diff --git a/addons/api/addon/models/account.js b/addons/api/addon/models/account.js
index ff6b9d583..77d631bca 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/models/account.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/models/account.js
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ export default class AccountModel extends GeneratedAccountModel {
   // =properties
 
   /**
-   * Account resource is nested within auth methods.
+   * @type {boolean}
    */
-  nestedResource = true;
+  serializeScopeID = false;
 
   // =attributes
 
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/models/base.js b/addons/api/addon/models/base.js
index 2a01e39f5..f79834fe5 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/models/base.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/models/base.js
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ import { get } from '@ember/object';
  *   2) Or as an ID:  `record.scopeID`.
  */
 export default class BaseModel extends Model {
+
+  // =properties
+
+  /**
+   * @type {boolean}
+   */
+  serializeScopeID = true;
+
   // =relationships
 
   /**
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/models/host-set.js b/addons/api/addon/models/host-set.js
index 6b4587ce6..fce605ebb 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/models/host-set.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/models/host-set.js
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ export default class HostSetModel extends GeneratedHostSetModel {
   // =properties
 
   /**
-   * Account resource is nested within auth methods.
+   * @type {boolean}
    */
-  nestedResource = true;
+  serializeScopeID = false;
 
   // =attributes
 
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/models/host.js b/addons/api/addon/models/host.js
index 2b6957dc2..6790b482c 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/models/host.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/models/host.js
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ export default class HostModel extends GeneratedHostModel {
   // =properties
 
   /**
-   * Account resource is nested within auth methods.
+   * @type {boolean}
    */
-  nestedResource = true;
+  serializeScopeID = false;
 
   /**
    * Attributes of this resource, if any, represented as a JSON fragment.
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js b/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js
index cdbd2b56d..5473a05bc 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ export default class ApplicationSerializer extends RESTSerializer {
     const serialized = super.serialize(...arguments);
     // Delete `scope` field
     delete serialized.scope;
-    // And serialize `scope_id` when not a nested resource
-    if(!snapshot?.record?.nestedResource) {
+    // And serialize `scope_id`
+    if(snapshot?.record?.serializeScopeID) {
       const scope_id = snapshot?.attr('scope')?.attr('scope_id');
       if (scope_id) serialized.scope_id = scope_id;
     }
diff --git a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js
index 85702eac4..1089e3b74 100644
--- a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js
+++ b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | application', function (hooks) {
     });
   });
 
-  test('it serializes scope_id when scope is set', function (assert) {
+  test('it serializes scope_id', function (assert) {
     assert.expect(1);
     const store = this.owner.lookup('service:store');
     const record = store.createRecord('user', {
@@ -49,19 +49,25 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | application', function (hooks) {
     });
   });
 
-  test('it does not serialize scope_id when resource is nested', function (assert) {
+  test('it does not serialize scope_id when serializeScopeID is false', function (assert) {
     assert.expect(1);
     const store = this.owner.lookup('service:store');
-    const record = store.createRecord('account', {
-      name: 'Account',
+    const serializer = store.serializerFor('user');
+    const record = store.createRecord('user', {
+      name: 'User',
       description: 'Description',
       scope: {
         scope_id: 'global',
         type: 'global',
       },
     });
-    const serializedRecord = record.serialize();
-    assert.notOk(serializedRecord.scope_id);
+    const snapshot = record._createSnapshot();
+    snapshot.record.serializeScopeID = false;
+    const serializedRecord = serializer.serialize(snapshot);
+    assert.deepEqual(serializedRecord, {
+      name: 'User',
+      description: 'Description'
+    });
   });
 
   test('it serializes non-nullish version fields', function (assert) {