diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index 15bfef0..3c0ef92 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -96,9 +96,10 @@ exports.defineSecureProp = function( obj, prop, value )
  */
 exports.propParse = function( data, options )
 {
-    var callback_prop   = options.property || function() {},
-        callback_method = options.method   || function() {},
-        callback        = null;
+    var callback_prop            = options.property       || function() {},
+        callback_method          = options.method         || function() {},
+        callback_abstract_method = options.abstractMethod || function() {},
+        callback                 = null;
 
     // for each of the given properties, determine what type of property we're
     // dealing with (in the classic OO sense)
@@ -108,7 +109,11 @@ exports.propParse = function( data, options )
 
         if ( value instanceof Function )
         {
-            callback = callback_method;
+            // concrete or abstract?
+            callback = ( exports.isAbstractMethod( value ) )
+                ? callback_abstract_method
+                : callback_method
+            ;
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/test/test-util-prop-parse.js b/test/test-util-prop-parse.js
index dc6e45b..269e367 100644
--- a/test/test-util-prop-parse.js
+++ b/test/test-util-prop-parse.js
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 
 require( './common' );
 
-var assert    = require( 'assert' ),
-    propParse = require( '../lib/util' ).propParse;
+var assert = require( 'assert' ),
+    util   = require( '../lib/util' );
 
 var data = {
     // scalars (properties)
@@ -42,13 +42,17 @@ var data = {
 
     // concrete method
     method: function() {},
+
+    // abstract method
+    abstractMethod: util.createAbstractMethod(),
 };
 
 
-var props   = {},
-    methods = {};
+var props    = {},
+    methods  = {},
+    amethods = {};
 
-propParse( data, {
+util.propParse( data, {
     property: function( name, value )
     {
         props[ name ] = value;
@@ -59,6 +63,11 @@ propParse( data, {
     {
         methods[ name ] = method;
     },
+
+    abstractMethod: function( name, def )
+    {
+        amethods[ name ] = def;
+    }
 } );
 
 
@@ -76,6 +85,12 @@ propParse( data, {
 assert.equal(
     methods.method,
     data.method,
-    "Property parser properly detects methods"
+    "Property parser properly detects concrete methods"
+);
+
+assert.equal(
+    amethods.abstractMethod,
+    data.abstractMethod,
+    "Property parser properly detects abstract methods"
 );