diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCacheFactory.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCacheFactory.php
index 69d2fd1c1..82843d359 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCacheFactory.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCacheFactory.php
@@ -180,13 +180,7 @@ class DefaultCacheFactory implements CacheFactory
      */
     public function buildCollectionHydrator(EntityManagerInterface $em, array $mapping)
     {
-        /* @var $targetPersister \Doctrine\ORM\Cache\Persister\CachedPersister */
-        $targetPersister = $em->getUnitOfWork()->getEntityPersister($mapping['targetEntity']);
-
-        return new DefaultCollectionHydrator(
-            $em,
-            $targetPersister->getCacheRegion()
-        );
+        return new DefaultCollectionHydrator($em);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Event/LoadClassMetadataEventArgs.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Event/LoadClassMetadataEventArgs.php
index 5bebf7541..95e75616e 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Event/LoadClassMetadataEventArgs.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Event/LoadClassMetadataEventArgs.php
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ use Doctrine\Common\Persistence\Event\LoadClassMetadataEventArgs as BaseLoadClas
  *
  * @author Jonathan H. Wage <jonwage@gmail.com>
  * @since  2.0
+ *
+ * Note: method annotations are used instead of method overrides (due to BC policy)
+ *
+ * @method __construct(\Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata $classMetadata, \Doctrine\ORM\EntityManager $objectManager)
+ * @method \Doctrine\ORM\EntityManager getClassMetadata()
  */
 class LoadClassMetadataEventArgs extends BaseLoadClassMetadataEventArgs
 {
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/EventListener/CacheMetadataListener.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/EventListener/CacheMetadataListener.php
index f9e2616c6..7a7caf18e 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/EventListener/CacheMetadataListener.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/EventListener/CacheMetadataListener.php
@@ -3,33 +3,87 @@
 namespace Doctrine\Tests\EventListener;
 
 use Doctrine\Common\Persistence\Event\LoadClassMetadataEventArgs;
+use Doctrine\ORM\EntityManager;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata;
 
 class CacheMetadataListener
 {
+
+    /**
+     * Tracks which entities we have already forced caching enabled on. This is
+     * important to avoid some potential infinite-recursion issues.
+     *
+     * Key is the name of the entity, payload is unimportant.
+     *
+     * @var array
+     */
+    protected $enabledItems = array();
+
     /**
      * @param \Doctrine\Common\Persistence\Event\LoadClassMetadataEventArgs $event
      */
     public function loadClassMetadata(LoadClassMetadataEventArgs $event)
     {
         $metadata = $event->getClassMetadata();
-        $cache    = array(
-            'usage' => ClassMetadata::CACHE_USAGE_NONSTRICT_READ_WRITE
-        );
+        $em = $event->getObjectManager();
 
         /** @var $metadata \Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata */
         if (strstr($metadata->name, 'Doctrine\Tests\Models\Cache')) {
             return;
         }
 
+        $this->enableCaching($metadata, $em);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param ClassMetadata $metadata
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    private function isVisited(ClassMetaData $metadata)
+    {
+        return isset($this->enabledItems[$metadata->getName()]);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param ClassMetadata $metadata
+     */
+    private function recordVisit(ClassMetaData $metadata)
+    {
+        $this->enabledItems[$metadata->getName()] = true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param ClassMetadata $metadata
+     * @param EntityManager $em
+     */
+    protected function enableCaching(ClassMetadata $metadata, EntityManager $em)
+    {
+        if ($this->isVisited($metadata)) {
+            return; // Already handled in the past
+        }
+
+        $cache = array(
+            'usage' => ClassMetadata::CACHE_USAGE_NONSTRICT_READ_WRITE
+        );
+
         if ($metadata->isVersioned) {
             return;
         }
 
         $metadata->enableCache($cache);
 
+        $this->recordVisit($metadata);
+
+        // only enable association-caching when the target has already been
+        // given caching settings
         foreach ($metadata->associationMappings as $mapping) {
-            $metadata->enableAssociationCache($mapping['fieldName'], $cache);
+            $targetMeta = $em->getClassMetadata($mapping['targetEntity']);
+            $this->enableCaching($targetMeta, $em);
+
+            if ($this->isVisited($targetMeta)) {
+                $metadata->enableAssociationCache($mapping['fieldName'], $cache);
+            }
         }
     }
 }