSerializer.serialize(record, query_hasharray, options_with_defaults)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def self._preload(records, include_hasharray)
+    if ::ActiveRecord::VERSION::MAJOR >= 7
+      ::ActiveRecord::Associations::Preloader.
+        new(records: records, associations: include_hasharray).call
+    else
+      ::ActiveRecord::Associations::Preloader.
+        new.preload(records, include_hasharray)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/gql_serializer/version.rb b/lib/gql_serializer/version.rb
index 8a30604..bf03595 100644
--- a/lib/gql_serializer/version.rb
+++ b/lib/gql_serializer/version.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module GqlSerializer
-  VERSION = "2.1.1"
+  VERSION = "2.2.0"
 end
diff --git a/spec/gql_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/gql_serializer_spec.rb
index 0b25e34..1340730 100644
--- a/spec/gql_serializer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/gql_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -213,6 +213,27 @@ def camelCase
         GqlSerializer.configuration.reset
       end
     end
-  end
 
+    describe 'preload' do
+      it 'reloads records when disabled' do
+        original_user = TestUser.create(name: 'John', email: 'john@test.com')
+        TestOrder.create(total: 5.0, test_user: original_user)
+        same_user = TestUser.find(original_user.id)
+        same_user.update(name: 'David')
+
+        expect(original_user.as_gql('name email test_orders {total}'))
+          .to eq({'name' => 'David', 'email' => 'john@test.com', 'test_orders' => [{'total' => 5.0}]})
+      end
+
+      it 'preloads records when enabled' do
+        original_user = TestUser.create(name: 'John', email: 'john@test.com')
+        TestOrder.create(total: 5.0, test_user: original_user)
+        same_user = TestUser.find(original_user.id)
+        same_user.update(name: 'David')
+
+        expect(original_user.as_gql('name email test_orders {total}', {preload: true}))
+          .to eq({'name' => 'John', 'email' => 'john@test.com', 'test_orders' => [{'total' => 5.0}]})
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end