diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
index ca937059b..cb33a56a6 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ class ObjectHydrator extends AbstractHydrator
                         }
                     } else if ( ! $reflField->getValue($parentObject)) {
                         $coll = new PersistentCollection($this->_em, $this->_ce[$entityName], new ArrayCollection);
+                        $coll->setOwner($parentObject, $relation);
                         $reflField->setValue($parentObject, $coll);
                         $this->_uow->setOriginalEntityProperty($oid, $relationField, $coll);
                     }
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ManyToManyBasicAssociationTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ManyToManyBasicAssociationTest.php
index 1fee14767..eef376baf 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ManyToManyBasicAssociationTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ManyToManyBasicAssociationTest.php
@@ -247,6 +247,34 @@ class ManyToManyBasicAssociationTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCa
         $this->assertEquals(0, count($newUser->getGroups()));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @group DDC-839
+     */
+    public function testWorkWithDqlHydratedEmptyCollection()
+    {
+        $user = $this->addCmsUserGblancoWithGroups(0);
+        $group = new CmsGroup();
+        $group->name = "Developers0";
+        $this->_em->persist($group);
+        
+        $this->_em->flush();
+        $this->_em->clear();
+
+        $newUser = $this->_em->createQuery('SELECT u, g FROM Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser u LEFT JOIN u.groups g WHERE u.id = ?1')
+                             ->setParameter(1, $user->getId())
+                             ->getSingleResult();
+        $this->assertEquals(0, count($newUser->groups));
+        $this->assertType('array', $newUser->groups->getMapping());
+
+        $newUser->addGroup($group);
+        
+        $this->_em->flush();
+        $this->_em->clear();
+
+        $newUser = $this->_em->find(get_class($user), $user->getId());
+        $this->assertEquals(1, count($newUser->groups));
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param  int $groupCount
      * @return CmsUser