diff --git a/lib/document.js b/lib/document.js
index 288ec3e07d4..50d30063fe5 100644
--- a/lib/document.js
+++ b/lib/document.js
@@ -304,10 +304,10 @@ Document.prototype.set = function (path, val, type) {
     if (!pathToMark) pathToMark = path;
   }
 
-
   if ((!schema || null === val || undefined === val) ||
     this.try(function(){
-      val = schema.applySetters(schema.cast(val, self), self);
+      var casted = schema.cast(val, self, false, self.get(path));
+      val = schema.applySetters(casted, self);
     })) {
 
     if (this.isNew) {
diff --git a/lib/schema/documentarray.js b/lib/schema/documentarray.js
index a5f98e6c445..45f3fd16968 100644
--- a/lib/schema/documentarray.js
+++ b/lib/schema/documentarray.js
@@ -97,16 +97,12 @@ DocumentArray.prototype.doValidate = function (array, fn, scope) {
  * @api private
  */
 
-DocumentArray.prototype.cast = function (value, doc, init) {
+DocumentArray.prototype.cast = function (value, doc, init, prev) {
   var subdoc
-    , cur
     , i
 
   if (Array.isArray(value)) {
     if (!(value instanceof MongooseDocumentArray)) {
-      // get the current MongooseArray if any before
-      // casting the value to prevent infinite loop.
-      cur = doc && doc.get(this.path);
       value = new MongooseDocumentArray(value, this.path, doc);
     }
 
@@ -120,7 +116,7 @@ DocumentArray.prototype.cast = function (value, doc, init) {
           delete subdoc._doc._id;
           value[i] = subdoc.init(value[i]);
         } else {
-          subdoc = cur && cur.id(value[i]._id) ||
+          subdoc = prev && prev.id(value[i]._id) ||
                    new this.caster(null, value);
           value[i] = subdoc.set(value[i]);
         }
@@ -129,7 +125,7 @@ DocumentArray.prototype.cast = function (value, doc, init) {
 
     return value;
   } else {
-    return this.cast([value], doc, init);
+    return this.cast([value], doc, init, prev);
   }
 
   throw new CastError('documentarray', value);