diff --git a/src/lib/template/templatizer.html b/src/lib/template/templatizer.html
index 631f42841f..d47c218e3d 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/templatizer.html
+++ b/src/lib/template/templatizer.html
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 Code distributed by Google as part of the polymer project is also
 subject to an additional IP rights grant found at http://polymer.github.io/PATENTS.txt
 -->
-
+<link rel="import" href="../path.html">
 <script>
 
   /**
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@
       if (this._forwardParentPath) {
         if (path.indexOf(this._parentPropPrefix) === 0) {
           var subPath = path.substring(this._parentPropPrefix.length);
-          var model = this._modelForPath(subPath);
+          var model = Polymer.Path.head(subPath);
           if (model in this._parentProps) {
             this._forwardParentPath(subPath, value);
           }
diff --git a/src/standard/annotations.html b/src/standard/annotations.html
index 3696ed4e41..8e623c2240 100644
--- a/src/standard/annotations.html
+++ b/src/standard/annotations.html
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 <link rel="import" href="../lib/annotations/annotations.html">
 <link rel="import" href="../lib/resolve-url.html">
+<link rel="import" href="../lib/path.html">
 <script>
 
 /**
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@
               if (signature) {
                 p.signature = signature;
               } else {
-                p.model = this._modelForPath(p.value);
+                p.model = Polymer.Path.head(p.value);
               }
             }
           }
diff --git a/src/standard/effectBuilder.html b/src/standard/effectBuilder.html
index 4e47d2c6c1..733d337944 100644
--- a/src/standard/effectBuilder.html
+++ b/src/standard/effectBuilder.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 <link rel="import" href="../lib/bind/accessors.html">
 <link rel="import" href="../lib/bind/effects.html">
-
+<link rel="import" href="../lib/path.html">
 <script>
   /**
    * Support for property side effects.
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@
       }
       // if not literal, look for structured path
       if (!a.literal) {
-        a.model = this._modelForPath(arg);
+        a.model = Polymer.Path.head(arg);
         // detect structured path (has dots)
         a.structured = arg.indexOf('.') > 0;
         if (a.structured) {
diff --git a/src/standard/notify-path.html b/src/standard/notify-path.html
index 302045bb84..afe5faeb68 100644
--- a/src/standard/notify-path.html
+++ b/src/standard/notify-path.html
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@
 
       _pathEffector: function(path, value) {
         // get root property
-        var model = this._modelForPath(path);
+        var model = Path.head(path);
         // search property effects of the root property for 'annotation' effects
         var fx$ = this._propertyEffects && this._propertyEffects[model];
         if (fx$) {
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@
       },
 
       _notifyPathUp: function(path, value) {
-        var rootName = this._modelForPath(path);
+        var rootName = Path.head(path);
         var dashCaseName = Polymer.CaseMap.camelToDashCase(rootName);
         var eventName = dashCaseName + this._EVENT_CHANGED;
         // use a cached event here (_useCache: true) for efficiency
@@ -383,11 +383,6 @@
         }, {bubbles: false, _useCache: true});
       },
 
-      _modelForPath: function(path) {
-        var dot = path.indexOf('.');
-        return (dot < 0) ? path : path.slice(0, dot);
-      },
-
       _EVENT_CHANGED: '-changed',
 
       /**
@@ -607,7 +602,6 @@
           _complexObserverPathEffect: Polymer.Base._complexObserverPathEffect,
           _annotatedComputationPathEffect: Polymer.Base._annotatedComputationPathEffect,
           _computePathEffect: Polymer.Base._computePathEffect,
-          _modelForPath: Polymer.Base._modelForPath,
           _notifyBoundPaths: Polymer.Base._notifyBoundPaths,
           _getPathParts: Polymer.Base._getPathParts
         });