diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
index 7100be02452d4b8c891e23224e5609f4fc24a532..692badcc5c6e566456bef5081dcdf76c4a4a7915 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
@@ -396,11 +396,12 @@ def load_target
                 if @target.is_a?(Array) && @target.any?
                   @target = find_target.map do |f|
                     i = @target.index(f)
-                    t = @target.delete_at(i) if i
-                    if t && t.changed?
+                    if i
+                      t = @target.delete_at(i)
+                      keys = ["id"] + t.changes.keys + (f.attribute_names - t.attribute_names)
+                      t.attributes = f.attributes.except(*keys)
                       t
                     else
-                      f.mark_for_destruction if t && t.marked_for_destruction?
                       f
                     end
                   end + @target
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/nested_attributes_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/nested_attributes_test.rb
index 20bd4f6a76dc4abd3b6deea1d9b699f40236a903..df09bbd46aa5d7969f23fc703da84f52327f7534 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/nested_attributes_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/nested_attributes_test.rb
@@ -862,7 +862,19 @@ def setup
     assert_equal 1, @ship.parts.proxy_target.size
     assert_equal 'Deck', @ship.parts[0].name
   end
-  
+
+  test "if association is not loaded and child doesn't change and I am saving a grandchild then in memory record should be used" do
+    @ship.parts_attributes=[{:id => @part.id,:trinkets_attributes =>[{:id => @trinket.id, :name => 'Ruby'}]}]
+    assert_equal 1, @ship.parts.proxy_target.size
+    assert_equal 'Mast', @ship.parts[0].name
+    assert_no_difference("@ship.parts[0].trinkets.proxy_target.size") do
+      @ship.parts[0].trinkets.proxy_target.size
+    end
+    assert_equal 'Ruby', @ship.parts[0].trinkets[0].name
+    @ship.save
+    assert_equal 'Ruby', @ship.parts[0].trinkets[0].name
+  end
+
   test "when grandchild changed in memory, saving parent should save grandchild" do
     @trinket.name = "changed"
     @ship.save