diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
index 6142ca958..49b3fcd34 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
@@ -1685,6 +1685,10 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
                     $class->setIdentifierValues($managedCopy, $id);
 
                     $this->persistNew($class, $managedCopy);
+                } else {
+                    if ($managedCopy instanceof Proxy && ! $managedCopy->__isInitialized__) {
+                        $managedCopy->__load();
+                    }
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC1594Test.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC1594Test.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b8dec401c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC1594Test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket;
+
+use Doctrine\Common\Collections\ArrayCollection;
+
+use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsComment;
+use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsArticle;
+use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser;
+
+/**
+ * @group DDC-1594
+ */
+class DDC1594Test extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
+{
+    public function setUp()
+    {
+        $this->useModelSet('cms');
+        parent::setUp();
+    }
+
+    public function testIssue()
+    {
+        $user = new CmsUser();
+        $user->status = 'foo';
+        $user->username = 'foo';
+        $user->name = 'foo';
+
+        $this->_em->persist($user);
+        $this->_em->flush();
+
+        $this->_em->clear();
+        $detachedUser = clone $user;
+        $detachedUser->name = 'bar';
+        $detachedUser->status = 'bar';
+
+        $newUser = $this->_em->getReference(get_class($user), $user->id);
+
+        $mergedUser = $this->_em->merge($detachedUser);
+
+        $this->assertNotSame($mergedUser, $detachedUser);
+        $this->assertEquals('bar', $detachedUser->getName());
+        $this->assertEquals('bar', $mergedUser->getName());
+    }
+}