diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 7cb1d10f85..d9b3ce6eb8 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 	<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 	<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-	<version>3.3.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>3.3.0-GH-3851-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<packaging>pom</packaging>
 
 	<name>Spring Data MongoDB</name>
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml b/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml
index 0033bd11d5..3c3b11f83a 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 		<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-		<version>3.3.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>3.3.0-GH-3851-SNAPSHOT</version>
 		<relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
 	</parent>
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml b/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml
index f62c8dc7f4..c103ec08f1 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 		<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-		<version>3.3.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>3.3.0-GH-3851-SNAPSHOT</version>
 		<relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
 	</parent>
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml b/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml
index 2f73c10eba..395f494c1c 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 		<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-		<version>3.3.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>3.3.0-GH-3851-SNAPSHOT</version>
 		<relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
 	</parent>
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
index 8a4fece215..fa8b4c9643 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverter.java
@@ -828,7 +828,7 @@ protected void writePropertyInternal(@Nullable Object obj, DocumentAccessor acce
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (prop.isAssociation()) {
+		if (prop.isAssociation() && prop.isAnnotationPresent(Reference.class)) {
 
 			accessor.put(prop, new DocumentPointerFactory(conversionService, mappingContext)
 					.computePointer(mappingContext, prop, obj, valueType.getType()).getPointer());
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java
index ca94ac6e3c..d4c735fd23 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MappingMongoConverterUnitTests.java
@@ -2614,7 +2614,26 @@ void readsMapThatDoesNotComeAsDocument() {
 		ClassWithMapProperty target = converter.read(ClassWithMapProperty.class, source);
 
 		assertThat(target.mapOfObjects).containsEntry("simple",1);
+	}
+
+	@Test // GH-3851
+	void associationMappingShouldFallBackToDefaultIfNoAtReferenceAnnotationPresent/* as done via jmolecules */() {
+
+		UUID id = UUID.randomUUID();
+		Person sourceValue = new Person();
+		sourceValue.id = id.toString();
+
+		DocumentAccessor accessor = new DocumentAccessor(new org.bson.Document());
+		MongoPersistentProperty persistentProperty = mock(MongoPersistentProperty.class);
+		when(persistentProperty.isAssociation()).thenReturn(true);
+		when(persistentProperty.getFieldName()).thenReturn("pName");
+		doReturn(ClassTypeInformation.from(Person.class)).when(persistentProperty).getTypeInformation();
+		doReturn(Person.class).when(persistentProperty).getType();
+		doReturn(Person.class).when(persistentProperty).getRawType();
+
+		converter.writePropertyInternal(sourceValue, accessor, persistentProperty);
 
+		assertThat(accessor.getDocument()).isEqualTo(new org.bson.Document("pName", new org.bson.Document("_id", id.toString())));
 	}
 
 	static class GenericType<T> {