diff --git a/lib/modules/apostrophe-global/index.js b/lib/modules/apostrophe-global/index.js
index 8cbdb16ca8..4a6e5417aa 100644
--- a/lib/modules/apostrophe-global/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/apostrophe-global/index.js
@@ -79,10 +79,42 @@ module.exports = {
     // with `(null, global)`.
 
     self.findGlobal = function(req, callback) {
-      return self.find(req, { slug: self.slug })
-        .permission(false)
-        .sort(false)
-        .toObject(callback);
+      var global;
+      var cursor;
+      return async.series([
+        find, after
+      ], function(err) {
+        if (err) {
+          return callback(err);
+        }
+        return callback(null, global);
+      });
+      function find(callback) {
+        cursor = self.find(req, { slug: self.slug })
+          .permission(false)
+          .sort(false)
+          .joins(false)
+          .areas(false);
+        return cursor.toObject(function(err, doc) {
+          global = doc;
+          // Make this available early, sans joins and area loaders,
+          // to avoid race conditions for modules like
+          // apostrophe-pieces-orderings-bundle if we wait
+          // for joins that might also need the global doc to find their
+          // default orderings, etc.
+          req.aposGlobalCore = global;
+          return callback(err);
+        });
+      }
+      function after(callback) {
+        if (!global) {
+          return callback(null);
+        }
+        cursor = cursor.clone();
+        cursor.joins(true);
+        cursor.areas(true);
+        return cursor.after([ global ], callback);
+      }
     };
 
     self.modulesReady = function(callback) {
diff --git a/test/global.js b/test/global.js
index fafc05019c..24c955282c 100644
--- a/test/global.js
+++ b/test/global.js
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ describe('Global', function() {
           secret: 'xxx',
           port: 7900
         },
+        'products': {
+          alias: 'products',
+          extend: 'apostrophe-pieces',
+          name: 'product'
+        },
         'apostrophe-global': {
           whileBusyDelay: 0.5,
           addFields: [
@@ -31,6 +36,11 @@ describe('Global', function() {
               name: 'testString',
               type: 'string',
               def: 'populated def'
+            },
+            {
+              name: '_featuredProducts',
+              type: 'joinByArray',
+              withType: 'product'
             }
           ]
         }
@@ -91,6 +101,38 @@ describe('Global', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  it('insert products via task', function() {
+    return apos.tasks.invoke('products:generate', [], {});
+  });
+
+  var product;
+
+  it('set a product join up in the global doc', function() {
+    var req = apos.tasks.getReq();
+    return apos.products.find(req).sort({ sortTitle: 1}).limit(1).toObject().then(function(object) {
+      assert(object);
+      product = object;
+    }).then(function() {
+      return apos.docs.db.update({
+        slug: 'global'
+      }, {
+        $set: {
+          featuredProductsIds: [ product._id ]
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('fetch the global doc, verify join', function() {
+    var req = apos.tasks.getAnonReq();
+    return apos.global.addGlobalToData(req).then(function() {
+      assert(req.data.global);
+      assert(req.data.global._featuredProducts);
+      assert(req.data.global._featuredProducts.length === 1);
+      assert(req.data.global._featuredProducts[0].slug === product.slug);
+    });
+  });
+
   it('give global doc a workflowLocale property to simulate use with workflow', function() {
     return apos.docs.db.update({
       type: 'apostrophe-global'