diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Biotype.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Biotype.pm
index 11b7c5e104d6c903c03414791de8ec2994894b66..9adef5a13ceccc1ae597aeb68fdc6dbd3497516d 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Biotype.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Biotype.pm
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ use Bio::EnsEMBL::Storable;
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Exception qw(throw deprecate warning);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Scalar qw(check_ref assert_ref);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Argument qw(rearrange);
+use Scalar::Util qw(weaken isweak);
 
 use base qw(Bio::EnsEMBL::Storable);
 
@@ -115,6 +116,25 @@ sub new {
   return $self;
 }
 
+=head2 new_fast
+
+  Arg [1]    : hashref to be blessed
+  Description: Construct a new Bio::EnsEMBL::Biotype using the hashref.
+  Exceptions : none
+  Returntype : Bio::EnsEMBL::Biotype
+
+=cut
+
+
+sub new_fast {
+  my ( $class, $hashref ) = @_;
+
+  my $self = bless $hashref, $class;
+  weaken($self->{adaptor})  if ( ! isweak($self->{adaptor}) );
+
+  return $self;
+}
+
 =head2 name
 
   Arg [1]    : (optional) string $name
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/DBSQL/BiotypeAdaptor.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/DBSQL/BiotypeAdaptor.pm
index 97ebb4144a1761734d3643d4839d2b64bedeaf9b..d1956332a6aaf99f6ba0faa7e456a560951ee4cf 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/DBSQL/BiotypeAdaptor.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/DBSQL/BiotypeAdaptor.pm
@@ -115,16 +115,16 @@ sub _objs_from_sth {
 
   while($sth->fetch()) {
     push( @biotypes,
-      my $feat = Bio::EnsEMBL::Biotype->new(
-          -BIOTYPE_ID    => $dbID,
-          -NAME          => $name,
-          -OBJECT_TYPE   => $object_type,
-          -DB_TYPE       => $db_type,
-          -ATTRIB_TYPE_ID => $attrib_type_id,
-          -DESCRIPTION   => $description,
-          -BIOTYPE_GROUP => $biotype_group,
-          -SO_ACC        => $so_acc,
-      )
+      my $feat = Bio::EnsEMBL::Biotype->new_fast( {
+         'dbID'           => $dbID,
+         'name'           => $name,
+         'object_type'    => $object_type,
+         'db_type'        => $db_type,
+         'attrib_type_id' => $attrib_type_id,
+         'description'    => $description,
+         'biotype_group'  => $biotype_group,
+         'so_acc'         => $so_acc,
+      } )
     );
   }