diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d13bf7f..220b1fb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 1.4.0-alpha.8 (WIP)
+
+* Fix `_modelInstance` cache when keys are not strings
+
 ## 1.4.0-alpha.7 (2024-10-10)
 
 * End requests with an error when parsing posted body contents fail
diff --git a/lib/app/helper_model/model.js b/lib/app/helper_model/model.js
index f31c9ac..183c5b2 100644
--- a/lib/app/helper_model/model.js
+++ b/lib/app/helper_model/model.js
@@ -680,6 +680,11 @@ Model.setMethod(function getAliasModel(alias) {
 		config = this.schema.associations[alias];
 	}
 
+	// @TODO: associated fields with an alias name inside a nested schema
+	// somehow breaks! Should be looked in to?
+	// Workaround: set `recursive: 0` on the root schema field
+	// console.log('Alias:', alias, 'config:', config, this.schema);
+
 	if (config) {
 		result = this.getModel(config.modelName);
 	} else {
diff --git a/lib/core/base.js b/lib/core/base.js
index 1ee902c..e884906 100644
--- a/lib/core/base.js
+++ b/lib/core/base.js
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ Base.setMethod(function attachConduit(conduit) {
  *
  * @author   Jelle De Loecker <jelle@elevenways.be>
  * @since    0.3.0
- * @version  1.1.8
+ * @version  1.4.0
  *
  * @param    {string}   name      The name of the model to get
  * @param    {boolean}  init      Initialize the class [true]
@@ -597,9 +597,9 @@ Base.setMethod(function getModel(name, init, options) {
 
 	if (options.cache !== false) {
 		if (!this._modelInstances) {
-			this._modelInstances = {};
+			this._modelInstances = new Map();
 		} else {
-			instance = this._modelInstances[name];
+			instance = this._modelInstances.get(name);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ Base.setMethod(function getModel(name, init, options) {
 	}
 
 	if (options.cache !== false) {
-		this._modelInstances[name] = instance;
+		this._modelInstances.set(name, instance);
 	}
 
 	return instance;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ea950be..23a245f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"name": "alchemymvc",
 	"description": "MVC framework for Node.js",
-	"version": "1.4.0-alpha.7",
+	"version": "1.4.0-alpha.8",
 	"author": "Jelle De Loecker <jelle@elevenways.be>",
 	"keywords": [
 		"alchemy",