diff --git a/packages/activemodel-adapter/lib/system/active_model_adapter.js b/packages/activemodel-adapter/lib/system/active_model_adapter.js
index d1a5d33f6d8..0046c5d197b 100644
--- a/packages/activemodel-adapter/lib/system/active_model_adapter.js
+++ b/packages/activemodel-adapter/lib/system/active_model_adapter.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import {pluralize} from "ember-inflector";
   @module ember-data
 */
 
-var forEach = Ember.EnumerableUtils.forEach;
 var decamelize = Ember.String.decamelize,
     underscore = Ember.String.underscore;
 
@@ -142,18 +141,7 @@ var ActiveModelAdapter = RESTAdapter.extend({
     var error = this._super(jqXHR);
 
     if (jqXHR && jqXHR.status === 422) {
-      var response = Ember.$.parseJSON(jqXHR.responseText),
-          errors = {};
-
-      if (response.errors !== undefined) {
-        var jsonErrors = response.errors;
-
-        forEach(Ember.keys(jsonErrors), function(key) {
-          errors[Ember.String.camelize(key)] = jsonErrors[key];
-        });
-      }
-
-      return new InvalidError(errors);
+      return new InvalidError(Ember.$.parseJSON(jqXHR.responseText));
     } else {
       return error;
     }
diff --git a/packages/activemodel-adapter/tests/integration/active_model_adapter_test.js b/packages/activemodel-adapter/tests/integration/active_model_adapter_test.js
index 14d7c2116ce..c2724325083 100644
--- a/packages/activemodel-adapter/tests/integration/active_model_adapter_test.js
+++ b/packages/activemodel-adapter/tests/integration/active_model_adapter_test.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ test('buildURL - decamelizes names', function() {
 });
 
 test('ajaxError - returns invalid error if 422 response', function() {
-  var error = new DS.InvalidError({ name: "can't be blank" });
+  var error = new DS.InvalidError({ errors: { name: "can't be blank" } });
 
   var jqXHR = {
     status: 422,
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ test('ajaxError - returns invalid error if 422 response', function() {
 });
 
 test('ajaxError - invalid error has camelized keys', function() {
-  var error = new DS.InvalidError({ firstName: "can't be blank" });
+  var error = new DS.InvalidError({ errors: { firstName: "can't be blank" } });
 
   var jqXHR = {
     status: 422,
diff --git a/packages/ember-data/lib/adapters/rest_adapter.js b/packages/ember-data/lib/adapters/rest_adapter.js
index 175377e5abf..c020c9aefb2 100644
--- a/packages/ember-data/lib/adapters/rest_adapter.js
+++ b/packages/ember-data/lib/adapters/rest_adapter.js
@@ -697,19 +697,25 @@ export default Adapter.extend({
   },
 
   /**
-    Takes an ajax response, and returns a relevant error.
+    Takes an ajax response, and returns an error payload.
 
     Returning a `DS.InvalidError` from this method will cause the
     record to transition into the `invalid` state and make the
     `errors` object available on the record.
 
+    This function should return the entire payload as received from the
+    server.  Error object extraction and normalization of model errors
+    should be performed by `extractErrors` on the serializer.
+
+    Example
+
     ```javascript
     App.ApplicationAdapter = DS.RESTAdapter.extend({
       ajaxError: function(jqXHR) {
         var error = this._super(jqXHR);
 
         if (jqXHR && jqXHR.status === 422) {
-          var jsonErrors = Ember.$.parseJSON(jqXHR.responseText)["errors"];
+          var jsonErrors = Ember.$.parseJSON(jqXHR.responseText);
 
           return new DS.InvalidError(jsonErrors);
         } else {
diff --git a/packages/ember-data/lib/serializers/json_serializer.js b/packages/ember-data/lib/serializers/json_serializer.js
index 552b100a7bc..ab479634332 100644
--- a/packages/ember-data/lib/serializers/json_serializer.js
+++ b/packages/ember-data/lib/serializers/json_serializer.js
@@ -260,6 +260,16 @@ export default Ember.Object.extend({
     delete hash[primaryKey];
   },
 
+  /**
+    @method normalizeErrors
+    @private
+  */
+  normalizeErrors: function(type, hash) {
+    this.normalizeId(hash);
+    this.normalizeAttributes(type, hash);
+    this.normalizeRelationships(type, hash);
+  },
+
   /**
     Looks up the property key that was set by the custom `attr` mapping
     passed to the serializer.
@@ -970,6 +980,41 @@ export default Ember.Object.extend({
     }
   },
 
+  /**
+    `extractErrors` is used to extract model errors when a call is made
+    to `DS.Model#save` which fails with an InvalidError`. By default
+    Ember Data expects error information to be located on the `errors`
+    property of the payload object.
+
+    Example
+
+    ```javascript
+    App.PostSerializer = DS.JSONSerializer.extend({
+      extractErrors: function(store, type, payload, id) {
+        if (payload && typeof payload === 'object' && payload._problems) {
+          payload = payload._problems;
+          this.normalizeErrors(type, payload);
+        }
+        return payload;
+      }
+    });
+    ```
+
+    @method extractErrors
+    @param {DS.Store} store
+    @param {subclass of DS.Model} type
+    @param {Object} payload
+    @param {String or Number} id
+    @return {Object} json The deserialized errors
+  */
+  extractErrors: function(store, type, payload, id) {
+    if (payload && typeof payload === 'object' && payload.errors) {
+      payload = payload.errors;
+      this.normalizeErrors(type, payload);
+    }
+    return payload;
+  },
+
   /**
    `keyForAttribute` can be used to define rules for how to convert an
    attribute name in your model to a key in your JSON.
diff --git a/packages/ember-data/lib/system/adapter.js b/packages/ember-data/lib/system/adapter.js
index bc65550a500..8aabb4ffb28 100644
--- a/packages/ember-data/lib/system/adapter.js
+++ b/packages/ember-data/lib/system/adapter.js
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ var errorProps = [
   transition to the `invalid` state and the errors will be set to the
   `errors` property on the record.
 
+  This function should return the entire payload as received from the
+  server.  Error object extraction and normalization of model errors
+  should be performed by `extractErrors` on the serializer.
+
   Example
 
   ```javascript
@@ -31,7 +35,7 @@ var errorProps = [
       var error = this._super(jqXHR);
 
       if (jqXHR && jqXHR.status === 422) {
-        var jsonErrors = Ember.$.parseJSON(jqXHR.responseText)["errors"];
+        var jsonErrors = Ember.$.parseJSON(jqXHR.responseText);
         return new DS.InvalidError(jsonErrors);
       } else {
         return error;
diff --git a/packages/ember-data/lib/system/store.js b/packages/ember-data/lib/system/store.js
index 63b5739d731..c1514a86d1f 100644
--- a/packages/ember-data/lib/system/store.js
+++ b/packages/ember-data/lib/system/store.js
@@ -1869,7 +1869,9 @@ function _commit(adapter, store, operation, record) {
     return record;
   }, function(reason) {
     if (reason instanceof InvalidError) {
-      store.recordWasInvalid(record, reason.errors);
+      var errors = serializer.extractErrors(store, type, reason.errors, get(record, 'id'));
+      store.recordWasInvalid(record, errors);
+      reason = new InvalidError(errors);
     } else {
       store.recordWasError(record, reason);
     }