diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCollectionHydrator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCollectionHydrator.php
index a74b88dfb..cedd891da 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCollectionHydrator.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultCollectionHydrator.php
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ class DefaultCollectionHydrator implements CollectionHydrator
             $collection->hydrateSet($index, $entity);
         });
 
+        $this->uow->hydrationComplete();
+
         return $list;
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultEntityHydrator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultEntityHydrator.php
index 6f22900e1..b040dfa92 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultEntityHydrator.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultEntityHydrator.php
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ class DefaultEntityHydrator implements EntityHydrator
             $this->uow->registerManaged($entity, $key->identifier, $data);
         }
 
-        return $this->uow->createEntity($entry->class, $data, $hints);
+        $result = $this->uow->createEntity($entry->class, $data, $hints);
+        $this->uow->hydrationComplete();
+
+        return $result;
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultQueryCache.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultQueryCache.php
index 927d46ebe..6d0c35492 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultQueryCache.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Cache/DefaultQueryCache.php
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class DefaultQueryCache implements QueryCache
                         if ($this->cacheLogger !== null) {
                             $this->cacheLogger->entityCacheMiss($assocRegion->getName(), $assocKey);
                         }
+                        $this->uow->hydrationComplete();
 
                         return null;
                     }
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ class DefaultQueryCache implements QueryCache
                         if ($this->cacheLogger !== null) {
                             $this->cacheLogger->entityCacheMiss($assocRegion->getName(), $assocKey);
                         }
+                        $this->uow->hydrationComplete();
 
                         return null;
                     }
@@ -196,6 +198,8 @@ class DefaultQueryCache implements QueryCache
             $result[$index] = $this->uow->createEntity($entityEntry->class, $data, self::$hints);
         }
 
+        $this->uow->hydrationComplete();
+
         return $result;
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
index d4e84da92..ecbf9dcc4 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/ObjectHydrator.php
@@ -145,8 +145,10 @@ class ObjectHydrator extends AbstractHydrator
         $this->resultPointers = array();
 
         if ($eagerLoad) {
-            $this->_em->getUnitOfWork()->triggerEagerLoads();
+            $this->_uow->triggerEagerLoads();
         }
+
+        $this->_uow->hydrationComplete();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/SimpleObjectHydrator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/SimpleObjectHydrator.php
index ea2664291..69fd60ca4 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/SimpleObjectHydrator.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Internal/Hydration/SimpleObjectHydrator.php
@@ -47,6 +47,17 @@ class SimpleObjectHydrator extends AbstractHydrator
         $this->class = $this->getClassMetadata(reset($this->_rsm->aliasMap));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    protected function cleanup()
+    {
+        parent::cleanup();
+
+        $this->_uow->triggerEagerLoads();
+        $this->_uow->hydrationComplete();
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
index c0e681bce..fcb3cf652 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
@@ -276,6 +276,15 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
      */
     protected $hasCache = false;
 
+    /**
+     * Map of entities, loaded in current hydration cycle.
+     * After hydration cycle is finished, some of events should be fired for this entities.
+     * Array contains arrays of two values. First value is ClassMetadata object, second is entity object
+     *
+     * @var array
+     */
+    private $deferredToInvokeLoadEventEntities = array();
+
     /**
      * Initializes a new UnitOfWork instance, bound to the given EntityManager.
      *
@@ -2801,11 +2810,8 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
         }
 
         if ($overrideLocalValues) {
-            $invoke = $this->listenersInvoker->getSubscribedSystems($class, Events::postLoad);
-
-            if ($invoke !== ListenersInvoker::INVOKE_NONE) {
-                $this->listenersInvoker->invoke($class, Events::postLoad, $entity, new LifecycleEventArgs($entity, $this->em), $invoke);
-            }
+            // defer invoking of postLoad event to hydration complete step
+            $this->deferredToInvokeLoadEventEntities[] = array($class, $entity);
         }
 
         return $entity;
@@ -3379,4 +3385,23 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
 
         return $id1 === $id2 || implode(' ', $id1) === implode(' ', $id2);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * This method called by hydrators, and indicates that hydrator totally completed current hydration cycle.
+     * Unit of work able to fire deferred events, related to loading events here.
+     *
+     * @internal should be called internally from object hydrators
+     */
+    public function hydrationComplete()
+    {
+        foreach ($this->deferredToInvokeLoadEventEntities as $metaAndEntity) {
+            list($class, $entity) = $metaAndEntity;
+            $invoke = $this->listenersInvoker->getSubscribedSystems($class, Events::postLoad);
+
+            if ($invoke !== ListenersInvoker::INVOKE_NONE) {
+                $this->listenersInvoker->invoke($class, Events::postLoad, $entity, new LifecycleEventArgs($entity, $this->em), $invoke);
+            }
+        }
+        $this->deferredToInvokeLoadEventEntities = array();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/PostLoadEventTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/PostLoadEventTest.php
index 6cc464bab..d041faafc 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/PostLoadEventTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/PostLoadEventTest.php
@@ -203,6 +203,20 @@ class PostLoadEventTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $phonenumbersCol->first();
     }
 
+    public function testAssociationsArePopulatedWhenEventIsFired()
+    {
+        $checkerListener = new PostLoadListener_CheckAssociationsArePopulated();
+        $this->_em->getEventManager()->addEventListener(array(Events::postLoad), $checkerListener);
+
+        $qb = $this->_em->getRepository('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser')->createQueryBuilder('u');
+        $qb->leftJoin('u.email', 'email');
+        $qb->addSelect('email');
+        $qb->getQuery()->getSingleResult();
+
+        $this->assertTrue($checkerListener->checked, 'postLoad event is not invoked');
+        $this->assertTrue($checkerListener->populated, 'Association of email is not populated in postLoad event');
+    }
+
     private function loadFixture()
     {
         $user = new CmsUser;
@@ -248,3 +262,22 @@ class PostLoadListener
         echo 'Should never be called!';
     }
 }
+
+class PostLoadListener_CheckAssociationsArePopulated
+{
+    public $checked = false;
+
+    public $populated = false;
+
+    public function postLoad(LifecycleEventArgs $event)
+    {
+        $object = $event->getObject();
+        if ($object instanceof CmsUser) {
+            if ($this->checked) {
+                throw new \RuntimeException('Expected to be one user!');
+            }
+            $this->checked = true;
+            $this->populated = null !== $object->getEmail();
+        }
+    }
+}