diff --git a/cake/libs/model/model.php b/cake/libs/model/model.php
index 07eb403f0..ae19e51ef 100644
--- a/cake/libs/model/model.php
+++ b/cake/libs/model/model.php
@@ -815,13 +815,18 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
  * @access public
  */
 	function deconstruct($field, $data) {
+		if (!is_array($data)) {
+			return $data;
+		}
+
 		$copy = $data;
 		$type = $this->getColumnType($field);
-		$db =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource($this->useDbConfig);
 
 		if (in_array($type, array('datetime', 'timestamp', 'date', 'time'))) {
 			$useNewDate = (isset($data['year']) || isset($data['month']) || isset($data['day']) || isset($data['hour']) || isset($data['minute']));
 			$dateFields = array('Y' => 'year', 'm' => 'month', 'd' => 'day', 'H' => 'hour', 'i' => 'min', 's' => 'sec');
+
+			$db =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource($this->useDbConfig);
 			$format = $db->columns[$type]['format'];
 			$date = array();
 
@@ -1380,7 +1385,7 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 					if ($keys['old'][$foreignKey] != $keys[$foreignKey]) {
 						$conditions[$fkQuoted] = $keys['old'][$foreignKey];
 						$count = intval($this->find('count', compact('conditions', 'recursive')));
-	
+
 						$this->{$parent}->updateAll(
 							array($assoc['counterCache'] => $count),
 							array($this->{$parent}->escapeField() => $keys['old'][$foreignKey])
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php
index cdf931310..7ac8b0dd3 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class ModelTest extends CakeTestCase {
 
 /**
  * Tests getAssociated method
- * 
+ *
  * @access public
  * @return void
  */
@@ -4051,10 +4051,10 @@ class ModelTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$TestModel2->saveField('published', true);
 		$result = $TestModel->findById(1);
 		$this->assertIdentical($result['Syfile']['item_count'], '2');
-    
+
 		$TestModel2->save(array('id' => 1, 'syfile_id' => 1, 'published'=> false));
 		$result = $TestModel->findById(1);
-		$this->assertIdentical($result['Syfile']['item_count'], '1');    
+		$this->assertIdentical($result['Syfile']['item_count'], '1');
 	}
 /**
  * testDel method
@@ -5906,6 +5906,19 @@ class ModelTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$TestModel->set($data);
 		$expected = array('Apple'=> array('mytime'=> '03:04:04'));
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->data, $expected);
+
+		$db = ConnectionManager::getDataSource('test_suite');
+		$data = array();
+		$data['Apple']['modified'] = $db->expression('NOW()');
+		$TestModel->data = null;
+		$TestModel->set($data);
+		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->data, $data);
+
+		$data = array();
+		$data['Apple']['mytime'] = $db->expression('NOW()');
+		$TestModel->data = null;
+		$TestModel->set($data);
+		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->data, $data);
 	}
 /**
  * testTablePrefixSwitching method