diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/BasicEntityPersister.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/BasicEntityPersister.php
index 7ccc7e663..9feae1ec1 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/BasicEntityPersister.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/BasicEntityPersister.php
@@ -384,7 +384,19 @@ class BasicEntityPersister
                 $targetMapping = $this->_em->getClassMetadata($this->_class->associationMappings[$idField]['targetEntity']);
                 $where[] = $this->_class->associationMappings[$idField]['joinColumns'][0]['name'];
                 $params[] = $id[$idField];
-                $types[] = $targetMapping->fieldMappings[$targetMapping->identifier[0]]['type'];
+
+                switch (true) {
+                    case (isset($targetMapping->fieldMappings[$targetMapping->identifier[0]])):
+                        $types[] = $targetMapping->fieldMappings[$targetMapping->identifier[0]]['type'];
+                        break;
+
+                    case (isset($targetMapping->associationMappings[$targetMapping->identifier[0]])):
+                        $types[] = $targetMapping->associationMappings[$targetMapping->identifier[0]]['type'];
+                        break;
+
+                    default:
+                        throw ORMException::unrecognizedField($targetMapping->identifier[0]);
+                }
             } else {
                 $where[] = $this->quoteStrategy->getColumnName($idField, $this->_class, $this->_platform);
                 $params[] = $id[$idField];