diff --git a/src/composite-view.js b/src/composite-view.js
index 5bcfebca7e..3d73517a03 100644
--- a/src/composite-view.js
+++ b/src/composite-view.js
@@ -46,17 +46,9 @@ Marionette.CompositeView = Marionette.CollectionView.extend({
     return childView;
   },
 
-  // Serialize the model for the view.
-  // You can override the `serializeData` method in your own view
-  // definition, to provide custom serialization for your view's data.
+  // Return the serialized model
   serializeData: function() {
-    var data = {};
-
-    if (this.model){
-      data = _.partial(this.serializeModel, this.model).apply(this, arguments);
-    }
-
-    return data;
+    return this.serializeModel();
   },
 
   // Renders the model and the collection.
@@ -83,9 +75,7 @@ Marionette.CompositeView = Marionette.CollectionView.extend({
   // Render the root template that the children
   // views are appended to
   _renderTemplate: function() {
-    var data = {};
-    data = this.serializeData();
-    data = this.mixinTemplateHelpers(data);
+    var data = this.mixinTemplateHelpers(this.serializeData());
 
     this.triggerMethod('before:render:template');
 
diff --git a/src/item-view.js b/src/item-view.js
index ca192eed54..45f68ae25f 100644
--- a/src/item-view.js
+++ b/src/item-view.js
@@ -12,35 +12,36 @@ Marionette.ItemView = Marionette.View.extend({
     Marionette.View.apply(this, arguments);
   },
 
-  // Serialize the model or collection for the view. If a model is
-  // found, the view's `serializeModel` is called. If a collection is found,
-  // each model in the collection is serialized by calling
-  // the view's `serializeCollection` and put into an `items` array in
-  // the resulting data. If both are found, defaults to the model.
-  // You can override the `serializeData` method in your own view definition,
-  // to provide custom serialization for your view's data.
-  serializeData: function(){
-    if (!this.model && !this.collection) {
-      return {};
-    }
+  // Serialize the view's model *or* collection, if
+  // it exists, for the template
+  serializeData: function() {
 
-    var args = [this.model || this.collection];
-    if (arguments.length) {
-      args.push.apply(args, arguments);
+    // If we have a model, we serialize that
+    if (this.model) {
+      return this.serializeModel();
     }
 
-    if (this.model) {
-      return this.serializeModel.apply(this, args);
-    } else {
+    // Otherwise, we serialize the collection,
+    // making it available under the `items` property
+    else if (this.collection) {
       return {
-        items: this.serializeCollection.apply(this, args)
+        items: this.serializeCollection()
       };
     }
+
+    // If we have neither, we return an empty object
+    else {
+      return {};
+    }
   },
 
-  // Serialize a collection by serializing each of its models.
-  serializeCollection: function(collection){
-    return collection.toJSON.apply(collection, _.rest(arguments));
+  // Serialize a collection by cloning each of
+  // its model's attributes
+  serializeCollection: function() {
+    if (!this.collection) { return {}; }
+    return this.collection.map(function(model) {
+      return _.clone(model.attributes);
+    });
   },
 
   // Render the view, defaulting to underscore.js templates.
diff --git a/src/view.js b/src/view.js
index 269d40a7c7..11da87ccd2 100644
--- a/src/view.js
+++ b/src/view.js
@@ -32,10 +32,13 @@ Marionette.View = Backbone.View.extend({
     return this.getOption('template');
   },
 
-  // Serialize a model by returning its attributes. Clones
-  // the attributes to allow modification.
-  serializeModel: function(model){
-    return model.toJSON.apply(model, _.rest(arguments));
+  // Prepares the special `model` property of a view
+  // for being displayed in the template. By default
+  // we simply clone the attributes. Override this if
+  // you need a custom transformation for your view's model
+  serializeModel: function() {
+    if (!this.model) { return {}; }
+    return _.clone(this.model.attributes);
   },
 
   // Mix in template helper methods. Looks for a
diff --git a/test/unit/composite-view.spec.js b/test/unit/composite-view.spec.js
index 083142a9db..64f9cddda6 100644
--- a/test/unit/composite-view.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/composite-view.spec.js
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ describe('composite view', function() {
         this.view.serializeData();
       });
 
-      it("should call serializeModel", function(){
+      it("should call serializeModel", function() {
         expect(this.view.serializeModel).to.have.been.calledOnce;
       });
     });
diff --git a/test/unit/item-view.spec.js b/test/unit/item-view.spec.js
index 0b5bdd2b6b..3fa603bc38 100644
--- a/test/unit/item-view.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/item-view.spec.js
@@ -310,17 +310,13 @@ describe('item view', function() {
     describe('and the view only has a collection', function() {
       beforeEach(function() {
         this.itemView.collection = new Backbone.Collection(this.collectionData);
-        this.itemView.serializeData(1, 2, 3);
+        this.itemView.serializeData();
       });
 
       it("should call serializeCollection", function(){
         expect(this.itemView.serializeCollection).to.have.been.calledOnce;
       });
 
-      it('and the serialize function should be called with the provided arguments', function() {
-        expect(this.itemView.serializeCollection).to.have.been.calledWith(this.itemView.collection, 1, 2, 3);
-      });
-
       it("should not call serializeModel", function() {
         expect(this.itemView.serializeModel).to.not.have.been.called;
       });
@@ -330,17 +326,13 @@ describe('item view', function() {
       beforeEach(function() {
         this.itemView.model = new Backbone.Model(this.modelData);
         this.itemView.collection = new Backbone.Collection(this.collectionData);
-        this.itemView.serializeData(1, 2, 3);
+        this.itemView.serializeData();
       });
 
       it("should call serializeModel", function() {
         expect(this.itemView.serializeModel).to.have.been.calledOnce;
       });
 
-      it('and the serialize function should be called with the provided arguments', function() {
-        expect(this.itemView.serializeModel).to.have.been.calledWith(this.itemView.model, 1, 2, 3);
-      });
-
       it('should not call serializeCollection', function() {
         expect(this.itemView.serializeCollection).to.not.have.been.called;
       });
diff --git a/test/unit/view.spec.js b/test/unit/view.spec.js
index 2d0c73d7d7..fe6d0b00ef 100644
--- a/test/unit/view.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/view.spec.js
@@ -220,11 +220,13 @@ describe('base view', function() {
 
     beforeEach(function(){
       model = new Backbone.Model(modelData);
-      view = new Marionette.View();
+      view = new Marionette.View({
+        model: model
+      });
     });
 
     it("should return all attributes", function(){
-      expect(view.serializeModel(model)).to.be.eql(modelData);
+      expect(view.serializeModel()).to.be.eql(modelData);
     });
   });
 });