diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Asset.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Asset.pm
index dcfc67e32..332e04555 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Asset.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Asset.pm
@@ -1740,8 +1740,10 @@ sub newById {
 
 =head2 newByPropertyHashRef ( session,  properties )
 
-Constructor.  This creates a standalone asset with no parent.  It does not persist that object
-to the database.
+Constructor.  This is a class method.  It creates a standalone asset with no parent, with a
+varying class, determined by the className entry in the properties hash ref.
+
+The object created is not persisted to the database.
 
 =head3 session
 
@@ -1751,10 +1753,6 @@ A reference to the current session.
 
 A hash reference of Asset properties.
 
-=head4 className
-
-If className is not passed, the class used to call this method will be used in its place.
-
 =cut
 
 sub newByPropertyHashRef {
@@ -1762,9 +1760,10 @@ sub newByPropertyHashRef {
     my $session    = shift;
     my $properties = shift || {};
     $properties->{className} //= $class;
+    $properties->{session}     = $session;
     my $className = $class->loadModule($session, $properties->{className});
     return undef unless (defined $className);
-    my $object = $className->new($session, $properties);
+    my $object = $className->new($properties);
     return $object;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/AssetLineage.pm b/lib/WebGUI/AssetLineage.pm
index 3ee544ac3..59795fc4f 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/AssetLineage.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/AssetLineage.pm
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ sub addChild {
 	$session->db->commit;
 	$properties->{assetId}  = $id;
 	$properties->{parentId} = $self->getId;
-	my $temp = WebGUI::Asset->new($session,$properties) || croak "Couldn't create a new $properties->{className} asset!";
+	my $temp = WebGUI::Asset->newByPropertyHashRef($session, $properties) || croak "Couldn't create a new $properties->{className} asset!";
 	my $newAsset = $temp->addRevision($properties, $now, $options); 
 	$self->updateHistory("added child ".$id);
 	$session->http->setStatus(201,"Asset Creation Successful");
diff --git a/t/Asset.t b/t/Asset.t
index a9a63e66a..32360f4a3 100644
--- a/t/Asset.t
+++ b/t/Asset.t
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use Test::More;
 use Test::Deep;
 use Test::Exception;
 
-plan tests => 46;
+plan tests => 49;
 
 my $session = WebGUI::Test->session;
 
@@ -141,6 +141,17 @@ my $session = WebGUI::Test->session;
     is $class, undef, '... returns undef if the class cannot be found';
 }
 
+{
+    note "newByPropertyHashRef";
+    my $asset;
+    $asset = WebGUI::Asset->newByPropertyHashRef($session, {className => 'WebGUI::Asset::Snippet', title => 'The Shawshank Snippet'});
+    isa_ok $asset, 'WebGUI::Asset::Snippet';
+    is $asset->title, 'The Shawshank Snippet', 'title is assigned from the property hash';
+
+    my $a2 = WebGUI::Asset::Snippet->newByPropertyHashRef($session, {});
+    isa_ok $asset, 'WebGUI::Asset::Snippet';
+}
+
 {
     note "new, fetching from db";
     my $asset;