diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/AnnotationDriver.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/AnnotationDriver.php
index 36e3dcb01..d886b5d04 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/AnnotationDriver.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/AnnotationDriver.php
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ class AnnotationDriver implements Driver
                 $mapping['inversedBy'] = $oneToOneAnnot->inversedBy;
                 $mapping['cascade'] = $oneToOneAnnot->cascade;
                 $mapping['orphanRemoval'] = $oneToOneAnnot->orphanRemoval;
-                $mapping['fetch'] = constant('Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata::FETCH_' . $oneToOneAnnot->fetch);
+                $mapping['fetch'] = $this->getFetchMode($className, $oneToOneAnnot->fetch);
                 $metadata->mapOneToOne($mapping);
             } else if ($oneToManyAnnot = $this->_reader->getPropertyAnnotation($property, 'Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\OneToMany')) {
                 $mapping['mappedBy'] = $oneToManyAnnot->mappedBy;
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ class AnnotationDriver implements Driver
                 $mapping['cascade'] = $oneToManyAnnot->cascade;
                 $mapping['indexBy'] = $oneToManyAnnot->indexBy;
                 $mapping['orphanRemoval'] = $oneToManyAnnot->orphanRemoval;
-                $mapping['fetch'] = constant('Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata::FETCH_' . $oneToManyAnnot->fetch);
+                $mapping['fetch'] = $this->getFetchMode($className, $oneToManyAnnot->fetch);
 
                 if ($orderByAnnot = $this->_reader->getPropertyAnnotation($property, 'Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\OrderBy')) {
                     $mapping['orderBy'] = $orderByAnnot->value;
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ class AnnotationDriver implements Driver
                 $mapping['cascade'] = $manyToOneAnnot->cascade;
                 $mapping['inversedBy'] = $manyToOneAnnot->inversedBy;
                 $mapping['targetEntity'] = $manyToOneAnnot->targetEntity;
-                $mapping['fetch'] = constant('Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata::FETCH_' . $manyToOneAnnot->fetch);
+                $mapping['fetch'] = $this->getFetchMode($className, $manyToOneAnnot->fetch);
                 $metadata->mapManyToOne($mapping);
             } else if ($manyToManyAnnot = $this->_reader->getPropertyAnnotation($property, 'Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ManyToMany')) {
                 $joinTable = array();
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ class AnnotationDriver implements Driver
                 $mapping['inversedBy'] = $manyToManyAnnot->inversedBy;
                 $mapping['cascade'] = $manyToManyAnnot->cascade;
                 $mapping['indexBy'] = $manyToManyAnnot->indexBy;
-                $mapping['fetch'] = constant('Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata::FETCH_' . $manyToManyAnnot->fetch);
+                $mapping['fetch'] = $this->getFetchMode($className, $manyToManyAnnot->fetch);
 
                 if ($orderByAnnot = $this->_reader->getPropertyAnnotation($property, 'Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\OrderBy')) {
                     $mapping['orderBy'] = $orderByAnnot->value;
@@ -536,6 +536,22 @@ class AnnotationDriver implements Driver
         return $classes;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Attempts to resolve the fetch mode.
+     *
+     * @param string $className The class name
+     * @param string $fetchMode The fetch mode
+     * @return integer The fetch mode as defined in ClassMetadata
+     * @throws MappingException If the fetch mode is not valid
+     */
+    private function getFetchMode($className, $fetchMode)
+    {
+        if(!defined('Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata::FETCH_' . $fetchMode)) {
+            throw MappingException::invalidFetchMode($className,  $fetchMode);
+        }
+
+        return constant('Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata::FETCH_' . $fetchMode);
+    }
     /**
      * Factory method for the Annotation Driver
      *
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/MappingException.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/MappingException.php
index fcdd5c575..e32e34c16 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/MappingException.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/MappingException.php
@@ -298,4 +298,9 @@ class MappingException extends \Doctrine\ORM\ORMException
     {
         return new self("Entity '" . $className . "' has no method '" . $methodName . "' to be registered as lifecycle callback.");
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    public static function invalidFetchMode($className, $annotation)
+    {
+        return new self("Entity '" . $className . "' has a mapping with invalid fetch mode '" . $annotation . "'");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AnnotationDriverTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AnnotationDriverTest.php
index e946a2628..9273f7c6b 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AnnotationDriverTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AnnotationDriverTest.php
@@ -199,6 +199,20 @@ class AnnotationDriverTest extends AbstractMappingDriverTest
         
         $cm = $factory->getMetadataFor('Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Mapping\ChildEntity');
     }
+
+    public function testInvalidFetchOptionThrowsException()
+    {
+        $annotationDriver = $this->_loadDriver();
+
+        $em = $this->_getTestEntityManager();
+        $em->getConfiguration()->setMetadataDriverImpl($annotationDriver);
+        $factory = new \Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadataFactory();
+        $factory->setEntityManager($em);
+
+        $this->setExpectedException('Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\MappingException',
+            "Entity 'Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Mapping\InvalidFetchOption' has a mapping with invalid fetch mode 'eager");
+        $cm = $factory->getMetadataFor('Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Mapping\InvalidFetchOption');
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -310,4 +324,15 @@ class ChildEntity extends MiddleMappedSuperclass
      * @Column(type="string")
      */
     private $text;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+/**
+ * @Entity
+ */
+class InvalidFetchOption
+{
+    /**
+     * @OneToMany(targetEntity="Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser", fetch="eager")
+     */
+    private $collection;
+}