diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
index e5d90c5a3..f6452dde9 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
@@ -713,10 +713,10 @@ public class MappingMongoConverter extends AbstractMongoConverter implements App
 	 * 
 	 * @param targetType must not be {@literal null}.
 	 * @param sourceValue must not be {@literal null}.
-	 * @return the converted {@link Collections}, will never be {@literal null}.
+	 * @return the converted {@link Collection} or array, will never be {@literal null}.
 	 */
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-	private Collection<?> readCollectionOrArray(TypeInformation<?> targetType, BasicDBList sourceValue, Object parent) {
+	private Object readCollectionOrArray(TypeInformation<?> targetType, BasicDBList sourceValue, Object parent) {
 
 		Assert.notNull(targetType);
 
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ public class MappingMongoConverter extends AbstractMongoConverter implements App
 			}
 		}
 
-		return items;
+		return getPotentiallyConvertedSimpleRead(items, targetType.getType());
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -948,7 +948,7 @@ public class MappingMongoConverter extends AbstractMongoConverter implements App
 			} else if (value instanceof DBRef) {
 				return (T) (rawType.equals(DBRef.class) ? value : read(type, ((DBRef) value).fetch(), parent));
 			} else if (value instanceof BasicDBList) {
-				return (T) getPotentiallyConvertedSimpleRead(readCollectionOrArray(type, (BasicDBList) value, parent), rawType);
+				return (T) readCollectionOrArray(type, (BasicDBList) value, parent);
 			} else if (value instanceof DBObject) {
 				return (T) read(type, (DBObject) value, parent);
 			} else {
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java
index cb1536a43..e2acf9a6a 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java
@@ -363,7 +363,6 @@ public class MappingMongoConverterUnitTests {
 		Contact contact = result.contacts.get(0);
 		assertThat(contact, is(instanceOf(Person.class)));
 		assertThat(((Person) contact).firstname, is("Oliver"));
-
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -1232,6 +1231,27 @@ public class MappingMongoConverterUnitTests {
 		assertThat(result.complexId.innerId, is(4711L));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAMONGO-489
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void readsArraysAsMapValuesCorrectly() {
+
+		BasicDBList list = new BasicDBList();
+		list.add("Foo");
+		list.add("Bar");
+
+		DBObject map = new BasicDBObject("key", list);
+		DBObject wrapper = new BasicDBObject("mapOfStrings", map);
+
+		ClassWithMapProperty result = converter.read(ClassWithMapProperty.class, wrapper);
+		assertThat(result.mapOfStrings, is(notNullValue()));
+
+		String[] values = result.mapOfStrings.get("key");
+		assertThat(values, is(notNullValue()));
+		assertThat(values, is(arrayWithSize(2)));
+	}
+
 	private static void assertSyntheticFieldValueOf(Object target, Object expected) {
 
 		for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
@@ -1311,6 +1331,7 @@ public class MappingMongoConverterUnitTests {
 		Map<Locale, String> map;
 		Map<String, List<String>> mapOfLists;
 		Map<String, Object> mapOfObjects;
+		Map<String, String[]> mapOfStrings;
 	}
 
 	static class ClassWithNestedMaps {