diff --git a/pyairtable/orm/model.py b/pyairtable/orm/model.py
index 3d6300c5..3bf16116 100644
--- a/pyairtable/orm/model.py
+++ b/pyairtable/orm/model.py
@@ -499,8 +499,7 @@ class _Meta:
 
     @property
     def _config(self) -> Mapping[str, Any]:
-        if not (model_meta := getattr(self.model, "Meta", None)):
-            raise AttributeError(f"{self.model.__name__}.Meta must be defined")
+        model_meta = self.model.Meta  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         if isinstance(model_meta, dict):
             return model_meta
         if isinstance(model_meta, type):
diff --git a/pyairtable/testing.py b/pyairtable/testing.py
index fae3f702..c474b9f6 100644
--- a/pyairtable/testing.py
+++ b/pyairtable/testing.py
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 import datetime
 import random
 import string
-from typing import Any, Optional
+from typing import Any, Optional, Union
 
+from pyairtable.api import retrying
+from pyairtable.api.api import TimeoutTuple
 from pyairtable.api.types import AttachmentDict, CollaboratorDict, Fields, RecordDict
 from pyairtable.utils import is_airtable_id
 
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ def fake_meta(
     base_id: str = "",
     table_name: str = "",
     api_key: str = "patFakePersonalAccessToken",
+    timeout: Optional[TimeoutTuple] = None,
+    retry: Optional[Union[bool, retrying.Retry]] = None,
     typecast: bool = True,
     use_field_ids: bool = False,
     memoize: bool = False,
@@ -47,6 +51,8 @@ def fake_meta(
         "table_name": table_name or fake_id("tbl"),
         "api_key": api_key,
         "typecast": typecast,
+        "timeout": timeout,
+        "retry": retry,
         "use_field_ids": use_field_ids,
         "memoize": memoize,
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_orm_model.py b/tests/test_orm_model.py
index 18fe7299..ce9b40cb 100644
--- a/tests/test_orm_model.py
+++ b/tests/test_orm_model.py
@@ -68,6 +68,17 @@ class Address(Model):
         m.assert_not_called()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("invalid_meta", (None, 123, "asdf", []))
+def test_model_meta_type_error(invalid_meta):
+    """
+    Test that Meta cannot be other wild stuff.
+    """
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+
+        class Dummy(Model):
+            Meta = invalid_meta
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("name", ("exists", "id"))
 def test_model_overlapping(name):
     """
@@ -271,15 +282,44 @@ def test_meta_wrapper():
     """
     Test that Model subclasses have access to the _Meta wrapper.
     """
-    original_meta = fake_meta(api_key="asdf")
 
     class Dummy(Model):
-        Meta = original_meta
+        Meta = fake_meta(api_key="asdf")
 
     assert Dummy.meta.model is Dummy
     assert Dummy.meta.api.api_key == "asdf"
 
 
+def test_meta_dict():
+    """
+    Test that Meta can be a dict instead of a class.
+    """
+
+    class Dummy(Model):
+        Meta = {
+            "api_key": "asdf",
+            "base_id": "qwer",
+            "table_name": "zxcv",
+            "timeout": (1, 1),
+        }
+
+    assert Dummy.meta.model is Dummy
+    assert Dummy.meta.api.api_key == "asdf"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("meta_kwargs", [{"timeout": 1}, {"retry": "asdf"}])
+def test_meta_type_check(meta_kwargs):
+    """
+    Test that we check types on certain Meta attributes.
+    """
+
+    class Dummy(Model):
+        Meta = fake_meta(**meta_kwargs)
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        Dummy.meta.api
+
+
 def test_dynamic_model_meta():
     """
     Test that we can provide callables in our Meta class to provide