diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/persister/OgmCollectionPersister.java b/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/persister/OgmCollectionPersister.java
index 30f4f0c014..5d6261f2c8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/persister/OgmCollectionPersister.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/persister/OgmCollectionPersister.java
@@ -687,27 +687,31 @@ public void remove(Serializable id, SessionImplementor session) throws Hibernate
 					.collectionPersister( this )
 					.session( session );
 
-			// shortcut to avoid loop if we can
-			if ( associationType != AssociationType.OTHER ) {
-				for ( RowKey assocEntryKey : associationPersister.getAssociation().getKeys() ) {
-					// we unfortunately cannot mass change the update of the associated entity
-					updateInverseSideOfAssociationNavigation(
-							session,
-							null,
-							associationPersister.getAssociation().get( assocEntryKey ),
-							Action.REMOVE,
-							assocEntryKey
-					);
+			Association association = associationPersister.getAssociationOrNull();
+
+			if ( association != null ) {
+				// shortcut to avoid loop if we can
+				if ( associationType != AssociationType.OTHER ) {
+					for ( RowKey assocEntryKey : association.getKeys() ) {
+						// we unfortunately cannot mass change the update of the associated entity
+						updateInverseSideOfAssociationNavigation(
+								session,
+								null,
+								association.get( assocEntryKey ),
+								Action.REMOVE,
+								assocEntryKey
+								);
+					}
 				}
-			}
-			associationPersister.getAssociation().clear();
+				association.clear();
 
-			if ( associationPersister.hostingEntityRequiresReadAfterUpdate() ) {
-				Object owner = session.getPersistenceContext().getCollectionOwner( id, this );
-				associationPersister.hostingEntity( owner );
-			}
+				if ( associationPersister.hostingEntityRequiresReadAfterUpdate() ) {
+					Object owner = session.getPersistenceContext().getCollectionOwner( id, this );
+					associationPersister.hostingEntity( owner );
+				}
 
-			associationPersister.flushToCache();
+				associationPersister.flushToCache();
+			}
 
 			if ( log.isDebugEnabled() ) {
 				log.debug( "done deleting collection" );
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/util/impl/AssociationPersister.java b/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/util/impl/AssociationPersister.java
index 584135e8a6..dbe688503c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/util/impl/AssociationPersister.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/ogm/util/impl/AssociationPersister.java
@@ -408,8 +408,6 @@ private void updateHostingEntityIfRequired() {
 	 * Whether the association in question is stored within an entity structure ("embedded") and this entity has
 	 * properties whose value is generated in the datastore (such as a version attribute) or not.
 	 *
-	 * @param metadataProvider persister of the association
-	 * @param ownerPersister persister of the owning entity
 	 * @return {@code true} in case the represented association is stored within an entity which has server-generated
 	 * properties, and thus must be re-read after an update to the association, {@code false} otherwise.
 	 */