diff --git a/core/server/api/utils.js b/core/server/api/utils.js
index e19e131362..f9e6ce5c72 100644
--- a/core/server/api/utils.js
+++ b/core/server/api/utils.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ utils = {
     // ### Manual Default Options
     // These must be provided by the endpoint
     // browseDefaultOptions - valid for all browse api endpoints
-    browseDefaultOptions: ['page', 'limit'],
+    browseDefaultOptions: ['page', 'limit', 'fields'],
     // idDefaultOptions - valid whenever an id is valid
     idDefaultOptions: ['id'],
 
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ utils = {
                 uuid: {isUUID: true},
                 page: {matches: /^\d+$/},
                 limit: {matches: /^\d+|all$/},
+                fields: {matches: /^[a-z0-9_,]+$/},
                 name: {}
             },
             // these values are sanitised/validated separately
@@ -223,6 +224,15 @@ utils = {
         return include;
     },
 
+    prepareFields: function prepareFields(fields) {
+        fields = fields || '';
+        if (_.isString(fields)) {
+            fields = fields.split(',');
+        }
+
+        return fields;
+    },
+
     /**
      * ## Convert Options
      * @param {Array} allowedIncludes
@@ -238,6 +248,10 @@ utils = {
             if (options.include) {
                 options.include = utils.prepareInclude(options.include, allowedIncludes);
             }
+            if (options.fields) {
+                options.columns = utils.prepareFields(options.fields);
+                delete options.fields;
+            }
             return options;
         };
     },
diff --git a/core/server/models/post.js b/core/server/models/post.js
index 2a5ea6e6ab..26c8d23fcc 100644
--- a/core/server/models/post.js
+++ b/core/server/models/post.js
@@ -264,11 +264,18 @@ Post = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
     },
 
     toJSON: function toJSON(options) {
+        options = options || {};
+
         var attrs = ghostBookshelf.Model.prototype.toJSON.call(this, options);
 
-        attrs.author = attrs.author || attrs.author_id;
-        attrs.url = config.urlPathForPost(attrs, permalinkSetting);
-        delete attrs.author_id;
+        if (!options.columns || (options.columns && options.columns.indexOf('author') > -1)) {
+            attrs.author = attrs.author || attrs.author_id;
+            delete attrs.author_id;
+        }
+
+        if (!options.columns || (options.columns && options.columns.indexOf('url') > -1)) {
+            attrs.url = config.urlPathForPost(attrs, permalinkSetting);
+        }
 
         return attrs;
     }
@@ -346,7 +353,7 @@ Post = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
             validOptions = {
                 findAll: ['withRelated'],
                 findOne: ['importing', 'withRelated'],
-                findPage: ['page', 'limit', 'status', 'staticPages', 'featured'],
+                findPage: ['page', 'limit', 'columns', 'status', 'staticPages', 'featured'],
                 add: ['importing']
             };
 
diff --git a/core/server/models/tag.js b/core/server/models/tag.js
index 3029f0eb3f..df8fa0bd44 100644
--- a/core/server/models/tag.js
+++ b/core/server/models/tag.js
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ Tag = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
     },
 
     toJSON: function toJSON(options) {
+        options = options || {};
+
         var attrs = ghostBookshelf.Model.prototype.toJSON.call(this, options);
 
         attrs.parent = attrs.parent || attrs.parent_id;
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ Tag = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
             // whitelists for the `options` hash argument on methods, by method name.
             // these are the only options that can be passed to Bookshelf / Knex.
             validOptions = {
-                findPage: ['page', 'limit']
+                findPage: ['page', 'limit', 'columns']
             };
 
         if (validOptions[methodName]) {
diff --git a/core/server/models/user.js b/core/server/models/user.js
index 81678eb521..3a5c927261 100644
--- a/core/server/models/user.js
+++ b/core/server/models/user.js
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ User = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
     },
 
     toJSON: function toJSON(options) {
+        options = options || {};
+
         var attrs = ghostBookshelf.Model.prototype.toJSON.call(this, options);
         // remove password hash for security reasons
         delete attrs.password;
@@ -229,7 +231,7 @@ User = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
                 findAll: ['withRelated'],
                 setup: ['id'],
                 edit: ['withRelated', 'id'],
-                findPage: ['page', 'limit', 'status']
+                findPage: ['page', 'limit', 'columns', 'status']
             };
 
         if (validOptions[methodName]) {
diff --git a/core/test/unit/api_utils_spec.js b/core/test/unit/api_utils_spec.js
index ad1e0ff759..b6b5af0415 100644
--- a/core/test/unit/api_utils_spec.js
+++ b/core/test/unit/api_utils_spec.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe('API Utils', function () {
     describe('Default Options', function () {
         it('should provide a set of default options', function () {
             apiUtils.globalDefaultOptions.should.eql(['context', 'include']);
-            apiUtils.browseDefaultOptions.should.eql(['page', 'limit']);
+            apiUtils.browseDefaultOptions.should.eql(['page', 'limit', 'fields']);
             apiUtils.dataDefaultOptions.should.eql(['data']);
             apiUtils.idDefaultOptions.should.eql(['id']);
         });