diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
index 1d36718b9..4744a005d 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 ( ! $assoc2['isCascadeMerge']) {
-                            if ($this->getEntityState($other, self::STATE_DETACHED) !== self::STATE_MANAGED) {
+                            if (($otherState = $this->getEntityState($other)) !== self::STATE_MANAGED && $otherState !== self::STATE_NEW) {
                                 $targetClass = $this->em->getClassMetadata($assoc2['targetEntity']);
                                 $relatedId = $targetClass->getIdentifierValues($other);
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC2409Test.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC2409Test.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8b85f24f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC2409Test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket;
+
+use Doctrine\ORM\UnitOfWork;
+use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser;
+use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsArticle;
+
+/**
+ * @group DDC-2409
+ */
+class DDC2409Test extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
+{
+    public function setUp()
+    {
+        $this->useModelSet('cms');
+        parent::setUp();
+    }
+
+    public function testIssue()
+    {
+        $em     = $this->_em;
+        $uow    = $em->getUnitOfWork();
+        
+        $originalArticle  = new CmsArticle();
+        $originalUser     = new CmsUser();
+
+        $originalArticle->topic = 'Unit Test';
+        $originalArticle->text  = 'How to write a test';
+
+        $originalUser->name     = 'Doctrine Bot';
+        $originalUser->username = 'DoctrineBot';
+        $originalUser->status   = 'active';
+
+        $originalUser->addArticle($originalArticle);
+
+        $em->persist($originalUser);
+        $em->persist($originalArticle);
+        $em->flush();
+        $em->clear();
+
+        $article  = $em->find('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsArticle', $originalArticle->id);
+        $user     = new CmsUser();
+
+        $user->name     = 'Doctrine Bot 2.0';
+        $user->username = 'BotDoctrine2';
+        $user->status   = 'new';
+
+        $article->setAuthor($user);
+
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_DETACHED, $uow->getEntityState($originalArticle));
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_DETACHED, $uow->getEntityState($originalUser));
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_MANAGED, $uow->getEntityState($article));
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_NEW, $uow->getEntityState($user));
+
+        $em->detach($user);
+        $em->detach($article);
+
+        $userMerged     = $em->merge($user);
+        $articleMerged  = $em->merge($article);
+
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_NEW, $uow->getEntityState($user));
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_DETACHED, $uow->getEntityState($article));
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_MANAGED, $uow->getEntityState($userMerged));
+        $this->assertEquals(UnitOfWork::STATE_MANAGED, $uow->getEntityState($articleMerged));
+
+        $this->assertNotSame($user, $userMerged);
+        $this->assertNotSame($article, $articleMerged);
+        $this->assertNotSame($userMerged, $articleMerged->user);
+        $this->assertSame($user, $articleMerged->user);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file