diff --git a/hobo/lib/hobo/accessible_associations.rb b/hobo/lib/hobo/accessible_associations.rb
index df6e4bb02..6bbad6ae2 100644
--- a/hobo/lib/hobo/accessible_associations.rb
+++ b/hobo/lib/hobo/accessible_associations.rb
@@ -46,8 +46,11 @@ def find_or_create_and_update(owner, association_name, finder, record_hash_or_st
           # work around
           # https://rails.lighthouseapp.com/projects/8994-ruby-on-rails/tickets/3510-has_many-build-does-not-set-reverse-reflection
           # https://hobo.lighthouseapp.com/projects/8324/tickets/447-validation-problems-with-has_many-accessible-true
-          method = "#{owner.class.reverse_reflection(association_name).name}=".to_sym
-          record.send(method, owner) if record.respond_to? method
+          reverse = owner.class.reverse_reflection(association_name)
+          if reverse && reverse.macro==:belongs_to
+            method = "#{reverse.name}=".to_sym
+            record.send(method, owner) if record.respond_to? method
+          end
         else
           owner.include_in_save(association_name, record)
         end