diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG b/activerecord/CHANGELOG
index c1926a20c77fa07dd00734f0488f6cd06dc2c351..6478436bd07f0ce3272b0cc385c293f9a0de11b1 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 *1.12.1* (October 19th, 2005)
 
-* HABTM finders shouldn't return readonly records.  #2525 [patrick@lenz.sh]
+* Fixed Association#clear for associations which have not yet been accessed. #2524 [Patrick Lenz <patrick@lenz.sh>]
+
+* HABTM finders shouldn't return readonly records.  #2525 [Patrick Lenz <patrick@lenz.sh>]
 
 * Make all tests runnable on their own. #2521. [Blair Zajac <blair@orcaware.com>]
 
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
index ced734cfcd2ee7d528605dda2d553b940b0f9ef3..164d11b2d12fd5614c83a344eaee52dcf6e9b440 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association_collection.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def delete(*records)
 
       # Removes all records from this association.  Returns +self+ so method calls may be chained.
       def clear
-        return self if empty? # forces load_target if hasn't happened already
+        return self if length.zero? # forces load_target if hasn't happened already
         if @options[:exclusively_dependent]
           destroy_all
         else          
diff --git a/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb
index 47562f9176a820a3a7aa1cddcc7839666a640aa9..2d7ebc2b42030c993fcf5663d7159ea1fc2a5de8 100755
--- a/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb
@@ -566,6 +566,15 @@ def test_clearing_an_exclusively_dependent_association_collection
     assert Client.find_by_id(client_id).nil?
   end                                                    
 
+  def test_clearing_without_initial_access
+    firm = companies(:first_firm)
+
+    firm.clients_of_firm.clear
+
+    assert_equal 0, firm.clients_of_firm.size
+    assert_equal 0, firm.clients_of_firm(true).size
+  end
+
   def test_deleting_a_item_which_is_not_in_the_collection
     force_signal37_to_load_all_clients_of_firm
     summit = Client.find_first("name = 'Summit'")