diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/JsonSchema.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/JsonSchema.java
index 6bfd0d423..52521855b 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/JsonSchema.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/JsonSchema.java
@@ -420,6 +420,19 @@ public class JsonSchema {
 			return with(STRING_TYPE_INFORMATION);
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Turns the current {@link JsonSchemaProperty} into an association.
+		 * 
+		 * @return
+		 */
+		public JsonSchemaProperty asAssociation() {
+
+			this.items = null;
+			this.uniqueItems = null;
+
+			return withFormat(JsonSchemaFormat.URI);
+		}
+
 		JsonSchemaProperty with(TypeInformation<?> type, String reference) {
 
 			if (type.isCollectionLike()) {
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverter.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverter.java
index f51b7b120..4d02b0d8e 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverter.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverter.java
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ public class PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverter implements ConditionalGeneric
 			}
 
 			if (associationLinks.isLinkableAssociation(persistentProperty)) {
-				registrar.register(property.withFormat(JsonSchemaFormat.URI), null);
+				registrar.register(property.asAssociation(), null);
 			} else {
 
 				if (persistentProperty.isEntity()) {
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverterUnitTests.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverterUnitTests.java
index 57177e23f..8579a3917 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverterUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverterUnitTests.java
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ public class PersistentEntityToJsonSchemaConverterUnitTests {
 		constraints.add(
 				new Constraint("$.properties.firstname.title", is("Vorname"), "I18n from property on fully-qualified type"));
 
+		// DATAREST-690
+		constraints.add(new Constraint("$.properties.colleagues.items", is(nullValue()),
+				"Items must not appear for collection associations."));
+
 		assertConstraints(User.class, constraints);
 	}