diff --git a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/FetchConfigurationImpl.java b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/FetchConfigurationImpl.java
index 1791c95f0..9187e5374 100644
--- a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/FetchConfigurationImpl.java
+++ b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/kernel/FetchConfigurationImpl.java
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ public class FetchConfigurationImpl
         if (!includes(fm))
             return FETCH_NONE;
         
-        Class<?> type = getRelationType(fm);
+        Class<?> type = fm.getRelationType();
         if (type == null)
             return FETCH_LOAD;
         if (_availableDepth == 0)
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ public class FetchConfigurationImpl
     }
 
     public FetchConfiguration traverse(FieldMetaData fm) {
-        Class<?> type = getRelationType(fm);
+        Class<?> type = fm.getRelationType();
         if (type == null)
             return this;
 
@@ -943,18 +943,6 @@ public class FetchConfigurationImpl
         return Math.min(max, avail);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Return the relation type of the given field.
-     */
-    private static Class<?> getRelationType(FieldMetaData fm) {
-        if (fm.isDeclaredTypePC())
-            return fm.getDeclaredType();
-        if (fm.getElement().isDeclaredTypePC())
-            return fm.getElement().getDeclaredType();
-        if (fm.getKey().isDeclaredTypePC())
-            return fm.getKey().getDeclaredType();
-        return null;
-    }
 
     /**
      * Reduce the given logical depth by 1.
diff --git a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/FieldMetaData.java b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/FieldMetaData.java
index 87fc8194d..1d666a057 100644
--- a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/FieldMetaData.java
+++ b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/FieldMetaData.java
@@ -2390,5 +2390,19 @@ public class FieldMetaData
     public void setPersistentCollection(boolean persistentCollection) {
         _persistentCollection = persistentCollection;
     }
-    
+    private Class<?> _relationType = Unknown.class;
+    public Class<?> getRelationType() {
+    	if (_relationType == Unknown.class) {
+            if (isDeclaredTypePC())
+            	_relationType = getDeclaredType();
+            else if (getElement().isDeclaredTypePC())
+            	_relationType = getElement().getDeclaredType();
+            else if (getKey().isDeclaredTypePC())
+            	_relationType = getKey().getDeclaredType();
+            else
+            	_relationType = null;
+    	}
+    	return _relationType;
+    }
+    private class Unknown{};
 }
diff --git a/openjpa-lib/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/lib/identifier/IdentifierUtilImpl.java b/openjpa-lib/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/lib/identifier/IdentifierUtilImpl.java
index 237717916..59b44ef0f 100644
--- a/openjpa-lib/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/lib/identifier/IdentifierUtilImpl.java
+++ b/openjpa-lib/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/lib/identifier/IdentifierUtilImpl.java
@@ -542,7 +542,8 @@ public class IdentifierUtilImpl implements IdentifierUtil, Configurable {
 
 
     protected boolean needsConversion(IdentifierConfiguration config) {
-        return !(config.getConversionKey().equals(getIdentifierConfiguration().getConversionKey()));
+    	return (config != getIdentifierConfiguration()) 
+           && !(config.getConversionKey().equals(getIdentifierConfiguration().getConversionKey()));
     }
 
     private IdentifierRule[] getNamingRules(String[] rules) {