diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicPersistentProperty.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicPersistentProperty.java
index cc876889d..a5812279f 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicPersistentProperty.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicPersistentProperty.java
@@ -129,7 +129,11 @@ public class BasicPersistentProperty<T> implements PersistentProperty<T> {
 
   @Override
   public boolean isComplexType() {
-    return !MappingBeanHelper.getSimpleTypes().contains(field.getType().getName());
+    if (isCollection() || field.getType().isArray()) {
+      return !MappingBeanHelper.isSimpleType(getComponentType());
+    } else {
+      return !MappingBeanHelper.isSimpleType(field.getType());
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -147,7 +151,7 @@ public class BasicPersistentProperty<T> implements PersistentProperty<T> {
     }
     return type.getComponentType();
   }
-  
+
   @Override
   public boolean isIdProperty() {
     return field.isAnnotationPresent(Id.class);
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingBeanHelper.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingBeanHelper.java
index 8836a704a..bdb9bdd8b 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingBeanHelper.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingBeanHelper.java
@@ -31,11 +31,8 @@ import org.springframework.expression.spel.support.StandardEvaluationContext;
 import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
-import java.util.LinkedList;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Locale;
-import java.util.Set;
-import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentSkipListSet;
+import java.util.*;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 
 /**
  * @author Jon Brisbin <jbrisbin@vmware.com>
@@ -44,28 +41,30 @@ public abstract class MappingBeanHelper {
 
   protected static GenericConversionService conversionService = ConversionServiceFactory.createDefaultConversionService();
   protected static SpelExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
-  protected static Set<String> simpleTypes = new ConcurrentSkipListSet<String>() {{
-    add(boolean.class.getName());
-    add(long.class.getName());
-    add(short.class.getName());
-    add(int.class.getName());
-    add(byte.class.getName());
-    add(float.class.getName());
-    add(double.class.getName());
-    add(char.class.getName());
-    add(Boolean.class.getName());
-    add(Long.class.getName());
-    add(Short.class.getName());
-    add(Integer.class.getName());
-    add(Byte.class.getName());
-    add(Float.class.getName());
-    add(Double.class.getName());
-    add(Character.class.getName());
-    add(String.class.getName());
-    add(java.util.Date.class.getName());
-    add(Locale.class.getName());
-    add(Class.class.getName());
-  }};
+  protected static Set<Class<?>> simpleTypes = Collections.newSetFromMap(new ConcurrentHashMap<Class<?>, Boolean>());
+
+  static {
+    simpleTypes.add(boolean.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(long.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(short.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(int.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(byte.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(float.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(double.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(char.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Boolean.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Long.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Short.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Integer.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Byte.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Float.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Double.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Character.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(String.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(java.util.Date.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Locale.class);
+    simpleTypes.add(Class.class);
+  }
 
   public static GenericConversionService getConversionService() {
     return conversionService;
@@ -75,10 +74,19 @@ public abstract class MappingBeanHelper {
     MappingBeanHelper.conversionService = conversionService;
   }
 
-  public static Set<String> getSimpleTypes() {
+  public static Set<Class<?>> getSimpleTypes() {
     return simpleTypes;
   }
 
+  public static boolean isSimpleType(Class<?> type) {
+    for (Class<?> clazz : simpleTypes) {
+      if (type == clazz || type.isAssignableFrom(clazz)) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
   public static <T> T constructInstance(PersistentEntity<T> entity,
                                         PreferredConstructor.ParameterValueProvider provider) {
     return constructInstance(entity, provider, new StandardEvaluationContext());