diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/HashTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/HashTest.php
index 761ce626f..dfe4f4940 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/HashTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/HashTest.php
@@ -1113,6 +1113,28 @@ class HashTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$this->assertEquals('value', $result[0]['Comment'][1]['insert']);
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Test that insert() can insert data over a string value.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testInsertOverwriteStringValue() {
+		$data = array(
+			'Some' => array(
+				'string' => 'value'
+			)
+		);
+		$result = Set::insert($data, 'Some.string.value', array('values'));
+		$expected = array(
+			'Some' => array(
+				'string' => array(
+					'value' => array( 'values')
+				)
+			)
+		);
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+	}
+
 /**
  * Test remove() method.
  *
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Utility/Hash.php b/lib/Cake/Utility/Hash.php
index ec1689027..4116161fe 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Utility/Hash.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Utility/Hash.php
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ class Hash {
 					$_list =& $_list[$key];
 				}
 				if (!is_array($_list)) {
-					return array();
+					$_list = array();
 				}
 			}
 			if ($op === 'remove') {