diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
index 194e45e30..d27748a99 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
@@ -1870,7 +1870,7 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
                 }
             }
 
-            if ($class->isVersioned) {
+            if ($class->isVersioned && $this->isLoaded($managedCopy) && $this->isLoaded($entity)) {
                 $reflField          = $class->reflFields[$class->versionField];
                 $managedCopyVersion = $reflField->getValue($managedCopy);
                 $entityVersion      = $reflField->getValue($entity);
@@ -1883,7 +1883,7 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
 
             $visited[$oid] = $managedCopy; // mark visited
 
-            if (!($entity instanceof Proxy && ! $entity->__isInitialized())) {
+            if ($this->isLoaded($entity)) {
                 if ($managedCopy instanceof Proxy && ! $managedCopy->__isInitialized()) {
                     $managedCopy->__load();
                 }
@@ -1908,6 +1908,18 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
         return $managedCopy;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tests if an entity is loaded - must either be a loaded proxy or not a proxy
+     *
+     * @param object $entity
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    private function isLoaded($entity)
+    {
+        return !($entity instanceof Proxy) || $entity->__isInitialized();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets/adds associated managed copies into the previous entity's association field
      *
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/VersionedManyToOne/Article.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/VersionedManyToOne/Article.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e5b1683f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/VersionedManyToOne/Article.php
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\Models\VersionedManyToOne;
+
+/**
+ * @Entity
+ * @Table(name="versioned_many_to_one_article")
+ */
+class Article
+{
+    const CLASSNAME = __CLASS__;
+
+    /**
+     * @Id
+     * @Column(name="id", type="integer")
+     * @GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
+     */
+    public $id;
+
+    /**
+     * @Column(name="name")
+     */
+    public $name;
+
+    /**
+     * @ManyToOne(targetEntity="Category", cascade={"merge", "persist"})
+     */
+    public $category;
+
+    /**
+     * Version column
+     *
+     * @Column(type="integer", name="version")
+     * @Version
+     */
+    public $version;
+}
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/VersionedManyToOne/Category.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/VersionedManyToOne/Category.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb8840672
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/VersionedManyToOne/Category.php
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\Models\VersionedManyToOne;
+
+/**
+ * @Entity
+ * @Table(name="versioned_many_to_one_category")
+ */
+class Category
+{
+    const CLASSNAME = __CLASS__;
+
+    /**
+     * @Id
+     * @Column(name="id", type="integer")
+     * @GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
+     */
+    public $id;
+
+    /**
+     * Version column
+     *
+     * @Column(type="integer", name="version")
+     * @Version
+     */
+    public $version;
+}
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/MergeVersionedManyToOneTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/MergeVersionedManyToOneTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b534a5cb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/MergeVersionedManyToOneTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional;
+
+use Doctrine\ORM\OptimisticLockException;
+use Doctrine\ORM\ORMException;
+use Doctrine\Tests\Models\VersionedManyToOne\Article;
+use Doctrine\Tests\Models\VersionedManyToOne\Category;
+
+/**
+ * @group MergeVersionedOneToMany
+ */
+class MergeVersionedManyToOneTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
+{
+    protected function setUp()
+    {
+        $this->useModelSet('versioned_many_to_one');
+
+        parent::setUp();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This test case asserts that a detached and unmodified entity could be merge without firing
+     * OptimisticLockException.
+     */
+    public function testSetVersionOnCreate()
+    {
+        $category = new Category();
+        $article  = new Article();
+
+        $article->name     = 'Article';
+        $article->category = $category;
+
+        $this->_em->persist($article);
+        $this->_em->flush();
+        $this->_em->clear();
+
+        $articleMerged = $this->_em->merge($article);
+
+        $articleMerged->name = 'Article Merged';
+
+        $this->_em->flush();
+        $this->assertEquals(2, $articleMerged->version);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php
index 855fac617..b36a83487 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php
@@ -280,6 +280,10 @@ abstract class OrmFunctionalTestCase extends OrmTestCase
             'Doctrine\Tests\Models\Pagination\User',
             'Doctrine\Tests\Models\Pagination\User1',
         ),
+        'versioned_many_to_one' => array(
+            'Doctrine\Tests\Models\VersionedManyToOne\Category',
+            'Doctrine\Tests\Models\VersionedManyToOne\Article',
+        ),
     );
 
     /**
@@ -535,6 +539,11 @@ abstract class OrmFunctionalTestCase extends OrmTestCase
             $conn->executeUpdate('DELETE FROM pagination_user');
         }
 
+        if (isset($this->_usedModelSets['versioned_many_to_one'])) {
+            $conn->executeUpdate('DELETE FROM versioned_many_to_one_article');
+            $conn->executeUpdate('DELETE FROM versioned_many_to_one_category');
+        }
+
         $this->_em->clear();
     }