diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
index 4744a005d..c1065dba2 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
@@ -1851,7 +1851,7 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
                             // do not merge fields marked lazy that have not been fetched.
                             continue;
                         } else if ( ! $assoc2['isCascadeMerge']) {
-                            if (($otherState = $this->getEntityState($other)) !== self::STATE_MANAGED && $otherState !== self::STATE_NEW) {
+                            if ($this->getEntityState($other) === self::STATE_DETACHED) {
                                 $targetClass = $this->em->getClassMetadata($assoc2['targetEntity']);
                                 $relatedId = $targetClass->getIdentifierValues($other);
 
@@ -1862,6 +1862,7 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
                                     $this->registerManaged($other, $relatedId, array());
                                 }
                             }
+
                             $prop->setValue($managedCopy, $other);
                         }
                     } else {