diff --git a/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php b/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
index 15f815594..5f56ee09f 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
@@ -903,11 +903,12 @@ class Model extends Object {
 						unset ($this->{$type}[$assoc]);
 						$assoc = $value;
 						$value = array();
-						$this->{$type}[$assoc] = $value;
 
 						if (strpos($assoc, '.') !== false) {
 							list($plugin, $assoc) = pluginSplit($assoc);
 							$this->{$type}[$assoc] = array('className' => $plugin. '.' . $assoc);
+						} else {
+							$this->{$type}[$assoc] = $value;
 						}
 					}
 					$this->_generateAssociation($type, $assoc);
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
index c02e5aee1..2140ae195 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
@@ -1289,6 +1289,20 @@ class ModelIntegrationTest extends BaseModelTest {
 		$this->assertEqual($TestFakeModel->Tag->name, 'Tag');
 	}
 
+/**
+ * test creating associations with plugins. Ensure a double alias isn't created
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testAutoConstructPluginAssociations() {
+		$Comment = ClassRegistry::init('TestPluginComment');
+
+		$this->assertEquals(2, count($Comment->belongsTo), 'Too many associations');
+		$this->assertFalse(isset($Comment->belongsTo['TestPlugin.User']));
+		$this->assertTrue(isset($Comment->belongsTo['User']), 'Missing association');
+		$this->assertTrue(isset($Comment->belongsTo['TestPluginArticle']), 'Missing association');
+	}
+
 /**
  * test Model::__construct
  *
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php
index ae098c530..6a72047c3 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php
@@ -2709,7 +2709,7 @@ class TestPluginComment extends CakeTestModel {
 			'className' => 'TestPlugin.TestPluginArticle',
 			'foreignKey' => 'article_id',
 		),
-		'User'
+		'TestPlugin.User'
 	);
 }