diff --git a/src/Writer/DoctrineWriter.php b/src/Writer/DoctrineWriter.php
index fca7cc38..676cc99b 100644
--- a/src/Writer/DoctrineWriter.php
+++ b/src/Writer/DoctrineWriter.php
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ public function prepare()
     /**
      * Return a new instance of the entity
      *
+     * @throws \Exception
      * @return object
      */
     protected function getNewInstance()
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ public function writeItem(array $item)
     {
         $entity = $this->findOrCreateItem($item);
 
+        $this->updateAssociations($item,$entity);
         $this->loadAssociationObjectsToEntity($item, $entity);
         $this->updateEntity($item, $entity);
 
@@ -210,6 +212,60 @@ protected function updateEntity(array $item, $entity)
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param array $item
+     * @param $entity
+     * @throws \Exception
+     */
+    public function updateAssociations(array &$item, $entity)
+    {
+        foreach ($this->entityMetadata->getAssociationMappings() as $map) {
+            // There is data for the association
+            if (isset($item[$map['fieldName']]) && is_array($item[$map['fieldName']])) {
+                $this->updateAssociation($item, $entity, $map['fieldName'], $map['targetEntity']);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array $item
+     * @param object $entity
+     * @param string $fieldName
+     * @param string $targetEntity
+     * @throws \Exception
+     */
+    public function updateAssociation(array &$item, $entity, $fieldName, $targetEntity)
+    {
+        $getterMethod = sprintf('get%s', $fieldName);
+
+        if (method_exists($entity, $getterMethod)) {
+            $orgRepository = $this->entityRepository;
+            $orgMetadata = $this->entityMetadata;
+            $orgName = $this->entityName;
+
+            $this->entityRepository = $this->entityManager->getRepository($targetEntity);
+            $this->entityMetadata = $this->entityManager->getClassMetadata($targetEntity);
+            $this->entityName = $this->entityMetadata->getName();
+
+            $association = call_user_func([$entity,$getterMethod]);
+            if (!$association) {
+                $association = $this->getNewInstance();
+            }
+
+            $value = $item[$fieldName];
+            unset($item[$fieldName]);
+
+            $this->updateEntity($value, $association);
+
+            $setterMethod = sprintf('set%s',$fieldName);
+            call_user_func([$entity, $setterMethod],$association);
+
+            $this->entityRepository = $orgRepository;
+            $this->entityMetadata = $orgMetadata;
+            $this->entityName = $orgName;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Add the associated objects in case the item have for persist its relation
      *
@@ -221,7 +277,7 @@ protected function loadAssociationObjectsToEntity(array $item, $entity)
         foreach ($this->entityMetadata->getAssociationMappings() as $associationMapping) {
 
             $value = null;
-            if (isset($item[$associationMapping['fieldName']]) && !is_object($item[$associationMapping['fieldName']])) {
+            if (isset($item[$associationMapping['fieldName']]) && !is_object($item[$associationMapping['fieldName']]) && !is_array($item[$associationMapping['fieldName']])) {
                 $value = $this->entityManager->getReference($associationMapping['targetEntity'], $item[$associationMapping['fieldName']]);
             }
 
@@ -268,6 +324,7 @@ protected function reEnableLogging()
      * Finds existing entity or create a new instance
      *
      * @param array $item
+     * @return mixed|null|object
      */
     protected function findOrCreateItem(array $item)
     {
diff --git a/tests/Fixtures/Entity/TestEntityAssociation.php b/tests/Fixtures/Entity/TestEntityAssociation.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1ca76ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Fixtures/Entity/TestEntityAssociation.php
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Created by PhpStorm.
+ * User: gnat
+ * Date: 29/07/15
+ * Time: 3:20 PM
+ */
+
+namespace Ddeboer\DataImport\Tests\Fixtures\Entity;
+
+
+class TestEntityAssociation
+{
+    private $aProperty;
+
+    private $bProperty;
+
+    public function getAProperty()
+    {
+        return $this->aProperty;
+    }
+
+    public function setAProperty($firstProperty)
+    {
+        $this->aProperty = $firstProperty;
+    }
+
+    public function getBProperty()
+    {
+        return $this->bProperty;
+    }
+
+    public function setBProperty($secondProperty)
+    {
+        $this->bProperty = $secondProperty;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/Writer/DoctrineWriterTest.php b/tests/Writer/DoctrineWriterTest.php
index 5792512e..70ae8c80 100644
--- a/tests/Writer/DoctrineWriterTest.php
+++ b/tests/Writer/DoctrineWriterTest.php
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ protected function getEntityManager()
             ->disableOriginalConstructor()
             ->getMock();
 
+        $assocMetadata = clone $metadata;
+
         $metadata->expects($this->any())
             ->method('getName')
             ->will($this->returnValue('Ddeboer\DataImport\Tests\Fixtures\Entity\TestEntity'));
@@ -55,7 +57,19 @@ protected function getEntityManager()
 
         $metadata->expects($this->any())
             ->method('getAssociationMappings')
-            ->will($this->returnValue(array(array('fieldName' => 'firstAssociation','targetEntity' => 'Ddeboer\DataImport\Tests\Fixtures\Entity\TestEntity'))));
+            ->will($this->returnValue(array(array('fieldName' => 'firstAssociation','targetEntity' => 'Ddeboer\DataImport\Tests\Fixtures\Entity\TestEntityAssociation'))));
+
+        $assocMetadata->expects($this->any())
+            ->method('getName')
+            ->will($this->returnValue('Ddeboer\DataImport\Tests\Fixtures\Entity\TestEntityAssociation'));
+
+        $assocMetadata->expects($this->any())
+            ->method('getFieldNames')
+            ->will($this->returnValue(array('aProperty', 'bProperty')));
+
+        $assocMetadata->expects($this->any())
+            ->method('getAssociationNames')
+            ->will($this->returnValue(array()));
 
         $configuration = $this->getMockBuilder('Doctrine\DBAL\Configuration')
             ->setMethods(array('getConnection'))
@@ -83,13 +97,15 @@ protected function getEntityManager()
             ->method('executeQuery')
             ->with('TRUNCATE SQL');
 
-        $em->expects($this->once())
+        $em->expects($this->any())
             ->method('getRepository')
             ->will($this->returnValue($repo));
 
-        $em->expects($this->once())
+        $em->expects($this->any())
             ->method('getClassMetadata')
-            ->will($this->returnValue($metadata));
+            ->will($this->returnCallback(function($arg) use ($metadata,$assocMetadata){
+                return ($arg =='DdeboerDataImport:TestEntity') ? $metadata :$assocMetadata;
+            }));
 
         $em->expects($this->any())
             ->method('getConnection')
@@ -149,6 +165,32 @@ public function testLoadAssociationWithPresetObject()
         $writer->writeItem($item);
     }
 
+    public function testUpdateAssociationUnmapped()
+    {
+        $em = $this->getEntityManager();
+
+        $em->expects($this->never())
+            ->method('persist');
+
+        $em->expects($this->never())
+            ->method('getReference');
+
+        $association = new TestEntity();
+        $writer = new DoctrineWriter($em, 'DdeboerDataImport:TestEntity');
+        $item = [
+            'firstProperty' => 'some value',
+            'secondProperty' => 'some other value',
+            'firstAssociation' => [
+                'aProperty' => 'another value',
+                'bProperty' => 'another other value',
+            ]
+        ];
+
+        $writer->updateAssociations($item,$association);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Ddeboer\DataImport\Tests\Fixtures\Entity\TestEntityAssociation',$association->getFirstAssociation());
+        $this->assertEquals('another value',$association->getFirstAssociation()->getAProperty());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test to make sure that we are clearing the write entity
      */