diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/plan/build/internal/AbstractLoadPlanBuildingAssociationVisitationStrategy.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/plan/build/internal/AbstractLoadPlanBuildingAssociationVisitationStrategy.java
index 848701f50e..367d3fff4b 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/plan/build/internal/AbstractLoadPlanBuildingAssociationVisitationStrategy.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/plan/build/internal/AbstractLoadPlanBuildingAssociationVisitationStrategy.java
@@ -666,23 +666,30 @@ public void foundCircularAssociation(AssociationAttributeDefinition attributeDef
 
 		// go ahead and build the bidirectional fetch
 		if ( attributeDefinition.getAssociationNature() == AssociationAttributeDefinition.AssociationNature.ENTITY ) {
-			final Joinable currentEntityPersister = (Joinable) currentSource().resolveEntityReference().getEntityPersister();
-			final AssociationKey currentEntityReferenceAssociationKey =
-					new AssociationKey( currentEntityPersister.getTableName(), currentEntityPersister.getKeyColumnNames() );
-			// if associationKey is equal to currentEntityReferenceAssociationKey
-			// that means that the current EntityPersister has a single primary key attribute
-			// (i.e., derived attribute) which is mapped by attributeDefinition.
-			// This is not a bidirectional association.
-			// TODO: AFAICT, to avoid an overflow, the associated entity must already be loaded into the session, or
-			// it must be loaded when the ID for the dependent entity is resolved. Is there some other way to
-			// deal with this???
 			final FetchSource registeredFetchSource = registeredFetchSource( associationKey );
-			if ( registeredFetchSource != null && ! associationKey.equals( currentEntityReferenceAssociationKey ) ) {
-				currentSource().buildBidirectionalEntityReference(
-						attributeDefinition,
-						fetchStrategy,
-						registeredFetchSource( associationKey ).resolveEntityReference()
-				);
+			if ( registeredFetchSource != null ) {
+				final ExpandingFetchSource currentSource = currentSource();
+				final Joinable currentEntityPersister = (Joinable) currentSource.resolveEntityReference().getEntityPersister();
+
+				final AssociationKey currentEntityReferenceAssociationKey =
+						new AssociationKey( currentEntityPersister.getTableName(), currentEntityPersister.getKeyColumnNames() );
+				// if associationKey is equal to currentEntityReferenceAssociationKey
+				// that means that the current EntityPersister has a single primary key attribute
+				// (i.e., derived attribute) which is mapped by attributeDefinition.
+				// This is not a bidirectional association.
+				// TODO: AFAICT, to avoid an overflow, the associated entity must already be loaded into the session, or
+				// it must be loaded when the ID for the dependent entity is resolved. Is there some other way to
+				// deal with this???
+				if ( !associationKey.equals( currentEntityReferenceAssociationKey ) ) {
+					currentSource.buildBidirectionalEntityReference(
+							attributeDefinition,
+							fetchStrategy,
+							registeredFetchSource.resolveEntityReference()
+					);
+				}
+			}
+			else {
+				// Do nothing, no bi-directionality
 			}
 		}
 		else {