diff --git a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
index b0bdabf132..470ceb9990 100644
--- a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
+++ b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ def raw_template_files_get(context, files_id):
     return result
 
 
-def resource_get(context, resource_id, refresh=False):
+def resource_get(context, resource_id, refresh=False, refresh_data=False):
     result = context.session.query(models.Resource).get(resource_id)
 
     if not result:
@@ -181,8 +181,9 @@ def resource_get(context, resource_id, refresh=False):
                                  resource_id)
     if refresh:
         context.session.refresh(result)
-        # ensure data is loaded (lazy or otherwise)
-        result.data
+        if refresh_data:
+            # ensure data is loaded (lazy or otherwise)
+            result.data
 
     return result
 
diff --git a/heat/engine/check_resource.py b/heat/engine/check_resource.py
index 3972b9cac1..96e2ac0238 100644
--- a/heat/engine/check_resource.py
+++ b/heat/engine/check_resource.py
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ class CheckResource(object):
 
     def _try_steal_engine_lock(self, cnxt, resource_id):
         rs_obj = resource_objects.Resource.get_obj(cnxt,
-                                                   resource_id)
+                                                   resource_id,
+                                                   fields=('engine_id', ))
         if rs_obj.engine_id not in (None, self.engine_id):
             if not listener_client.EngineListenerClient(
                     rs_obj.engine_id).is_alive(cnxt):
diff --git a/heat/engine/resource.py b/heat/engine/resource.py
index c647979470..25bca9fe6d 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resource.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resource.py
@@ -418,7 +418,8 @@ class Resource(status.ResourceStatus):
         if self._rsrc_metadata is not None:
             return self._rsrc_metadata
         rs = resource_objects.Resource.get_obj(self.stack.context, self.id,
-                                               refresh=True)
+                                               refresh=True,
+                                               fields=('rsrc_metadata', ))
         self._rsrc_metadata = rs.rsrc_metadata
         return rs.rsrc_metadata
 
@@ -439,8 +440,10 @@ class Resource(status.ResourceStatus):
         if self.id is None or self.action == self.INIT:
             raise exception.ResourceNotAvailable(resource_name=self.name)
         refresh = merge_metadata is not None
-        db_res = resource_objects.Resource.get_obj(self.stack.context, self.id,
-                                                   refresh=refresh)
+        db_res = resource_objects.Resource.get_obj(
+            self.stack.context, self.id, refresh=refresh,
+            fields=('rsrc_metadata', 'atomic_key', 'engine_id',
+                    'action', 'status'))
         if db_res.action == self.DELETE:
             self._db_res_is_deleted = True
             LOG.debug("resource %(name)s, id: %(id)s is DELETE_%(st)s, "
@@ -1618,7 +1621,8 @@ class Resource(status.ResourceStatus):
 
         try:
             db_res = resource_objects.Resource.get_obj(
-                self.context, self.replaced_by)
+                self.context, self.replaced_by,
+                fields=('current_template_id', 'atomic_key'))
         except exception.NotFound:
             LOG.info("Could not find replacement of resource %(name)s "
                      "with id %(id)s while updating needed_by.",
diff --git a/heat/objects/resource.py b/heat/objects/resource.py
index 0fea6db1b9..c60c26f60b 100644
--- a/heat/objects/resource.py
+++ b/heat/objects/resource.py
@@ -100,10 +100,13 @@ class Resource(
     }
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _from_db_object(resource, context, db_resource):
+    def _from_db_object(resource, context, db_resource, only_fields=None):
         if db_resource is None:
             return None
         for field in resource.fields:
+            if (only_fields is not None and field not in only_fields
+                    and field != 'id'):
+                continue
             if field == 'data':
                 resource['data'] = [resource_data.ResourceData._from_db_object(
                     resource_data.ResourceData(context), resd
@@ -150,10 +153,16 @@ class Resource(
         return self._properties_data
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_obj(cls, context, resource_id, refresh=False):
+    def get_obj(cls, context, resource_id, refresh=False, fields=None):
+        if fields is None or 'data' in fields:
+            refresh_data = refresh
+        else:
+            refresh_data = False
         resource_db = db_api.resource_get(context, resource_id,
-                                          refresh=refresh)
-        return cls._from_db_object(cls(context), context, resource_db)
+                                          refresh=refresh,
+                                          refresh_data=refresh_data)
+        return cls._from_db_object(cls(context), context, resource_db,
+                                   only_fields=fields)
 
     @classmethod
     def get_all(cls, context):
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_resource.py b/heat/tests/test_resource.py
index 714bb0d58e..68c856a54e 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_resource.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_resource.py
@@ -582,6 +582,16 @@ class ResourceTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         res.store()
         self.assertIsNotNone(res.updated_time)
 
+    def test_resource_object_get_obj_fields(self):
+        snippet = rsrc_defn.ResourceDefinition('aresource',
+                                               'GenericResourceType')
+        res = resource.Resource('aresource', snippet, self.stack)
+        res.store()
+        res_obj = resource_objects.Resource.get_obj(
+            res.context, res.id, refresh=False, fields=('status', ))
+        self.assertEqual(res_obj.status, res.COMPLETE)
+        self.assertRaises(AttributeError, getattr, res_obj, 'action')
+
     def test_resource_object_resource_properties_data(self):
         cfg.CONF.set_override('encrypt_parameters_and_properties', True,
                               enforce_type=True)