diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java
index 105f7365a..42979ead2 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import org.springframework.data.mapping.model.MutablePersistentEntity;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.model.SimpleTypeHolder;
 import org.springframework.data.util.ClassTypeInformation;
 import org.springframework.data.util.TypeInformation;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils.FieldCallback;
 
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 	 * @see org.springframework.data.mapping.model.MappingContext#getPersistentEntity(java.lang.Class)
 	 */
 	public E getPersistentEntity(Class<?> type) {
+		Assert.notNull(type);
 		return getPersistentEntity(ClassTypeInformation.from(type));
 	}
 
@@ -164,6 +166,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 	 */
 	public E getPersistentEntity(TypeInformation<?> type) {
 
+		Assert.notNull(type);
+
 		try {
 			read.lock();
 			E entity = persistentEntities.get(type);
@@ -180,6 +184,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 			throw new MappingException("Unknown persistent entity " + type);
 		}
 
+		if (!shouldCreatePersistentEntityFor(type)) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
 		return addPersistentEntity(type);
 	}
 
@@ -236,7 +244,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 	 * @return
 	 */
 	protected E addPersistentEntity(Class<?> type) {
-
 		return addPersistentEntity(ClassTypeInformation.from(type));
 	}
 
@@ -345,6 +352,19 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns whether a {@link PersistentEntity} instance should be created for the given {@link TypeInformation}. By
+	 * default this will reject this for all types considered simple, but it might be necessary to tweak that in case you
+	 * have registered custom converters for top level types (which renders them to be considered simple) but still need
+	 * meta-information about them.
+	 * 
+	 * @param type will never be {@literal null}.
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	protected boolean shouldCreatePersistentEntityFor(TypeInformation<?> type) {
+		return !simpleTypeHolder.isSimpleType(type.getType());
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * {@link FieldCallback} to create {@link PersistentProperty} instances.
 	 * 
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/MappingContext.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/MappingContext.java
index b377f4b1e..622c0bd58 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/MappingContext.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/MappingContext.java
@@ -41,17 +41,21 @@ public interface MappingContext<E extends PersistentEntity<?, P>, P extends Pers
 	Collection<E> getPersistentEntities();
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns a {@link PersistentEntity} for the given {@link Class}.
+	 * Returns a {@link PersistentEntity} for the given {@link Class}. Will return {@literal null} for types that are
+	 * considered simple ones.
 	 * 
-	 * @param type
+	 * @see org.springframework.data.mapping.model.SimpleTypeHolder#isSimpleType(Class)
+	 * @param type must not be {@literal null}.
 	 * @return
 	 */
 	E getPersistentEntity(Class<?> type);
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns a {@link PersistentEntity} for the given {@link TypeInformation}.
+	 * Returns a {@link PersistentEntity} for the given {@link TypeInformation}. Will return {@literal null} for types
+	 * that are considered simple ones.
 	 * 
-	 * @param type
+	 * @see org.springframework.data.mapping.model.SimpleTypeHolder#isSimpleType(Class)
+	 * @param type must not be {@literal null}.
 	 * @return
 	 */
 	E getPersistentEntity(TypeInformation<?> type);
@@ -61,7 +65,9 @@ public interface MappingContext<E extends PersistentEntity<?, P>, P extends Pers
 	 * 
 	 * @param persistentProperty
 	 * @return the {@link PersistentEntity} mapped by the given {@link PersistentProperty} or null if no
-	 *         {@link PersistentEntity} exists for it or the {@link PersistentProperty} does not refer to an entity.
+	 *         {@link PersistentEntity} exists for it or the {@link PersistentProperty} does not refer to an entity (the
+	 *         type of the property is considered simple see
+	 *         {@link org.springframework.data.mapping.model.SimpleTypeHolder#isSimpleType(Class)}).
 	 */
 	E getPersistentEntity(P persistentProperty);
 
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java
index 6c3d7db85..1bf404e5e 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java
@@ -90,6 +90,32 @@ public class AbstractMappingContextUnitTests {
 		verify(context, times(1)).publishEvent(Mockito.any(ApplicationEvent.class));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATACMNS-214
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void returnsNullPersistentEntityForSimpleTypes() {
+
+		DummyMappingContext context = new DummyMappingContext();
+		assertThat(context.getPersistentEntity(String.class), is(nullValue()));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATACMNS-214
+	 */
+	@Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+	public void rejectsNullValueForGetPersistentEntityOfClass() {
+		context.getPersistentEntity((Class<?>) null);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATACMNS-214
+	 */
+	@Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+	public void rejectsNullValueForGetPersistentEntityOfTypeInformation() {
+		context.getPersistentEntity((TypeInformation<?>) null);
+	}
+
 	class Person {
 		String name;
 	}
@@ -135,6 +161,7 @@ public class AbstractMappingContextUnitTests {
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		@Override
 		protected Association<DummyPersistenProperty> createAssociation() {
 			return new Association<DummyPersistenProperty>(this, null);
 		}