diff --git a/src/Lightweight/DataMapper/BelongsTo.hpp b/src/Lightweight/DataMapper/BelongsTo.hpp
index da629560..6dba6eec 100644
--- a/src/Lightweight/DataMapper/BelongsTo.hpp
+++ b/src/Lightweight/DataMapper/BelongsTo.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
 namespace Lightweight
 {
 
+
+/// @brief Helper function to use with std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<T>>
+/// like this .transform(Unwrap).value_or({})
+auto inline Unwrap = [](auto v) { return v.get(); };
+
 /// @brief Represents a one-to-one relationship.
 ///
 /// The `TheReferencedField` parameter is the field in the other record that references the current record,
@@ -180,45 +185,86 @@ class BelongsTo
 
     ~BelongsTo() noexcept = default;
 
-    // clang-format off
-
     /// Marks the field as modified or unmodified.
-    LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr void SetModified(bool value) noexcept { _modified = value; }
+    LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr void SetModified(bool value) noexcept
+    {
+        _modified = value;
+    }
 
     /// Checks if the field is modified.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr bool IsModified() const noexcept { return _modified; }
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr bool IsModified() const noexcept
+    {
+        return _modified;
+    }
 
     /// Retrieves the reference to the value of the field.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ValueType const& Value() const noexcept { return _referencedFieldValue; }
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ValueType const& Value() const noexcept
+    {
+        return _referencedFieldValue;
+    }
 
     /// Retrieves the mutable reference to the value of the field.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ValueType& MutableValue() noexcept { return _referencedFieldValue; }
-
-    /// Retrieves a record from the relationship.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord& Record() { RequireLoaded(); return *_record; }
-
-    /// Retrieves an immutable reference to the record from the relationship.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord const& Record() const { RequireLoaded(); return *_record; }
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ValueType& MutableValue() noexcept
+    {
+        return _referencedFieldValue;
+    }
 
-    /// Retrieves the record from the relationship.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord& operator*() noexcept { RequireLoaded(); return *_record; }
+    /// Retrieves a record from the relationship. When the record is not optional
+    template <typename Self>
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord const& Record(this Self&& self)
+        requires(IsMandatory)
+    {
+        self.RequireLoaded();
+        return *self._record;
+    }
 
-    /// Retrieves the record from the relationship.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord const& operator*() const noexcept { RequireLoaded(); return *_record; }
+    /// Retrieves a record from the relationship. When the record is optional
+    /// we return object similar to std::optional<ReferencedRecord&>
+    template <typename Self>
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr decltype(auto) Record(this Self&& self)
+        requires(IsOptional)
+    {
+        self.RequireLoaded();
+        return [&]() -> std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<ReferencedRecord>> {
+            if (self._record)
+                return *self._record;
+            return std::nullopt;
+        }();
+        //                    .transform([](auto v) { return v.get(); });
+        //                    requires at least clang-20
+    }
 
     /// Retrieves the record from the relationship.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord* operator->() { RequireLoaded(); return _record.get(); }
+    /// Only available when the relationship is mandatory.
+    template <typename Self>
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord& operator*(this Self&& self) noexcept
+        requires(IsMandatory)
+    {
+        self.RequireLoaded();
+        return *self._record;
+    }
 
     /// Retrieves the record from the relationship.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord const* operator->() const { RequireLoaded(); return _record.get(); }
+    /// Only available when the relationship is mandatory.
+    template <typename Self>
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord* operator->(this Self&& self)
+        requires(IsMandatory)
+    {
+        self.RequireLoaded();
+        return self._record.get();
+    }
 
     /// Checks if the field value is NULL.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr bool operator!() const noexcept { return !_referencedFieldValue; }
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr bool operator!() const noexcept
+    {
+        return !_referencedFieldValue;
+    }
 
     /// Checks if the field value is not NULL.
-    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr explicit operator bool() const noexcept { return static_cast<bool>(_referencedFieldValue); }
-
-    // clang-format on
+    [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr explicit operator bool() const noexcept
+    {
+        return static_cast<bool>(_referencedFieldValue);
+    }
 
     /// Emplaces a record into the relationship. This will mark the relationship as loaded.
     [[nodiscard]] LIGHTWEIGHT_FORCE_INLINE constexpr ReferencedRecord& EmplaceRecord()
@@ -293,8 +339,9 @@ class BelongsTo
             }
         }
 
-        if (!_loaded)
-            throw SqlRequireLoadedError(Reflection::TypeNameOf<std::remove_cvref_t<decltype(*this)>>);
+        if constexpr (IsMandatory)
+            if (!_loaded)
+                throw SqlRequireLoadedError(Reflection::TypeNameOf<std::remove_cvref_t<decltype(*this)>>);
     }
 
     ValueType _referencedFieldValue {};
diff --git a/src/examples/test_chinook/main.cpp b/src/examples/test_chinook/main.cpp
index aa2f4ff7..3ac679da 100644
--- a/src/examples/test_chinook/main.cpp
+++ b/src/examples/test_chinook/main.cpp
@@ -144,13 +144,16 @@ int main()
         for (auto& track: dm.Query<Track>().All())
         {
             dm.ConfigureRelationAutoLoading(track);
+            // NOLINTBEGIN(bugprone-unchecked-optional-access)
             // BelogsTo relation loading
             Log("Track Name: {}. Media type: {}. Genre: {}. Album id: {}. Artist name: {}",
                 toString(track.Name.Value().ToStringView()),
                 toString(track.MediaTypeId->Name.ValueOr(u"").ToStringView()),
-                toString(track.GenreId->Name.ValueOr(u"").ToStringView()),
-                toString(track.AlbumId->Title.Value().ToStringView()),
-                toString(track.AlbumId->ArtistId->Name.ValueOr(u"").ToStringView()));
+                toString(track.GenreId.Record().transform(Light::Unwrap).value().Name.ValueOr(u"").ToStringView()),
+                toString(track.AlbumId.Record().transform(Light::Unwrap).value().Title.Value().ToStringView()),
+                toString(
+                    track.AlbumId.Record().transform(Light::Unwrap).value().ArtistId->Name.ValueOr(u"").ToStringView()));
+            // NOLINTEND(bugprone-unchecked-optional-access)
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/DataMapper/CreateTests.cpp b/src/tests/DataMapper/CreateTests.cpp
index 625f954a..13d1c1d5 100644
--- a/src/tests/DataMapper/CreateTests.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/DataMapper/CreateTests.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "../Utils.hpp"
 #include "Entities.hpp"
+#include "Lightweight/DataMapper/QueryBuilders.hpp"
 
 #include <Lightweight/Lightweight.hpp>
 
@@ -150,12 +151,12 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(SqlTestFixture, "Loading of the dependent records after create"
     auto nullableFKUser = NullableForeignKeyUser { .user = user };
     dm.Create(nullableFKUser);
     REQUIRE(nullableFKUser.user.Value().has_value());
-    REQUIRE(nullableFKUser.user->id.Value() == user.id.Value());
+    REQUIRE(nullableFKUser.user.Record().has_value());
 
     auto nullableFKUserNotSet = NullableForeignKeyUser {};
-    dm.Create(nullableFKUserNotSet);
+    dm.Create<Light::DataMapperOptions{.loadRelations = false}>(nullableFKUserNotSet);
     REQUIRE(!nullableFKUserNotSet.user.Value().has_value());
+    REQUIRE(!nullableFKUserNotSet.user.Record().has_value());
 }
 
-
 // NOLINTEND(bugprone-unchecked-optional-access)
diff --git a/src/tests/DataMapper/RelationTests.cpp b/src/tests/DataMapper/RelationTests.cpp
index 5aa5f491..ee267175 100644
--- a/src/tests/DataMapper/RelationTests.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/DataMapper/RelationTests.cpp
@@ -600,4 +600,24 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(SqlTestFixture, "Table with aliased column names", "[DataMapper
     }
 }
 
+TEST_CASE_METHOD(SqlTestFixture, "BelongsTo Optinal records", "[DataMapper]")
+{
+    auto dm = DataMapper();
+
+    dm.CreateTables<User, NullableForeignKeyUser>();
+
+    auto user = User { .id = SqlGuid::Create(), .name = "John Doe" };
+    dm.Create(user);
+
+    auto nullableFKUser = NullableForeignKeyUser { .user = user };
+    dm.Create(nullableFKUser);
+    REQUIRE(nullableFKUser.user.Value().has_value());
+    REQUIRE(nullableFKUser.user.Record().transform(Light::Unwrap).value().id == user.id);
+
+    auto nullableFKUserNotSet = NullableForeignKeyUser {};
+    dm.Create<Light::DataMapperOptions{.loadRelations = false}>(nullableFKUserNotSet);
+    REQUIRE(!nullableFKUserNotSet.user.Value().has_value());
+    REQUIRE(!nullableFKUserNotSet.user.Record().transform(Light::Unwrap).value_or(User{}).id.Value());
+}
+
 // NOLINTEND(bugprone-unchecked-optional-access)