diff --git a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/JPQLExpressionBuilder.java b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/JPQLExpressionBuilder.java
index c9fc98d31..357f18a86 100644
--- a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/JPQLExpressionBuilder.java
+++ b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/JPQLExpressionBuilder.java
@@ -558,6 +558,10 @@ public class JPQLExpressionBuilder
         JPQLNode[] nodes = root().findChildrenByID(JJTUPDATEITEM);
         for (int i = 0; nodes != null && i < nodes.length; i++) {
             Path path = getPath(firstChild(nodes[i]));
+            if (path.last().getValue().getEmbeddedMetaData() != null)
+                throw parseException(EX_USER, "cant-bulk-update-embeddable",
+                        new Object[]{assemble(firstChild(nodes[i]))}, null);
+
             JPQLNode lastChild = lastChild(nodes[i]);
             Value val = (lastChild.children == null) 
                       ? null : getValue(onlyChild(lastChild));
diff --git a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/localizer.properties b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/localizer.properties
index cfe30e7af..6533bbc44 100644
--- a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/localizer.properties
+++ b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/jpql/localizer.properties
@@ -79,4 +79,7 @@ bad-qualified-path: Attemp to navigate a basic type of Key("{0}").
 bad-general-identifier: The identitier "{0}" in "{1}" operator is not valid \
     in conditional expression.
 bad-predicate: JPQL query does not support conditional expression over \
-    embeddable class. JPQL string: "{0}".  
\ No newline at end of file
+    embeddable class. JPQL string: "{0}". 
+cant-bulk-update-embeddable: Bulk update of embeddable field is not allowed: \
+    "{0}".
+ 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/embed/TestUpdateEmbeddedQueryResult.java b/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/embed/TestUpdateEmbeddedQueryResult.java
index 64b4297d3..980b97600 100644
--- a/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/embed/TestUpdateEmbeddedQueryResult.java
+++ b/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/embed/TestUpdateEmbeddedQueryResult.java
@@ -84,6 +84,29 @@ public class TestUpdateEmbeddedQueryResult extends SingleEMFTestCase {
         return embed;
     }
 
+    /*
+     * 
+     */
+    public void testBulkUpdateEmbeddedField() {
+        EntityManager em = emf.createEntityManager();
+        String update = "UPDATE EntityA_Embed_Embed a set a.embed.embed.intVal1 = ?1," +
+                " a.embed.embed.intVal2 = ?2 where a.id = 10";
+        em.getTransaction().begin();
+        int count = em.createQuery(update).setParameter(1, 100).setParameter(2, 200).executeUpdate();
+        em.getTransaction().commit();
+        assertEquals(count, 0);
+
+        // test invalid bulk update embeddable field
+        update = "UPDATE EntityA_Embed_Embed a set a.embed.embed = ?1";
+        Embed embed1 = createEmbed(ID, 10);
+        try {
+        int updateCount = em.createQuery(update).setParameter(1, embed1).executeUpdate();
+        } catch (ArgumentException e) {
+            // as expected: Bulk update of embeddable field is not allowed.
+        }
+        em.close();
+    }
+
     /*
      * update embedded object returned from query
      */