diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/SqlExpressionVisitor.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/SqlExpressionVisitor.php
index 74b86208b..b06358a20 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/SqlExpressionVisitor.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/SqlExpressionVisitor.php
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ class SqlExpressionVisitor extends ExpressionVisitor
         $field = $comparison->getField();
         $value = $comparison->getValue()->getValue(); // shortcut for walkValue()
 
-        if (isset($this->classMetadata->associationMappings[$field]) && ! is_object($value)) {
+        if (isset($this->classMetadata->associationMappings[$field]) &&
+            ! is_object($value) &&
+            ! in_array($comparison->getOperator(), array(Comparison::IN, Comparison::NIN))) {
+
             throw PersisterException::matchingAssocationFieldRequiresObject($this->classMetadata->name, $field);
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php
index 48e5f3389..517ff3d97 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php
@@ -790,7 +790,30 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $user = $this->_em->find('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser', $userId);
 
         $criteria = new Criteria(
-            Criteria::expr()->gte('user', $user)
+            Criteria::expr()->eq('user', $user)
+        );
+
+        $repository = $this->_em->getRepository('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsAddress');
+        $addresses = $repository->matching($criteria);
+
+        $this->assertEquals(1, count($addresses));
+
+        $addresses = new ArrayCollection($repository->findAll());
+
+        $this->assertEquals(1, count($addresses->matching($criteria)));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @group DDC-2430
+     */
+    public function testMatchingCriteriaAssocationInWithArray()
+    {
+        list($userId, $addressId) = $this->loadAssociatedFixture();
+
+        $user = $this->_em->find('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser', $userId);
+
+        $criteria = new Criteria(
+            Criteria::expr()->in('user', array($user))
         );
 
         $repository = $this->_em->getRepository('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsAddress');