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 f6452dde9..3dcfb9dfe 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
@@ -720,11 +720,12 @@ public class MappingMongoConverter extends AbstractMongoConverter implements App
 
 		Assert.notNull(targetType);
 
+		Class<?> collectionType = targetType.getType();
+
 		if (sourceValue.isEmpty()) {
-			return new HashSet<Object>();
+			return getPotentiallyConvertedSimpleRead(new HashSet<Object>(), collectionType);
 		}
 
-		Class<?> collectionType = targetType.getType();
 		collectionType = Collection.class.isAssignableFrom(collectionType) ? collectionType : List.class;
 
 		Collection<Object> items = targetType.getType().isArray() ? new ArrayList<Object>() : CollectionFactory
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 e2acf9a6a..18d231a6e 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
@@ -1252,6 +1252,18 @@ public class MappingMongoConverterUnitTests {
 		assertThat(values, is(arrayWithSize(2)));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAMONGO-497
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void readsEmptyCollectionIntoConstructorCorrectly() {
+
+		DBObject source = new BasicDBObject("attributes", new BasicDBList());
+
+		TypWithCollectionConstructor result = converter.read(TypWithCollectionConstructor.class, source);
+		assertThat(result.attributes, is(notNullValue()));
+	}
+
 	private static void assertSyntheticFieldValueOf(Object target, Object expected) {
 
 		for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
@@ -1440,6 +1452,15 @@ public class MappingMongoConverterUnitTests {
 		Long innerId;
 	}
 
+	static class TypWithCollectionConstructor {
+
+		List<Attribute> attributes;
+
+		public TypWithCollectionConstructor(List<Attribute> attributes) {
+			this.attributes = attributes;
+		}
+	}
+
 	private class LocalDateToDateConverter implements Converter<LocalDate, Date> {
 
 		public Date convert(LocalDate source) {