diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d114854639..65adce04e3 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ path = "src/lib.rs"
 
 [dependencies]
 async-stream = { version = "^0.3" }
+async-trait = { version = "^0.1" }
 chrono = { version = "^0", optional = true }
 futures = { version = "^0.3" }
 futures-util = { version = "^0.3" }
diff --git a/sea-orm-macros/src/derives/active_model.rs b/sea-orm-macros/src/derives/active_model.rs
index 3eb821eb6a..3ca843ee18 100644
--- a/sea-orm-macros/src/derives/active_model.rs
+++ b/sea-orm-macros/src/derives/active_model.rs
@@ -36,24 +36,6 @@ pub fn expand_derive_active_model(ident: Ident, data: Data) -> syn::Result<Token
             #(pub #field: sea_orm::ActiveValue<#ty>),*
         }
 
-        impl ActiveModel {
-            pub async fn insert(self, db: &sea_orm::DatabaseConnection) -> Result<Self, sea_orm::DbErr> {
-                sea_orm::insert_and_select_active_model::<Self, Entity>(self, db).await
-            }
-
-            pub async fn update(self, db: &sea_orm::DatabaseConnection) -> Result<Self, sea_orm::DbErr> {
-                sea_orm::update_active_model::<Self, Entity>(self, db).await
-            }
-
-            pub async fn save(self, db: &sea_orm::DatabaseConnection) -> Result<Self, sea_orm::DbErr> {
-                sea_orm::save_active_model::<Self, Entity>(self, db).await
-            }
-
-            pub async fn delete(self, db: &sea_orm::DatabaseConnection) -> Result<sea_orm::DeleteResult, sea_orm::DbErr> {
-                sea_orm::delete_active_model::<Self, Entity>(self, db).await
-            }
-        }
-
         impl Default for ActiveModel {
             fn default() -> Self {
                 <Self as sea_orm::ActiveModelBehavior>::new()
diff --git a/src/entity/active_model.rs b/src/entity/active_model.rs
index 7eee81f331..f6edf47c42 100644
--- a/src/entity/active_model.rs
+++ b/src/entity/active_model.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use crate::{
     error::*, DatabaseConnection, DeleteResult, EntityTrait, Iterable, PrimaryKeyToColumn,
     PrimaryKeyTrait, Value,
 };
+use async_trait::async_trait;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ where
     ActiveValue::unchanged(value)
 }
 
+#[async_trait]
 pub trait ActiveModelTrait: Clone + Debug {
     type Entity: EntityTrait;
 
@@ -65,9 +67,71 @@ pub trait ActiveModelTrait: Clone + Debug {
 
     fn default() -> Self;
 
-    // below is not yet possible. right now we define these methods in DeriveActiveModel
-    // fn save(self, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> impl Future<Output = Result<Self, DbErr>>;
-    // fn delete(self, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> impl Future<Output = Result<DeleteResult, DbErr>>;
+    async fn insert(self, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> Result<Self, DbErr>
+    where
+        <Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::Model: IntoActiveModel<Self>,
+    {
+        let am = self;
+        let exec = <Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::insert(am).exec(db);
+        let res = exec.await?;
+        // TODO: if the entity does not have auto increment primary key, then last_insert_id is a wrong value
+        // FIXME: Assumed valid last_insert_id is not equals to Default::default()
+        if <<Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::PrimaryKey as PrimaryKeyTrait>::auto_increment()
+            && res.last_insert_id != <<Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::PrimaryKey as PrimaryKeyTrait>::ValueType::default()
+        {
+            let find = <Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::find_by_id(res.last_insert_id).one(db);
+            let found = find.await;
+            let model: Option<<Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::Model> = found?;
+            match model {
+                Some(model) => Ok(model.into_active_model()),
+                None => Err(DbErr::Exec("Failed to find inserted item: {}".to_owned())),
+            }
+        } else {
+            Ok(Self::default())
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn update(self, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> Result<Self, DbErr> {
+        let exec = Self::Entity::update(self).prepare_filters().exec(db);
+        exec.await
+    }
+
+    /// Insert the model if primary key is unset, update otherwise.
+    /// Only works if the entity has auto increment primary key.
+    async fn save(self, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> Result<Self, DbErr>
+    where
+        Self: ActiveModelBehavior,
+        <Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::Model: IntoActiveModel<Self>,
+    {
+        let mut am = self;
+        am = ActiveModelBehavior::before_save(am);
+        let mut is_update = true;
+        for key in <Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::PrimaryKey::iter() {
+            let col = key.into_column();
+            if am.is_unset(col) {
+                is_update = false;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        if !is_update {
+            am = am.insert(db).await?;
+        } else {
+            am = am.update(db).await?;
+        }
+        am = ActiveModelBehavior::after_save(am);
+        Ok(am)
+    }
+
+    /// Delete an active model by its primary key
+    async fn delete(self, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> Result<DeleteResult, DbErr>
+    where
+        Self: ActiveModelBehavior,
+    {
+        let mut am = self;
+        am = ActiveModelBehavior::before_delete(am);
+        let exec = Self::Entity::delete(am).exec(db);
+        exec.await
+    }
 }
 
 /// Behaviors for users to override
@@ -185,83 +249,3 @@ where
         self.value.as_ref() == other.value.as_ref()
     }
 }
-
-/// Insert the model if primary key is unset, update otherwise.
-/// Only works if the entity has auto increment primary key.
-pub async fn save_active_model<A, E>(mut am: A, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> Result<A, DbErr>
-where
-    A: ActiveModelBehavior + ActiveModelTrait<Entity = E>,
-    E::Model: IntoActiveModel<A>,
-    E: EntityTrait,
-{
-    am = ActiveModelBehavior::before_save(am);
-    let mut is_update = true;
-    for key in E::PrimaryKey::iter() {
-        let col = key.into_column();
-        if am.is_unset(col) {
-            is_update = false;
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-    if !is_update {
-        am = insert_and_select_active_model::<A, E>(am, db).await?;
-    } else {
-        am = update_active_model::<A, E>(am, db).await?;
-    }
-    am = ActiveModelBehavior::after_save(am);
-    Ok(am)
-}
-
-pub async fn insert_and_select_active_model<A, E>(
-    am: A,
-    db: &DatabaseConnection,
-) -> Result<A, DbErr>
-where
-    A: ActiveModelTrait<Entity = E>,
-    E::Model: IntoActiveModel<A>,
-    E: EntityTrait,
-{
-    let exec = E::insert(am).exec(db);
-    let res = exec.await?;
-    // TODO: if the entity does not have auto increment primary key, then last_insert_id is a wrong value
-    // FIXME: Assumed valid last_insert_id is not equals to Default::default()
-    if <E::PrimaryKey as PrimaryKeyTrait>::auto_increment()
-        && res.last_insert_id != <E::PrimaryKey as PrimaryKeyTrait>::ValueType::default()
-    {
-        let find = E::find_by_id(res.last_insert_id).one(db);
-        let found = find.await;
-        let model: Option<E::Model> = found?;
-        match model {
-            Some(model) => Ok(model.into_active_model()),
-            None => Err(DbErr::Exec(format!(
-                "Failed to find inserted item: {}",
-                E::default().to_string(),
-            ))),
-        }
-    } else {
-        Ok(A::default())
-    }
-}
-
-pub async fn update_active_model<A, E>(am: A, db: &DatabaseConnection) -> Result<A, DbErr>
-where
-    A: ActiveModelTrait<Entity = E>,
-    E: EntityTrait,
-{
-    let exec = E::update(am).prepare_filters().exec(db);
-    exec.await
-}
-
-/// Delete an active model by its primary key
-pub async fn delete_active_model<A, E>(
-    mut am: A,
-    db: &DatabaseConnection,
-) -> Result<DeleteResult, DbErr>
-where
-    A: ActiveModelBehavior + ActiveModelTrait<Entity = E>,
-    E: EntityTrait,
-{
-    am = ActiveModelBehavior::before_delete(am);
-    let exec = E::delete(am).exec(db);
-    exec.await
-}
diff --git a/src/entity/model.rs b/src/entity/model.rs
index 4774e1dc85..a2d1868f08 100644
--- a/src/entity/model.rs
+++ b/src/entity/model.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::{DbErr, EntityTrait, Linked, QueryFilter, QueryResult, Related, Selec
 pub use sea_query::Value;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 
-pub trait ModelTrait: Clone + Debug {
+pub trait ModelTrait: Clone + Send + Debug {
     type Entity: EntityTrait;
 
     fn get(&self, c: <Self::Entity as EntityTrait>::Column) -> Value;
diff --git a/src/entity/primary_key.rs b/src/entity/primary_key.rs
index b9c381d400..463f1482e9 100644
--- a/src/entity/primary_key.rs
+++ b/src/entity/primary_key.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use std::fmt::Debug;
 //LINT: composite primary key cannot auto increment
 pub trait PrimaryKeyTrait: IdenStatic + Iterable {
     type ValueType: Sized
+        + Send
         + Default
         + Debug
         + PartialEq