diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReader.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReader.java
index e54902ad6..a166690a1 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReader.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReader.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
@@ -181,6 +180,10 @@ public class DomainObjectReader {
 			PersistentPropertyAccessor accessor = entity.getPropertyAccessor(target);
 			Object rawValue = accessor.getProperty(property);
 
+			if (rawValue == null) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
 			if (child.isArray()) {
 
 				if (handleArray(child, rawValue, mapper, property.getTypeInformation())) {
@@ -215,7 +218,7 @@ public class DomainObjectReader {
 					continue;
 				}
 
-				if (rawValue != null && property.isEntity()) {
+				if (property.isEntity()) {
 					i.remove();
 					doMerge(objectNode, rawValue, mapper);
 				}
@@ -240,7 +243,12 @@ public class DomainObjectReader {
 	private boolean handleArray(JsonNode node, Object source, ObjectMapper mapper, TypeInformation<?> collectionType)
 			throws Exception {
 
-		Collection<Object> collection = asCollection(source);
+		Collection<Object> collection = ifCollection(source);
+
+		if (collection == null) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		Iterator<Object> iterator = collection.iterator();
 		TypeInformation<?> componentType = iterator.hasNext() ? //
 				ClassTypeInformation.from(iterator.next().getClass()) : //
@@ -343,17 +351,16 @@ public class DomainObjectReader {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns the given source instance as {@link Collection}.
+	 * Returns the given source instance as {@link Collection} or creates a new one for the given type.
 	 * 
 	 * @param source can be {@literal null}.
+	 * @param type must not be {@literal null} in case {@code source} is null.
 	 * @return
 	 */
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-	private static Collection<Object> asCollection(Object source) {
+	private static Collection<Object> ifCollection(Object source) {
 
-		if (source == null) {
-			return new ArrayList<Object>();
-		}
+		Assert.notNull(source, "Source instance must not be null!");
 
 		if (source instanceof Collection) {
 			return (Collection<Object>) source;
@@ -363,7 +370,7 @@ public class DomainObjectReader {
 			return Arrays.asList((Object[]) source);
 		}
 
-		return Collections.singleton(source);
+		return null;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReaderUnitTests.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReaderUnitTests.java
index 8df5f8b8c..fcdeb591f 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReaderUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/DomainObjectReaderUnitTests.java
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@ import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Calendar;
+import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.GregorianCalendar;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -394,7 +396,7 @@ public class DomainObjectReaderUnitTests {
 	 * @see DATAREST-959
 	 */
 	@Test
-	public void writesArrayOverUndefinedValueForPut() throws Exception {
+	public void addsElementToPreviouslyEmptyCollection() throws Exception {
 
 		Parent source = new Parent();
 		source.inner = new Child();
@@ -408,6 +410,31 @@ public class DomainObjectReaderUnitTests {
 		assertThat(result.inner.items.get(0).some, is("value"));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAREST-959
+	 */
+	@Test
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	public void turnsObjectIntoCollection() throws Exception {
+
+		Parent source = new Parent();
+		source.inner = new Child();
+		source.inner.object = new Item("value");
+
+		JsonNode node = new ObjectMapper()
+				.readTree("{ \"inner\" : { \"object\" : [ { \"some\" : \"value\" }, { \"some\" : \"otherValue\" } ] } }");
+
+		Parent result = reader.readPut((ObjectNode) node, source, new ObjectMapper());
+		assertThat(result.inner.object, is(instanceOf(Collection.class)));
+
+		Collection<?> collection = (Collection<?>) result.inner.object;
+		assertThat(collection.size(), is(2));
+
+		Iterator<Map<String, Object>> iterator = (Iterator<Map<String, Object>>) collection.iterator();
+		assertThat(iterator.next().get("some"), is((Object) "value"));
+		assertThat(iterator.next().get("some"), is((Object) "otherValue"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testname() throws Exception {
 
@@ -515,6 +542,7 @@ public class DomainObjectReaderUnitTests {
 	@JsonAutoDetect(fieldVisibility = Visibility.ANY)
 	static class Child {
 		List<Item> items;
+		Object object;
 	}
 
 	@JsonAutoDetect(fieldVisibility = Visibility.ANY)