diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplate.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplate.java
index 0ca706ede..ca39e885d 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplate.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplate.java
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ public class MongoTemplate implements MongoOperations, ApplicationContextAware {
 
 		MongoPersistentEntity<?> mongoPersistentEntity = getPersistentEntity(entity.getClass());
 
-		if (mongoPersistentEntity == null || mongoPersistentEntity.hasVersionProperty()) {
+		if (mongoPersistentEntity != null && mongoPersistentEntity.hasVersionProperty()) {
 			BeanWrapper<PersistentEntity<Object, ?>, Object> wrapper = BeanWrapper.create(entity, null);
 			wrapper.setProperty(mongoPersistentEntity.getVersionProperty(), 0);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplateTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplateTests.java
index 54275e818..9be0f338b 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplateTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoTemplateTests.java
@@ -1318,6 +1318,18 @@ public class MongoTemplateTests {
 		template.save(person);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAMONGO-617
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void doesNotFailOnVersionInitForUnversionedEntity() {
+
+		DBObject dbObject = new BasicDBObject();
+		dbObject.put("firstName", "Oliver");
+
+		template.insert(dbObject, template.determineCollectionName(PersonWithVersionPropertyOfTypeInteger.class));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @see DATAMONGO-539
 	 */