diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java
index 4d0ca6827..124941117 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.springframework.data.mapping.PropertyPath;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
+
 /**
  * Operation to add a new value to the given "path". Will throw a {@link PatchException} if the path is invalid or if
  * the given value is not assignable to the given path.
@@ -42,4 +48,29 @@ class AddOperation extends PatchOperation {
 	<T> void perform(Object targetObject, Class<T> type) {
 		addValue(targetObject, evaluateValueFromTarget(targetObject, type));
 	}
+
+	/* 
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch.PatchOperation#evaluateValueFromTarget(java.lang.Object, java.lang.Class)
+	 */
+	@Override
+	protected <T> Object evaluateValueFromTarget(Object targetObject, Class<T> entityType) {
+
+		if (!path.endsWith("-")) {
+			return super.evaluateValueFromTarget(targetObject, entityType);
+		}
+
+		List<String> segments = new ArrayList<String>();
+
+		for (String segment : path.split("/")) {
+			if (!(segment.matches("\\d+") || segment.equals("-") || segment.isEmpty())) {
+				segments.add(segment);
+			}
+		}
+
+		PropertyPath propertyPath = PropertyPath.from(StringUtils.collectionToDelimitedString(segments, "."), entityType);
+
+		return value instanceof LateObjectEvaluator ? ((LateObjectEvaluator) value).evaluate(propertyPath.getType())
+				: value;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java
index f8b9ce3dc..cd8dbe5b7 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@ package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch;
 
 import static org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch.PathToSpEL.*;
 
+import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.springframework.core.CollectionFactory;
+import org.springframework.core.convert.TypeDescriptor;
 import org.springframework.expression.Expression;
 import org.springframework.expression.ExpressionException;
 
@@ -129,7 +132,21 @@ public abstract class PatchOperation {
 		Integer listIndex = targetListIndex(path);
 
 		if (parent == null || !(parent instanceof List) || listIndex == null) {
-			spelExpression.setValue(target, value);
+
+			TypeDescriptor descriptor = parentExpression.getValueTypeDescriptor(target);
+
+			// Set as new collection if necessary
+			if (descriptor.isCollection() && !Collection.class.isInstance(value)) {
+
+				Collection<Object> collection = CollectionFactory.createCollection(descriptor.getType(), 1);
+				collection.add(value);
+
+				parentExpression.setValue(target, collection);
+
+			} else {
+				spelExpression.setValue(target, value);
+			}
+
 		} else {
 
 			List<Object> list = (List<Object>) parentExpression.getValue(target);
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PathToSpEL.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PathToSpEL.java
index 2a231cda3..ce17d0306 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PathToSpEL.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PathToSpEL.java
@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ public class PathToSpEL {
 			}
 
 			if (APPEND_CHARACTERS.contains(pathNode)) {
-				spelBuilder.append("[size() - 1]");
+
+				if (spelBuilder.length() > 0) {
+					spelBuilder.append(".");
+				}
+
+				spelBuilder.append("$[true]");
 				continue;
 			}
 
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperationTests.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperationTests.java
index bd74f7e12..f6c655a21 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperationTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperationTests.java
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+
 public class AddOperationTests {
 
 	@Test
@@ -84,4 +87,29 @@ public class AddOperationTests {
 
 		assertThat(todo.getItems().get(0), is("Some text."));
 	}
+
+	@Test // DATAREST-1039
+	public void addsLazilyEvaluatedObjectToList() throws Exception {
+
+		Todo todo = new Todo(1L, "description", false);
+
+		ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
+		JsonNode node = mapper.readTree("\"Some text.\"");
+		JsonLateObjectEvaluator evaluator = new JsonLateObjectEvaluator(mapper, node);
+
+		new AddOperation("/items/-", evaluator).perform(todo, Todo.class);
+
+		assertThat(todo.getItems().get(0), is("Some text."));
+	}
+
+	@Test // DATAREST-1039
+	public void initializesNullCollectionsOnAppend() {
+
+		Todo todo = new Todo(1L, "description", false);
+
+		new AddOperation("/uninitialized/-", "Text").perform(todo, Todo.class);
+
+		assertThat(todo.getUninitialized(), is(notNullValue()));
+		assertThat(todo.getUninitialized(), hasItem("Text"));
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/Todo.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/Todo.java
index 5046ea84c..2405f144f 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/Todo.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/Todo.java
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@
 
 package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch;
 
+import lombok.Data;
+import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
+
 import java.math.BigInteger;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import lombok.Data;
-import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
-
 /**
  * @author Roy Clarkson
  * @author Craig Walls
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class Todo {
 	private boolean complete;
 	private TodoType type = new TodoType();
 	private List<String> items = new ArrayList<String>();
+	private List<String> uninitialized;
 	private BigInteger amount;
 
 	public Todo(Long id, String description, boolean complete) {