diff --git a/Cake/ORM/Query.php b/Cake/ORM/Query.php
index 453aebec633..d64e3255cc0 100644
--- a/Cake/ORM/Query.php
+++ b/Cake/ORM/Query.php
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ public function contain($associations = null, $override = false) {
 		}
 
 		$old = $this->_containments->getArrayCopy();
-		$associations = array_merge($old, $this->_reformatContain($associations));
+		$associations = $this->_reformatContain($associations, $old);
 		$this->_containments->exchangeArray($associations);
 		$this->_normalizedContainments = null;
 		$this->_dirty();
@@ -307,22 +307,46 @@ public function contain($associations = null, $override = false) {
 
 /**
  * Formats the containments array so that associations are always set as keys
- * in the array.
+ * in the array. This funciton merges the original associations array with
+ * the new associations provided
  *
  * @param array $associations user provided containments array
+ * @param array $original The original containments array to merge
+ * with the new one
  * @return array
  */
-	protected function _reformatContain($associations) {
-		$result = [];
+	protected function _reformatContain($associations, $original) {
+		$result = $original;
+
 		foreach ((array)$associations as $table => $options) {
+			$pointer =& $result;
 			if (is_int($table)) {
 				$table = $options;
 				$options = [];
-			} elseif (is_array($options) && !isset($this->_containOptions[$table])) {
-				$options = $this->_reformatContain($options);
 			}
-			$result[$table] = $options;
+
+			if (isset($this->_containOptions[$table])) {
+				$pointer[$table] = $options;
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			if (strpos($table, '.')) {
+				$path = explode('.', $table);
+				$table = array_pop($path);
+				foreach ($path as $t) {
+					$pointer += [$t => []];
+					$pointer =& $pointer[$t];
+				}
+			}
+
+			if (is_array($options)) {
+				$options = $this->_reformatContain($options, []);
+			}
+
+			$pointer += [$table => []];
+			$pointer[$table] = $options + $pointer[$table];
 		}
+
 		return $result;
 	}
 
diff --git a/Cake/Test/TestCase/ORM/QueryTest.php b/Cake/Test/TestCase/ORM/QueryTest.php
index d3adb230dbf..fb736c40f0c 100644
--- a/Cake/Test/TestCase/ORM/QueryTest.php
+++ b/Cake/Test/TestCase/ORM/QueryTest.php
@@ -196,6 +196,53 @@ public function testContainToJoinsOneLevel() {
 			->contain($contains)->sql();
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Tests setting containments using dot notation, additionaly proves that options
+ * are not overwritten whn combining dot notation and array notation
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testContainDotNotation() {
+		$contains = [
+			'clients' => [
+				'orders' => [
+					'orderTypes',
+					'stuff' => ['stuffTypes']
+				],
+				'companies' => [
+					'foreignKey' => 'organization_id',
+					'categories'
+				]
+			]
+		];
+		$query = $this->getMock('\Cake\ORM\Query', ['join'], [$this->connection, $this->table]);
+		$query->contain([
+			'clients.orders.stuff',
+			'clients.companies.categories' => ['conditions' => ['a >' => 1]]
+		]);
+		$expected = new \ArrayObject([
+			'clients' => [
+				'orders' => [
+					'stuff' => []
+				],
+				'companies' => [
+					'categories' => [
+						'conditions' => ['a >' => 1]
+					]
+				]
+			]
+		]);
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $query->contain());
+		$query->contain([
+			'clients.orders' => ['fields' => ['a', 'b']],
+			'clients' => ['sort' => ['a' => 'desc']],
+		]);
+
+		$expected['clients']['orders'] += ['fields' => ['a', 'b']];
+		$expected['clients'] += ['sort' => ['a' => 'desc']];
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $query->contain());
+	}
+
 /**
  * Test that fields for contained models are aliased and added to the select clause
  *