diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index ad766d3267d8a1c0e1c8d88fc0dca255c4eb6cd8..d47a23b8f521e3ada644e26a7a5ec93e68b4580b 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 ## Rails 4.0.0 (unreleased) ##
 
+*   Fix for a regression bug in which counter cache columns were not being updated
+    when record was pushed into a has_many association. For example:
+
+        Post.first.comments << Comment.create
+
+    Fixes #3891.
+
+    *Matthew Robertson*
+
 *   If a model was instantiated from the database using `select`, `respond_to?`
     returns false for non-selected attributes. For example:
 
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/belongs_to.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/belongs_to.rb
index 3ba6a7136620ddd2320ce965676e1da167463c82..092230b2f7a66eeafcd6c5987180394542b680e6 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/belongs_to.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/belongs_to.rb
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ def add_counter_cache_callbacks(reflection)
 
       mixin.class_eval <<-CODE, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
         def belongs_to_counter_cache_after_create_for_#{name}
-          record = #{name}
-          record.class.increment_counter(:#{cache_column}, record.id) unless record.nil?
-          @_after_create_counter_called = true
+          if record = #{name}
+            record.class.increment_counter(:#{cache_column}, record.id)
+            @_after_create_counter_called = true
+          end
         end
 
         def belongs_to_counter_cache_before_destroy_for_#{name}
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb
index 781b87741d0ef7aae7ccced414fe6928fd072187..d85570236f4869278e75c00e530699676b2a3631 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_associations_test.rb
@@ -755,6 +755,15 @@ def test_deleting_updates_counter_cache
     assert_equal topic.replies.to_a.size, topic.replies_count
   end
 
+  def test_pushing_association_updates_counter_cache
+    topic = Topic.order("id ASC").first
+    reply = Reply.create!
+
+    assert_difference "topic.reload.replies_count", 1 do
+      topic.replies << reply
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_deleting_updates_counter_cache_without_dependent_option
     post = posts(:welcome)