diff --git a/packages/store/src/drivers/base.test.js b/packages/store/src/drivers/base.test.js
index 5fd7ab53..fd0d1b64 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/drivers/base.test.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/drivers/base.test.js
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 import { primary, string, object, u8, boolean, i64, date } from "@primate/types";
 
 const w = (document, id) => ({ ...document, id });
+const defaults = {
+  mode: "loose",
+  readonly: false,
+  ambiguous: false,
+};
 
 const stores = [
   ["User", {
     name: "User",
+    defaults,
     schema: {
       id: primary,
       name: string,
@@ -19,7 +25,10 @@ const stores = [
   }],
   ["StrictUser", {
     name: "StrictUser",
-    mode: "strict",
+    defaults: {
+      ...defaults,
+      mode: "strict",
+    },
     schema: {
       id: primary,
       name: string,
@@ -34,6 +43,7 @@ const stores = [
   }],
   ["Comment", {
     name: "Comment",
+    defaults,
     schema: {
       id: primary,
     },
@@ -170,8 +180,29 @@ export default async (test, driver, lifecycle) => {
       assert(users4.find(({ id }) => id === user2$.id)).defined();
 
       // embedded
-      const { id } = await User.insert({ ...traits });
-      assert(await User.find({ id })).equals([{ id, ...traits }]);
+      {
+        const { id } = await User.insert({ ...traits });
+        assert(await User.find({ id })).equals([{ id, ...traits }]);
+      }
+
+      const criteria = { name: "Donald", age: 20 };
+      // 0-field projection
+      {
+        // empty
+        const [users5] = await User.find(criteria);
+        const { id } = users5;
+        assert(users5).equals({ ...criteria, sex: "M", id });
+      }
+      // 1-field projection
+      {
+        const [user] = await User.find(criteria, ["name"]);
+        assert(user).equals({ name: "Donald" });
+      }
+      // n-field projection
+      {
+        const [user] = await User.find(criteria, ["name", "age"]);
+        assert(user).equals(criteria);
+      }
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/store/src/drivers/memory/Facade.js b/packages/store/src/drivers/memory/Facade.js
index 84f2a922..6a70012d 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/drivers/memory/Facade.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/drivers/memory/Facade.js
@@ -65,8 +65,12 @@ export default class Connection {
     return collection.length > 0;
   }
 
-  async find(name, criteria) {
-    return this.#filter(name, criteria);
+  async find(name, criteria, projection = []) {
+    const documents = await this.#filter(name, criteria);
+    return projection.length === 0
+      ? documents
+      : documents.map(document => o.filter(document,
+        ([key]) => projection.includes(key)));
   }
 
   async count(...args) {
diff --git a/packages/store/src/drivers/mongodb/Facade.js b/packages/store/src/drivers/mongodb/Facade.js
index c0a70766..97f624fc 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/drivers/mongodb/Facade.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/drivers/mongodb/Facade.js
@@ -34,8 +34,20 @@ export default class Facade {
     return { session: this.session };
   }
 
-  async find(name, criteria = {}) {
-    return (await this.#by(name).find(cid(criteria), this.#options).toArray())
+  async find(name, criteria = {}, projection = []) {
+    const options = {
+      ...this.#options,
+      ...projection.length === 0
+        ? {}
+        : {
+          projection: {
+            // erase _id unless explicit in projection
+            _id: 0,
+            ...Object.fromEntries(projection.map(field => [field, 1])),
+          },
+        },
+    };
+    return (await this.#by(name).find(cid(criteria), options).toArray())
       .map(document => toid(document));
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/store/src/drivers/mysql/Facade.js b/packages/store/src/drivers/mysql/Facade.js
index 876401ea..0ca68708 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/drivers/mysql/Facade.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/drivers/mysql/Facade.js
@@ -44,9 +44,10 @@ export default class Connection {
     this.connection = connection;
   }
 
-  async find(collection, criteria = {}) {
+  async find(collection, criteria = {}, projection = []) {
     const { where, bindings } = predicate(criteria);
-    const query = `select * from ${collection} ${where}`;
+    const select = projection.length === 0 ? "*" : projection.join(", ");
+    const query = `select ${select} from ${collection} ${where}`;
     const [result] = await this.connection.query(query, bindings);
 
     return filter_nulls(result);
diff --git a/packages/store/src/drivers/postgresql/Facade.js b/packages/store/src/drivers/postgresql/Facade.js
index 98e7e5e7..0660c993 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/drivers/postgresql/Facade.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/drivers/postgresql/Facade.js
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ export default class Connection {
     this.connection = connection;
   }
 
-  async find(collection, criteria = {}) {
+  async find(collection, criteria = {}, projection = []) {
     const { connection } = this;
+    const select = projection.length === 0 ? "*" : projection.join(", ");
     return filter_nulls(await connection`
-      select *
+      select ${connection.unsafe(select)}
       from ${connection(collection)}
       where ${Object.entries(criteria).reduce((acc, [key, value]) =>
     connection`${acc} and ${connection(key)} = ${value}`, connection`true`)}
diff --git a/packages/store/src/drivers/sqlite/Facade.js b/packages/store/src/drivers/sqlite/Facade.js
index 277b8313..092cf3dd 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/drivers/sqlite/Facade.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/drivers/sqlite/Facade.js
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@ export default class Connection {
     this.connection = connection;
   }
 
-  find(collection, criteria = {}) {
+  find(collection, criteria = {}, projection = []) {
     const { where, bindings } = predicate(criteria);
-    const query = `select * from ${collection} ${where}`;
+    const select = projection.length === 0 ? "*" : projection.join(", ");
+    const query = `select ${select} from ${collection} ${where}`;
     const statement = this.connection.prepare(query);
     if (!is_bun) {
       statement.safeIntegers(true);
diff --git a/packages/store/src/drivers/surrealdb/Facade.js b/packages/store/src/drivers/surrealdb/Facade.js
index 727e0041..5a3f4774 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/drivers/surrealdb/Facade.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/drivers/surrealdb/Facade.js
@@ -53,9 +53,10 @@ export default class Connection {
     return this.connection.query_raw(...args);
   }
 
-  async find(name, criteria = {}) {
+  async find(name, criteria = {}, projection = []) {
     const { where, bindings } = predicate(criteria);
-    const query = `select * from ${name} ${where}`;
+    const select = projection.length === 0 ? "*" : projection.join(", ");
+    const query = `select ${select} from ${name} ${where}`;
     const [{ result }] = await this.#query(query, bindings);
     return result;
   }
diff --git a/packages/store/src/wrap.js b/packages/store/src/wrap.js
index 82bd3b45..77ab830a 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/wrap.js
+++ b/packages/store/src/wrap.js
@@ -67,9 +67,12 @@ export default (config, facade, types) => {
       maybe(criteria).object();
       return facade.count(name, criteria);
     },
-    async find(criteria) {
+    async find(criteria, projection) {
       maybe(criteria).object();
-      const documents = await facade.find(name, pack(criteria));
+      maybe(projection).array();
+
+      const documents = await facade.find(name, pack(criteria), projection);
+
       return documents.map(document => unpack(document));
     },
     async exists(criteria) {