diff --git a/lib/solrizer/fedora/indexer.rb b/lib/solrizer/fedora/indexer.rb
index 96266c8..ccf902d 100644
--- a/lib/solrizer/fedora/indexer.rb
+++ b/lib/solrizer/fedora/indexer.rb
@@ -174,10 +174,15 @@ def create_document( obj )
   # This method adds a document to the Solr search index
   #
   def index( obj )
+    index( obj, true )
+  end
+  def index( obj, autocommit )
     solr.add( create_document( obj ) )
+    solr.commit if autocommit
+  end
+  def commit
     solr.commit
   end
-  
 
   private :connect
 
diff --git a/lib/solrizer/fedora/repository.rb b/lib/solrizer/fedora/repository.rb
index 4735623..76be602 100644
--- a/lib/solrizer/fedora/repository.rb
+++ b/lib/solrizer/fedora/repository.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def self.get_pids( num_docs )
   # This method retrieves the object associated with the given unique id
   #
   def self.get_object( pid )
-    object = ActiveFedora::Base.find( pid )
+    object = ActiveFedora::Base.find( pid, :cast => true )
   end
   
   #
diff --git a/lib/solrizer/fedora/solrizer.rb b/lib/solrizer/fedora/solrizer.rb
index 04bd05a..bff3164 100644
--- a/lib/solrizer/fedora/solrizer.rb
+++ b/lib/solrizer/fedora/solrizer.rb
@@ -57,7 +57,12 @@ def solrize( obj, opts={} )
            logger.debug "\t Indexing object #{obj.pid} ... "
            # add the keywords and facets to the search index
            index_start = Time.now
-           indexer.index( obj )
+           if opts[:autocommit] != nil
+             autocommit = opts[:autocommit]
+           else
+             autocommit = true
+           end
+           indexer.index( obj, autocommit )
            
            index_done = Time.now
            index_elapsed = index_done - index_start
@@ -74,6 +79,10 @@ def solrize( obj, opts={} )
       end
 
     end
+
+    def commit
+      indexer.commit
+    end
     
     # Retrieve a comprehensive list of all the unique identifiers in Fedora and 
     # solrize each object's full-text and facets into the search index