diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 6f4a4e0e0fc..9403d83f641 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: yarn install
       - name: Basic Tests with ember-lts-3.8
+        env:
+          CI: true
         run: yarn test:try-one ember-lts-3.8
 
   releases:
@@ -114,6 +116,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: yarn install
       - name: Basic tests with ${{ matrix.scenario }}
+        env:
+          CI: true
         run: yarn test:try-one ${{ matrix.scenario }}
 
   additional-scenarios:
@@ -134,6 +138,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: yarn install
       - name: Basic tests with ${{ matrix.scenario }}
+        env:
+          CI: true
         run: yarn test:try-one ${{ matrix.scenario }}
 
   external-partners:
diff --git a/packages/-ember-data/tests/dummy/app/models/foo.js b/packages/-ember-data/tests/dummy/app/models/foo.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e77cb7824f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/-ember-data/tests/dummy/app/models/foo.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import Model, { attr, belongsTo, hasMany } from '@ember-data/model';
+
+export default class extends Model {
+  @attr name;
+  @belongsTo('foo', { async: false }) parent;
+  @hasMany('foo', { async: false }) children;
+}
diff --git a/packages/-ember-data/tests/dummy/app/routes/application/route.ts b/packages/-ember-data/tests/dummy/app/routes/application/route.ts
index d09f667b240..3a5330d6c2b 100644
--- a/packages/-ember-data/tests/dummy/app/routes/application/route.ts
+++ b/packages/-ember-data/tests/dummy/app/routes/application/route.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
 import Route from '@ember/routing/route';
 
-export default Route.extend({});
+export default Route.extend({
+  model() {
+    // adding a model to the store to enable manually testing the debug-adapter
+    return this.store.push({
+      data: {
+        id: 1,
+        type: 'foo',
+        attributes: {
+          name: 'taco',
+        },
+      },
+    });
+  },
+});
diff --git a/packages/-record-data-encapsulation-test-app/tests/integration/smoke-test.js b/packages/-record-data-encapsulation-test-app/tests/integration/smoke-test.js
index 950d9650991..32c601340db 100644
--- a/packages/-record-data-encapsulation-test-app/tests/integration/smoke-test.js
+++ b/packages/-record-data-encapsulation-test-app/tests/integration/smoke-test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /* global require */
 import { module, test } from 'qunit';
 import { setupTest } from 'ember-qunit';
+import Store from '@ember-data/store';
 
 function assertPackageNotPresent(packageName, assert) {
   const entries = Object.keys(require.entries);
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ function assertPackageNotPresent(packageName, assert) {
 
 module('Record-data Encapsulation - Smoke Tests', function(hooks) {
   setupTest(hooks);
+  hooks.beforeEach(function() {
+    this.owner.register('service:store', Store);
+  });
 
   test('No @ember-data/record-data modules are present', function(assert) {
     assertPackageNotPresent('@ember-data/record-data', assert);
diff --git a/packages/debug/addon/index.js b/packages/debug/addon/index.js
index 0be51a0a10a..b8393cc1b95 100644
--- a/packages/debug/addon/index.js
+++ b/packages/debug/addon/index.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import DataAdapter from '@ember/debug/data-adapter';
 import { capitalize, underscore } from '@ember/string';
 import { assert } from '@ember/debug';
 import { get } from '@ember/object';
-import Model from '@ember-data/model';
+import { typesMapFor } from './setup';
 
 /**
   Implements `@ember/debug/data-adapter` with for EmberData
@@ -38,15 +38,72 @@ export default DataAdapter.extend({
     ];
   },
 
+  _nameToClass(type) {
+    return get(this, 'store').modelFor(type);
+  },
+
   /**
-    Detect whether a class is a Model
-    @private
-    @method detect
-    @param {Model} typeClass
-    @return {Boolean} Whether the typeClass is a Model class or not
+    Fetch the model types and observe them for changes.
+    Maintains the list of model types without needing the Model package for detection.
+    @public
+    @method watchModelTypes
+    @param {Function} typesAdded Callback to call to add types.
+    Takes an array of objects containing wrapped types (returned from `wrapModelType`).
+    @param {Function} typesUpdated Callback to call when a type has changed.
+    Takes an array of objects containing wrapped types.
+    @return {Function} Method to call to remove all observers
   */
-  detect(typeClass) {
-    return typeClass !== Model && Model.detect(typeClass);
+  watchModelTypes(typesAdded, typesUpdated) {
+    const store = get(this, 'store');
+    const __createRecordData = store._createRecordData;
+    const _releaseMethods = [];
+    const discoveredTypes = typesMapFor(store);
+
+    // Add any models that were added during initialization of the app, before the inspector was opened
+    discoveredTypes.forEach((_, type) => {
+      this.watchTypeIfUnseen(store, discoveredTypes, type, typesAdded, typesUpdated, _releaseMethods);
+    });
+
+    // Overwrite _createRecordData so newly added models will get added to the list
+    store._createRecordData = identifier => {
+      this.watchTypeIfUnseen(store, discoveredTypes, identifier.type, typesAdded, typesUpdated, _releaseMethods);
+      return __createRecordData.call(store, identifier);
+    };
+
+    let release = () => {
+      _releaseMethods.forEach(fn => fn());
+      store._createRecordData = __createRecordData;
+      // reset the list so the models can be added if the inspector is re-opened
+      // the entries are set to false instead of removed, since the models still exist in the app
+      // we just need the inspector to become aware of them
+      discoveredTypes.forEach((value, key) => {
+        discoveredTypes.set(key, false);
+      });
+      this.releaseMethods.removeObject(release);
+    };
+    this.releaseMethods.pushObject(release);
+    return release;
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * Loop over the discovered types and use the callbacks from watchModelTypes to notify
+   * the consumer of this adapter about the mdoels.
+   *
+   * @param {store} store
+   * @param {Map} discoveredTypes
+   * @param {String} type
+   * @param {Function} typesAdded
+   * @param {Function} typesUpdated
+   * @param {Array} releaseMethods
+   */
+  watchTypeIfUnseen(store, discoveredTypes, type, typesAdded, typesUpdated, releaseMethods) {
+    if (discoveredTypes.get(type) !== true) {
+      let klass = store.modelFor(type);
+      let wrapped = this.wrapModelType(klass, type);
+      releaseMethods.push(this.observeModelType(type, typesUpdated));
+      typesAdded([wrapped]);
+      discoveredTypes.set(type, true);
+    }
   },
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/debug/addon/setup.js b/packages/debug/addon/setup.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..45f94911861
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/debug/addon/setup.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import Store from '@ember-data/store';
+const StoreTypesMap = new WeakMap();
+
+export function typesMapFor(store) {
+  let typesMap = StoreTypesMap.get(store);
+
+  if (typesMap === undefined) {
+    typesMap = new Map();
+    StoreTypesMap.set(store, typesMap);
+  }
+
+  return typesMap;
+}
+
+// override _createRecordData to add the known models to the typesMap
+const __createRecordData = Store.prototype._createRecordData;
+Store.prototype._createRecordData = function(identifier) {
+  const typesMap = typesMapFor(this);
+  if (!typesMap.has(identifier.type)) {
+    typesMap.set(identifier.type, false);
+  }
+  return __createRecordData.call(this, identifier);
+};
+
+export default {
+  name: '@ember-data/data-adapter',
+  initialize() {},
+};
diff --git a/packages/debug/app/initializers/ember-data-data-adapter.js b/packages/debug/app/initializers/ember-data-data-adapter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..67b023ec8f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/debug/app/initializers/ember-data-data-adapter.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { default } from '@ember-data/debug/setup';