diff --git a/heat/objects/event.py b/heat/objects/event.py
index 2d5676a9e1..111b751019 100644
--- a/heat/objects/event.py
+++ b/heat/objects/event.py
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ class Event(
         'physical_resource_id': fields.StringField(nullable=True),
         'resource_status_reason': fields.StringField(nullable=True),
         'resource_type': fields.StringField(nullable=True),
-        'rsrc_prop_data': fields.ObjectField(
-            rpd.ResourcePropertiesData),
+        'rsrc_prop_data_id': fields.ObjectField(
+            fields.IntegerField(nullable=True)),
         'created_at': fields.DateTimeField(read_only=True),
         'updated_at': fields.DateTimeField(nullable=True),
     }
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ class Event(
     @staticmethod
     def _from_db_object(context, event, db_event):
         for field in event.fields:
+            if field == 'resource_status_reason':
+                # this works whether db_event is a dict or db ref
+                event[field] = db_event['_resource_status_reason']
+            else:
                 event[field] = db_event[field]
-        if db_event['rsrc_prop_data']:
-            event['rsrc_prop_data'] = \
-                rpd.ResourcePropertiesData._from_db_object(
-                    rpd.ResourcePropertiesData(context), context,
-                    db_event['rsrc_prop_data'])
-            event._resource_properties = event['rsrc_prop_data'].data
+        if db_event['rsrc_prop_data_id'] is not None:
+            event._resource_properties = None
         else:
             event._resource_properties = db_event['resource_properties'] or {}
         event._context = context
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ class Event(
 
     @property
     def resource_properties(self):
+        if self._resource_properties is None:
+            rpd_obj = rpd.ResourcePropertiesData.get_by_id(
+                self._context, self.rsrc_prop_data_id)
+            self._resource_properties = rpd_obj.data or {}
         return self._resource_properties
 
     @classmethod
@@ -92,8 +96,11 @@ class Event(
 
     @classmethod
     def create(cls, context, values):
-        return cls._from_db_object(context, cls(),
-                                   db_api.event_create(context, values))
+        # Using dict() allows us to be done with the sqlalchemy/model
+        # layer in one call, rather than hitting that layer for every
+        # field in _from_db_object().
+        return cls._from_db_object(context, cls(context=context),
+                                   dict(db_api.event_create(context, values)))
 
     def identifier(self, stack_identifier):
         """Return a unique identifier for the event."""
diff --git a/heat/objects/resource_properties_data.py b/heat/objects/resource_properties_data.py
index e0e2142ece..c5670aa6ed 100644
--- a/heat/objects/resource_properties_data.py
+++ b/heat/objects/resource_properties_data.py
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ class ResourcePropertiesData(
         elif db_rpd['encrypted'] and rpd['data'] is not None:
             rpd['data'] = crypt.decrypted_dict(rpd['data'])
 
+        # TODO(cwolfe) setting the context here should go away, that
+        # should have been done with the initialisation of the rpd
+        # object. For now, maintaining consistency with other
+        # _from_db_object methods.
+        rpd._context = context
         rpd.obj_reset_changes()
         return rpd
 
@@ -68,3 +73,9 @@ class ResourcePropertiesData(
                 result[prop_name] = encrypted_value
             return (True, result)
         return (False, data)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def get_by_id(context, id):
+        db_ref = db_api.resource_prop_data_get(context, id)
+        return ResourcePropertiesData._from_db_object(
+            ResourcePropertiesData(context=context), context, db_ref)
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_event.py b/heat/tests/test_event.py
index acd1fed57c..f50fd2170c 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_event.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_event.py
@@ -261,11 +261,11 @@ class EventTest(EventCommon):
             self.ctx,
             {'stack_id': self.stack.id,
              'uuid': str(uuid.uuid4()),
-             'rsrc_prop_data': rpd_db_obj})
+             'rsrc_prop_data_id': rpd_db_obj.id})
         e_obj = event_object.Event().get_by_id(utils.dummy_context(),
                                                e_obj.id)
         # properties data appears unencrypted to event object
-        self.assertEqual(data, e_obj.rsrc_prop_data.data)
+        self.assertEqual(data, e_obj.resource_properties)
 
 
 class EventEncryptedTest(EventCommon):
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ class EventEncryptedTest(EventCommon):
 
         # verify the resource_properties_data db data is encrypted
         e_obj = event_object.Event.get_by_id(self.resource.context, e.id)
-        rpd_id = e_obj['rsrc_prop_data'].id
+        rpd_id = e_obj['rsrc_prop_data_id']
         results = self.resource.context.session.query(
             models.ResourcePropertiesData).filter_by(
                 id=rpd_id)
@@ -293,4 +293,4 @@ class EventEncryptedTest(EventCommon):
         # verify encrypted data is decrypted when retrieved through
         # heat object layer
         ev = event_object.Event.get_by_id(self.ctx, e.id)
-        self.assertEqual({'Foo': 'goo'}, ev.rsrc_prop_data.data)
+        self.assertEqual({'Foo': 'goo'}, ev.resource_properties)