diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
index 27e256814..fafc497c0 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
@@ -280,71 +280,6 @@ class ObjectHydrator extends AbstractHydrator
         return $this->_uow->createEntity($className, $data, $this->_hints);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Gets an association entity instance.
-     *
-     * @param array $data
-     * @param string $dqlAlias
-     *
-     * @return object The associated entity.
-     *
-     * @throws HydrationException
-     */
-    private function getAssociatedEntity(array $data, $dqlAlias)
-    {
-        $className = $this->_rsm->aliasMap[$dqlAlias];
-
-        if (isset($this->_rsm->discriminatorColumns[$dqlAlias])) {
-            if ( ! isset($this->_rsm->metaMappings[$this->_rsm->discriminatorColumns[$dqlAlias]])) {
-                throw HydrationException::missingDiscriminatorMetaMappingColumn($className, $this->_rsm->discriminatorColumns[$dqlAlias], $dqlAlias);
-            }
-
-            $discrColumn = $this->_rsm->metaMappings[$this->_rsm->discriminatorColumns[$dqlAlias]];
-
-            if ( ! isset($data[$discrColumn])) {
-                throw HydrationException::missingDiscriminatorColumn($className, $discrColumn, $dqlAlias);
-            }
-
-            if ($data[$discrColumn] === '') {
-                throw HydrationException::emptyDiscriminatorValue($dqlAlias);
-            }
-
-            $className = $this->ce[$className]->discriminatorMap[$data[$discrColumn]];
-
-            unset($data[$discrColumn]);
-        }
-
-        if (isset($this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH_ENTITY]) && isset($this->rootAliases[$dqlAlias])) {
-            $this->registerManaged($this->ce[$className], $this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH_ENTITY], $data);
-        }
-
-        $refresh = $refreshEntity = null;
-
-        if (isset($this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH_ENTITY])) {
-            $refreshEntity = $this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH_ENTITY];
-        }
-
-        if (isset($this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH])) {
-            $refresh = $this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH];
-        }
-
-        unset($this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH_ENTITY], $this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH]);
-
-        $this->_hints['fetchAlias'] = $dqlAlias;
-
-        $entity = $this->_uow->createEntity($className, $data, $this->_hints);
-
-        if (isset($refreshEntity)) {
-            $this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH_ENTITY] = $refreshEntity;
-        }
-
-        if (isset($refresh)) {
-            $this->_hints[Query::HINT_REFRESH] = $refresh;
-        }
-
-        return $entity;
-    }
-
     /**
      * @param string $className
      * @param array  $data
@@ -505,7 +440,7 @@ class ObjectHydrator extends AbstractHydrator
                                     unset($this->resultPointers[$dqlAlias]);
                                 }
                             } else {
-                                $element = $this->getAssociatedEntity($data, $dqlAlias);
+                                $element = $this->getEntity($data, $dqlAlias);
 
                                 if (isset($this->_rsm->indexByMap[$dqlAlias])) {
                                     $indexValue = $row[$this->_rsm->indexByMap[$dqlAlias]];
@@ -536,7 +471,7 @@ class ObjectHydrator extends AbstractHydrator
                         // we only need to take action if this value is null,
                         // we refresh the entity or its an unitialized proxy.
                         if (isset($nonemptyComponents[$dqlAlias])) {
-                            $element = $this->getAssociatedEntity($data, $dqlAlias);
+                            $element = $this->getEntity($data, $dqlAlias);
                             $reflField->setValue($parentObject, $element);
                             $this->_uow->setOriginalEntityProperty($oid, $relationField, $element);
                             $targetClass = $this->ce[$relation['targetEntity']];