diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
index 2e1e46f9e..2578630e8 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
@@ -553,10 +553,10 @@ public class MappingMongoConverter implements MongoConverter, ApplicationContext
 			o = x.getValue(ctx);
 		} else {
 			DBObject from = dbo;
-			if (dbo instanceof DBRef) {
-				from = ((DBRef) dbo).fetch();
+			Object dbObj = dbo.get(name);
+			if (dbObj instanceof DBRef) {
+				dbObj = ((DBRef) dbObj).fetch();
 			}
-			Object dbObj = from.get(name);
 			if (dbObj instanceof DBObject) {
 				if (prop.isMap() && dbObj instanceof DBObject) {
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/mapping/MappingTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/mapping/MappingTests.java
index 76859c95a..8af8e637c 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/mapping/MappingTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/mapping/MappingTests.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ public class MappingTests {
 			"personcustomidname",
 			"personmultidimarrays",
 			"personmulticollection",
+			"personwithdbref",
 			"person1",
 			"person2",
 			"account"
@@ -299,4 +300,16 @@ public class MappingTests {
 		assertThat(result.get(0).getGrid().size(), is(1));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testDbRef() {
+		GeoLocation geo = new GeoLocation(new double[]{37.0625, -95.677068});
+		template.insert(geo);
+
+		PersonWithDbRef p = new PersonWithDbRef(4321, "With", "DBRef", geo);
+		template.insert(p);
+
+		List<PersonWithDbRef> result = template.find(new Query(Criteria.where("ssn").is(4321)), PersonWithDbRef.class);
+		assertThat(result.size(), is(1));
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/mapping/PersonWithDbRef.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/mapping/PersonWithDbRef.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ed41e3a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/mapping/PersonWithDbRef.java
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011 by the original author(s).
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.data.document.mongodb.mapping;
+
+/**
+ * @author Jon Brisbin <jbrisbin@vmware.com>
+ */
+public class PersonWithDbRef extends BasePerson {
+
+	@DBRef
+	private GeoLocation home;
+
+	public PersonWithDbRef(Integer ssn, String firstName, String lastName, GeoLocation home) {
+		super(ssn, firstName, lastName);
+		this.home = home;
+	}
+
+	public GeoLocation getHome() {
+		return home;
+	}
+
+	public void setHome(GeoLocation home) {
+		this.home = home;
+	}
+}