diff --git a/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailHelper.groovy b/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailHelper.groovy
index 3c1e2cc..08484d5 100644
--- a/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailHelper.groovy
+++ b/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailHelper.groovy
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package grails.plugin.audittrail
 
+import gorm.FieldProps
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger
 import org.codehaus.groovy.grails.commons.GrailsApplication
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean
@@ -9,11 +10,6 @@ import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware
 class AuditTrailHelper implements ApplicationContextAware, InitializingBean {
     private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(AuditTrailInterceptor)
 
-    private static final String CREATED_DATE_FIELD = "createdDate"
-    private static final String EDITED_DATE_FIELD = "editedDate"
-    private static final String CREATED_BY_FIELD = "createdBy"
-    private static final String EDITED_BY_FIELD = "editedBy"
-
     Closure currentUserClosure
 
     //injected
@@ -40,11 +36,11 @@ class AuditTrailHelper implements ApplicationContextAware, InitializingBean {
     void setFieldDefaults(Object entity) {
         Long time = System.currentTimeMillis()
         //assume its a new entity
-        [CREATED_DATE_FIELD, EDITED_DATE_FIELD].each { key ->
+        [FieldProps.CREATED_DATE_KEY, FieldProps.EDITED_DATE_KEY].each { key ->
             setDateField(entity, key, time)
         }
 
-        [CREATED_BY_FIELD, EDITED_BY_FIELD].each { key ->
+        [FieldProps.CREATED_BY_KEY, FieldProps.EDITED_BY_KEY].each { key ->
             setUserField(entity, key)
         }
     }
@@ -83,12 +79,12 @@ class AuditTrailHelper implements ApplicationContextAware, InitializingBean {
      * @return boolean
      */
     boolean isNewEntity(def entity) {
-        String createdDateFieldName = fieldPropsMap.get(CREATED_DATE_FIELD).name
+        String createdDateFieldName = fieldPropsMap.get(FieldProps.CREATED_DATE_KEY).name
         MetaProperty createdDateProperty = entity.hasProperty(createdDateFieldName)
 
         //see issue#41
         if(createdDateProperty != null) {
-            Date existingValue = entity.getProperty(createdDateFieldName)
+            def existingValue = createdDateProperty.getProperty(entity)
             return (existingValue == null)
         } else {
             def session = applicationContext.sessionFactory.currentSession
diff --git a/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailInterceptor.groovy b/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailInterceptor.groovy
index 4ee2db7..6d6d704 100644
--- a/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailInterceptor.groovy
+++ b/src/groovy/grails/plugin/audittrail/AuditTrailInterceptor.groovy
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 package grails.plugin.audittrail
 
+import gorm.FieldProps
+import org.apache.commons.lang.ArrayUtils
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger
 import org.hibernate.EmptyInterceptor
 import org.hibernate.type.Type
-import org.apache.log4j.Logger
-import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware
-import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean
-import org.apache.commons.lang.ArrayUtils
 
 class AuditTrailInterceptor extends EmptyInterceptor {
 	private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(AuditTrailInterceptor)
@@ -35,12 +33,12 @@ class AuditTrailInterceptor extends EmptyInterceptor {
         if(disableAuditTrailStamp(entity)) return true
         
 	    def time = System.currentTimeMillis()
-	    ['createdDate','editedDate'].each{ key->
+	    [FieldProps.CREATED_DATE_KEY, FieldProps.EDITED_DATE_KEY].each{ key->
 			def valToSet = auditTrailHelper.setDateField(entity,key, time)
 			if(valToSet)
 			    setValue(currentState, propertyNames, fieldPropsMap.get(key).name, valToSet)
 		}
-		['createdBy','editedBy'].each{ key->
+		[FieldProps.CREATED_BY_KEY, FieldProps.EDITED_BY_KEY].each{ key->
 			def valToSet = auditTrailHelper.setUserField(entity,key)
 			if(valToSet)
 			    setValue(currentState, propertyNames, fieldPropsMap.get(key).name, valToSet)
diff --git a/src/java/gorm/AuditStampASTTransformation.java b/src/java/gorm/AuditStampASTTransformation.java
index 986e744..a90133f 100644
--- a/src/java/gorm/AuditStampASTTransformation.java
+++ b/src/java/gorm/AuditStampASTTransformation.java
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ public void visit(ASTNode[] astNodes, SourceUnit sourceUnit) {
 				doBeforeValidate(classNode);
 				//debugFieldNodes(classNode);
 
-				createUserField( classNode, fprops.get("editedBy"));
-				createUserField( classNode, fprops.get("createdBy"));
+				createUserField( classNode, fprops.get(FieldProps.EDITED_BY_KEY));
+				createUserField( classNode, fprops.get(FieldProps.CREATED_BY_KEY));
 
-				createDateField( classNode, fprops.get("editedDate"));
-				createDateField( classNode, fprops.get("createdDate"));
+				createDateField( classNode, fprops.get(FieldProps.EDITED_DATE_KEY));
+				createDateField( classNode, fprops.get(FieldProps.CREATED_DATE_KEY));
 
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/java/gorm/FieldProps.java b/src/java/gorm/FieldProps.java
index 2999dc2..4897261 100644
--- a/src/java/gorm/FieldProps.java
+++ b/src/java/gorm/FieldProps.java
@@ -6,7 +6,13 @@
 class FieldProps {
 	private static final String DATE_CONS = "nullable:false, display:false, editable:false, bindable:false";
 	private static final String USER_CONS = "nullable:false, display:false, editable:false, bindable:false";
-	
+
+	public static final String CREATED_DATE_KEY = "createdDate";
+	public static final String EDITED_DATE_KEY = "editedDate";
+	public static final String CREATED_BY_KEY = "createdBy";
+	public static final String EDITED_BY_KEY = "editedBy";
+
+
 	String name;
 	Class  type;
 	//Object initValue;
@@ -51,11 +57,11 @@ public static FieldProps init(String defaultName,String defaultType, String defa
 
 	public static Map<String, FieldProps> buildFieldMap(ConfigObject config){
 		Map<String, FieldProps> map = new HashMap<String, FieldProps>();
-		map.put("createdBy",FieldProps.init("createdBy","java.lang.Long",USER_CONS,null,config));
-		map.put("editedBy",FieldProps.init("editedBy","java.lang.Long",USER_CONS,null,config));
+		map.put(CREATED_BY_KEY,FieldProps.init(CREATED_BY_KEY,"java.lang.Long",USER_CONS,null,config));
+		map.put(EDITED_BY_KEY,FieldProps.init(EDITED_BY_KEY,"java.lang.Long",USER_CONS,null,config));
 
-		map.put("editedDate",FieldProps.init("editedDate","java.util.Date",DATE_CONS,null,config));
-		map.put("createdDate",FieldProps.init("createdDate","java.util.Date",DATE_CONS,null,config));
+		map.put(EDITED_DATE_KEY,FieldProps.init(EDITED_DATE_KEY,"java.util.Date",DATE_CONS,null,config));
+		map.put(CREATED_DATE_KEY,FieldProps.init(CREATED_DATE_KEY,"java.util.Date",DATE_CONS,null,config));
 		return map;
 	}