diff --git a/.meteor/versions b/.meteor/versions
index 8ddf3ef54..2df69ce5c 100644
--- a/.meteor/versions
+++ b/.meteor/versions
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 accounts-base@1.2.15
 accounts-password@1.3.4
-aldeed:collection2-core@2.0.0
 allow-deny@1.0.5
 autoupdate@1.3.12
 babel-compiler@6.14.1
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ observe-sequence@1.0.16
 ordered-dict@1.0.9
 percolatestudio:synced-cron@1.1.0
 promise@0.8.8
-raix:eventemitter@0.1.3
 random@1.0.10
 rate-limit@1.0.7
 reactive-dict@1.1.8
@@ -71,7 +69,6 @@ srp@1.0.10
 standard-minifier-css@1.3.4
 standard-minifier-js@1.2.3
 standard-minifiers@1.0.6
-tmeasday:check-npm-versions@0.3.1
 tracker@1.1.2
 ui@1.0.12
 underscore@1.0.10
diff --git a/packages/example-movies/lib/modules/movies/schema.js b/packages/example-movies/lib/modules/movies/schema.js
index 1ef60f0d9..072596003 100644
--- a/packages/example-movies/lib/modules/movies/schema.js
+++ b/packages/example-movies/lib/modules/movies/schema.js
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ const schema = {
 
   _id: {
     type: String,
+    optional: true,
     viewableBy: ['guests'],
   },
   createdAt: {
     type: Date,
+    optional: true,
     viewableBy: ['guests'],
     autoValue: (documentOrModifier) => {
       if (documentOrModifier && !documentOrModifier.$set) return new Date() // if this is an insert, set createdAt to current timestamp  
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ const schema = {
   },
   userId: {
     type: String,
+    optional: true,
     viewableBy: ['guests'],
     resolveAs: 'user: User',
   },
diff --git a/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/modules/collections.js b/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/modules/collections.js
index 4277fe18f..f6dfa5f43 100644
--- a/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/modules/collections.js
+++ b/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/modules/collections.js
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ SimpleSchema.extendOptions([
  * @summary replacement for Collection2's attachSchema
  * @class Mongo.Collection
  */
-// Mongo.Collection.prototype.attachSchema = function (schemaOrFields) {
-//   if (schemaOrFields instanceof SimpleSchema) {
-//     this.simpleSchema = () => schemaOrFields;
-//   } else {
-//     this.simpleSchema().extend(schemaOrFields)
-//   }
-// }
+Mongo.Collection.prototype.attachSchema = function (schemaOrFields) {
+  if (schemaOrFields instanceof SimpleSchema) {
+    this.simpleSchema = () => schemaOrFields;
+  } else {
+    this.simpleSchema().extend(schemaOrFields)
+  }
+}
 
 /**
  * @summary Add an additional field (or an array of fields) to a schema.
diff --git a/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/server/mutations.js b/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/server/mutations.js
index 55383558f..b7821ce21 100644
--- a/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/server/mutations.js
+++ b/packages/vulcan-lib/lib/server/mutations.js
@@ -37,17 +37,20 @@ export const newMutation = ({ collection, document, currentUser, validate, conte
 
   // we don't want to modify the original document
   let newDocument = Object.assign({}, document);
-
+  
   const collectionName = collection._name;
   const schema = collection.simpleSchema()._schema;
 
   // if document is not trusted, run validation steps
   if (validate) {
 
+    // validate document
+    collection.simpleSchema().validate(document);
+
     // check that the current user has permission to insert each field
-    _.keys(newDocument).forEach(function (fieldName) {
+    _.keys(newDocument).forEach(fieldName => {
       var field = schema[fieldName];
-      if (!context.Users.canInsertField (currentUser, field)) {
+      if (!field || !context.Users.canInsertField (currentUser, field)) {
         throw new Error(Utils.encodeIntlError({id: 'app.disallowed_property_detected', value: fieldName}));
       }
     });
@@ -55,11 +58,21 @@ export const newMutation = ({ collection, document, currentUser, validate, conte
     // run validation callbacks
     newDocument = runCallbacks(`${collectionName}.new.validate`, newDocument, currentUser);
   }
-
+  
   // check if userId field is in the schema and add it to document if needed
   const userIdInSchema = Object.keys(schema).find(key => key === 'userId');
   if (!!userIdInSchema && !newDocument.userId) newDocument.userId = currentUser._id;
 
+  // run autoValue step
+  _.keys(schema).forEach(fieldName => {
+    if (!newDocument[fieldName] && schema[fieldName].autoValue) {
+      const autoValue = schema[fieldName].autoValue(newDocument);
+      if (autoValue && typeof autoValue.$setOnInsert === 'undefined') {
+        newDocument[fieldName] = autoValue;
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
   // TODO: find that info in GraphQL mutations
   // if (Meteor.isServer && this.connection) {
   //   post.userIP = this.connection.clientAddress;
@@ -105,11 +118,14 @@ export const editMutation = ({ collection, documentId, set, unset, currentUser,
   // if document is not trusted, run validation steps
   if (validate) {
 
+    // validate modifiers
+    collection.simpleSchema().newContext().validate({$set: set, $unset: unset}, { modifier: true });
+
     // check that the current user has permission to edit each field
     const modifiedProperties = _.keys(set).concat(_.keys(unset));
     modifiedProperties.forEach(function (fieldName) {
       var field = schema[fieldName];
-      if (!context.Users.canEditField(currentUser, field, document)) {
+      if (!field || !context.Users.canEditField(currentUser, field, document)) {
         throw new Error(Utils.encodeIntlError({id: 'app.disallowed_property_detected', value: fieldName}));
       }
     });
@@ -118,11 +134,29 @@ export const editMutation = ({ collection, documentId, set, unset, currentUser,
     modifier = runCallbacks(`${collectionName}.edit.validate`, modifier, document, currentUser);
   }
 
+  // run autoValue step
+  _.keys(schema).forEach(fieldName => {
+    if (!modifier.$set[fieldName] && schema[fieldName].autoValue) {
+      const autoValue = schema[fieldName].autoValue(modifier);
+      if (autoValue && typeof autoValue.$setOnInsert === 'undefined') {
+        modifier.$set[fieldName] = autoValue;
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
   // run sync callbacks (on mongo modifier)
   modifier = runCallbacks(`${collectionName}.edit.sync`, modifier, document, currentUser);
 
+  // remove empty modifiers
+  if (_.isEmpty(modifier.$set)) {
+    delete modifier.$set;
+  }
+  if (_.isEmpty(modifier.$unset)) {
+    delete modifier.$unset;
+  }
+  
   // update document
-  collection.update(documentId, modifier);
+  collection.update(documentId, modifier, {removeEmptyStrings: false});
 
   // get fresh copy of document from db
   const newDocument = collection.findOne(documentId);
@@ -131,6 +165,7 @@ export const editMutation = ({ collection, documentId, set, unset, currentUser,
   runCallbacksAsync(`${collectionName}.edit.async`, newDocument, document, currentUser, collection);
 
   // console.log("// edit mutation finished")
+  // console.log(modifier)
   // console.log(newDocument)
 
   return newDocument;
diff --git a/packages/vulcan-lib/package.js b/packages/vulcan-lib/package.js
index 61de668a4..5f877df2e 100644
--- a/packages/vulcan-lib/package.js
+++ b/packages/vulcan-lib/package.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Package.onUse(function (api) {
 
     // Third-party packages
 
-    'aldeed:collection2-core@2.0.0',
+    // 'aldeed:collection2-core@2.0.0',
     'meteorhacks:picker@1.0.3',
     'percolatestudio:synced-cron@1.1.0',
     'meteorhacks:inject-initial@1.0.4',