diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/PropertyAccessor.php b/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/PropertyAccessor.php
index b7b961c8d1..81d0eed0f7 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/PropertyAccessor.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/PropertyAccessor.php
@@ -239,7 +239,9 @@ class PropertyAccessor implements PropertyAccessorInterface
                     ));
                 }
 
-                $objectOrArray[$property] = $i + 1 < $propertyPath->getLength() ? array() : null;
+                if ($i + 1 < $propertyPath->getLength()) {
+                    $objectOrArray[$property] = array();
+                }
             }
 
             if ($isIndex) {
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/Tests/PropertyAccessorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/Tests/PropertyAccessorTest.php
index 51b712cf75..fb4e3c34ee 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/Tests/PropertyAccessorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/PropertyAccess/Tests/PropertyAccessorTest.php
@@ -130,6 +130,15 @@ class PropertyAccessorTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertSame('constant value', $this->propertyAccessor->getValue(new TestClassMagicGet('Bernhard'), 'constantMagicProperty'));
     }
 
+    public function testGetValueNotModifyObject()
+    {
+        $object = new \stdClass();
+        $object->firstName = array('Bernhard');
+
+        $this->assertNull($this->propertyAccessor->getValue($object, 'firstName[1]'));
+        $this->assertSame(array('Bernhard'), $object->firstName);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\PropertyAccess\Exception\NoSuchPropertyException
      */