diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/ClassMetadataInfo.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/ClassMetadataInfo.php
index 28a985162c..a92095d1f2 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/ClassMetadataInfo.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/ClassMetadataInfo.php
@@ -1165,23 +1165,6 @@ public function mapField(array $mapping)
                     }
             }
             unset($this->generatorOptions['type']);
-        } elseif (!isset($mapping['embedded']) && !isset($mapping['reference']) && isset($mapping['type'])) {
-            switch ($mapping['type']) {
-                case 'int':
-                case 'float':
-                    $allowedStrategies = [self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET, self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_INCREMENT];
-                    break;
-                default:
-                    $allowedStrategies = [self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET];
-            }
-
-            if (isset($mapping['strategy'])) {
-                if (! in_array($mapping['strategy'], $allowedStrategies)) {
-                    throw MappingException::invalidStorageStrategy($this->name, $mapping['fieldName'], $mapping['type'], $mapping['strategy']);
-                }
-            } else {
-                $mapping['strategy'] = self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET;
-            }
         }
 
         if ( ! isset($mapping['nullable'])) {
@@ -1251,10 +1234,7 @@ public function mapField(array $mapping)
             }
         }
 
-        if (isset($mapping['reference']) && $mapping['type'] === 'many' && $mapping['isOwningSide']
-            && ! empty($mapping['sort']) && ! CollectionHelper::usesSet($mapping['strategy'])) {
-            throw MappingException::referenceManySortMustNotBeUsedWithNonSetCollectionStrategy($this->name, $mapping['fieldName'], $mapping['strategy']);
-        }
+        $this->applyStorageStrategy($mapping);
 
         $this->fieldMappings[$mapping['fieldName']] = $mapping;
         if (isset($mapping['association'])) {
@@ -1264,6 +1244,55 @@ public function mapField(array $mapping)
         return $mapping;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Validates the storage strategy of a mapping for consistency
+     * @param array $mapping
+     * @throws \Doctrine\ODM\MongoDB\Mapping\MappingException
+     */
+    private function applyStorageStrategy(array &$mapping)
+    {
+        if (! isset($mapping['type']) || isset($mapping['id'])) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        switch (true) {
+            case $mapping['type'] == 'int':
+            case $mapping['type'] == 'float':
+                $defaultStrategy = self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET;
+                $allowedStrategies = [self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET, self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_INCREMENT];
+                break;
+
+            case $mapping['type'] == 'many':
+                $defaultStrategy = CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY;
+                $allowedStrategies = [
+                    self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_PUSH_ALL,
+                    self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_ADD_TO_SET,
+                    self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET,
+                    self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET_ARRAY,
+                    self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_ATOMIC_SET,
+                    self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_ATOMIC_SET_ARRAY,
+                ];
+                break;
+
+            default:
+                $defaultStrategy = self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET;
+                $allowedStrategies = [self::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET];
+        }
+
+        if (! isset($mapping['strategy'])) {
+            $mapping['strategy'] = $defaultStrategy;
+        }
+
+        if (! in_array($mapping['strategy'], $allowedStrategies)) {
+            throw MappingException::invalidStorageStrategy($this->name, $mapping['fieldName'], $mapping['type'], $mapping['strategy']);
+        }
+
+        if (isset($mapping['reference']) && $mapping['type'] === 'many' && $mapping['isOwningSide']
+            && ! empty($mapping['sort']) && ! CollectionHelper::usesSet($mapping['strategy'])) {
+            throw MappingException::referenceManySortMustNotBeUsedWithNonSetCollectionStrategy($this->name, $mapping['fieldName'], $mapping['strategy']);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Map a MongoGridFSFile.
      *
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php
index e91a444072..6e017fa015 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php
@@ -236,12 +236,13 @@ private function addFieldMapping(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $mapping)
     private function addEmbedMapping(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $embed, $type)
     {
         $attributes = $embed->attributes();
+        $defaultStrategy = $type == 'one' ? ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY;
         $mapping = array(
             'type'           => $type,
             'embedded'       => true,
             'targetDocument' => isset($attributes['target-document']) ? (string) $attributes['target-document'] : null,
             'name'           => (string) $attributes['field'],
-            'strategy'       => isset($attributes['strategy']) ? (string) $attributes['strategy'] : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY,
+            'strategy'       => isset($attributes['strategy']) ? (string) $attributes['strategy'] : $defaultStrategy,
         );
         if (isset($attributes['fieldName'])) {
             $mapping['fieldName'] = (string) $attributes['fieldName'];
@@ -275,6 +276,7 @@ private function addReferenceMapping(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $reference, $type
             $cascade = current($cascade) ?: next($cascade);
         }
         $attributes = $reference->attributes();
+        $defaultStrategy = $type == 'one' ? ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY;
         $mapping = array(
             'cascade'          => $cascade,
             'orphanRemoval'    => isset($attributes['orphan-removal']) ? ('true' === (string) $attributes['orphan-removal']) : false,
@@ -283,7 +285,7 @@ private function addReferenceMapping(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $reference, $type
             'simple'           => isset($attributes['simple']) ? ('true' === (string) $attributes['simple']) : false,
             'targetDocument'   => isset($attributes['target-document']) ? (string) $attributes['target-document'] : null,
             'name'             => (string) $attributes['field'],
-            'strategy'         => isset($attributes['strategy']) ? (string) $attributes['strategy'] : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY,
+            'strategy'         => isset($attributes['strategy']) ? (string) $attributes['strategy'] : $defaultStrategy,
             'inversedBy'       => isset($attributes['inversed-by']) ? (string) $attributes['inversed-by'] : null,
             'mappedBy'         => isset($attributes['mapped-by']) ? (string) $attributes['mapped-by'] : null,
             'repositoryMethod' => isset($attributes['repository-method']) ? (string) $attributes['repository-method'] : null,
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/YamlDriver.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/YamlDriver.php
index 154c817881..8792e854fb 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/YamlDriver.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Mapping/Driver/YamlDriver.php
@@ -233,12 +233,13 @@ private function addFieldMapping(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $mapping)
 
     private function addMappingFromEmbed(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $fieldName, $embed, $type)
     {
+        $defaultStrategy = $type == 'one' ? ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY;
         $mapping = array(
             'type'           => $type,
             'embedded'       => true,
             'targetDocument' => isset($embed['targetDocument']) ? $embed['targetDocument'] : null,
             'fieldName'      => $fieldName,
-            'strategy'       => isset($embed['strategy']) ? (string) $embed['strategy'] : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY,
+            'strategy'       => isset($embed['strategy']) ? (string) $embed['strategy'] : $defaultStrategy,
         );
         if (isset($embed['name'])) {
             $mapping['name'] = $embed['name'];
@@ -257,6 +258,7 @@ private function addMappingFromEmbed(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $fieldName, $embe
 
     private function addMappingFromReference(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $fieldName, $reference, $type)
     {
+        $defaultStrategy = $type == 'one' ? ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY;
         $mapping = array(
             'cascade'          => isset($reference['cascade']) ? $reference['cascade'] : null,
             'orphanRemoval'    => isset($reference['orphanRemoval']) ? $reference['orphanRemoval'] : false,
@@ -265,7 +267,7 @@ private function addMappingFromReference(ClassMetadataInfo $class, $fieldName, $
             'simple'           => isset($reference['simple']) ? (boolean) $reference['simple'] : false,
             'targetDocument'   => isset($reference['targetDocument']) ? $reference['targetDocument'] : null,
             'fieldName'        => $fieldName,
-            'strategy'         => isset($reference['strategy']) ? (string) $reference['strategy'] : CollectionHelper::DEFAULT_STRATEGY,
+            'strategy'         => isset($reference['strategy']) ? (string) $reference['strategy'] : $defaultStrategy,
             'inversedBy'       => isset($reference['inversedBy']) ? (string) $reference['inversedBy'] : null,
             'mappedBy'         => isset($reference['mappedBy']) ? (string) $reference['mappedBy'] : null,
             'repositoryMethod' => isset($reference['repositoryMethod']) ? (string) $reference['repositoryMethod'] : null,
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Persisters/DocumentPersister.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Persisters/DocumentPersister.php
index 763e13a2d6..ae3aac42ed 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Persisters/DocumentPersister.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Persisters/DocumentPersister.php
@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ private function prepareQueryElement($fieldName, $value = null, $class = null, $
             return array($fieldName, $value);
         }
 
-        if (isset($mapping['strategy']) && CollectionHelper::isHash($mapping['strategy'])
+        if ($mapping['type'] == 'many' && isset($mapping['strategy']) && CollectionHelper::isHash($mapping['strategy'])
                 && isset($e[2])) {
             $objectProperty = $e[2];
             $objectPropertyPrefix = $e[1] . '.';
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Tests/Mapping/Driver/AbstractDriverTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Tests/Mapping/Driver/AbstractDriverTest.php
index 41593a3712..5766b06997 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Tests/Mapping/Driver/AbstractDriverTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/ODM/MongoDB/Tests/Mapping/Driver/AbstractDriverTest.php
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public function testDriver()
             'isInverseSide' => false,
             'isOwningSide' => true,
             'nullable' => false,
-            'strategy' => ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_PUSH_ALL,
+            'strategy' => ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET,
         ), $classMetadata->fieldMappings['address']);
 
         $this->assertEquals(array(
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public function testDriver()
             'isInverseSide' => false,
             'isOwningSide' => true,
             'nullable' => false,
-            'strategy' => ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_PUSH_ALL,
+            'strategy' => ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET,
             'inversedBy' => null,
             'mappedBy' => null,
             'repositoryMethod' => null,
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public function testDriver()
             'isInverseSide' => false,
             'isOwningSide' => true,
             'nullable' => false,
-            'strategy' => ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_PUSH_ALL,
+            'strategy' => ClassMetadataInfo::STORAGE_STRATEGY_SET,
             'inversedBy' => null,
             'mappedBy' => null,
             'repositoryMethod' => null,