diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/PropertyMapping.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/PropertyMapping.java
index dd433a6a0..e14ee8241 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/PropertyMapping.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/PropertyMapping.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class PropertyMapping extends AbstractModelElement {
     private final String targetName;
     private final String targetAccessorName;
     private final Type targetType;
-    private final boolean isHasTargetSetter;
+    private final boolean isTargetAccessorSetter;
 
     private final MappingMethodReference mappingMethod;
     private final TypeConversion conversion;
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public class PropertyMapping extends AbstractModelElement {
         this.targetName = targetName;
         this.targetAccessorName = targetAccessorName;
         this.targetType = targetType;
-        this.isHasTargetSetter = targetAccessorName.startsWith( "set" );
+        this.isTargetAccessorSetter = targetAccessorName.startsWith( "set" );
 
         this.mappingMethod = mappingMethod;
         this.conversion = conversion;
@@ -98,8 +98,15 @@ public class PropertyMapping extends AbstractModelElement {
         return conversion;
     }
 
-    public boolean isHasTargetSetter() {
-        return isHasTargetSetter;
+    /**
+     * Whether the target accessor is a setter method or not. The only case where it is not a setter but a getter is a
+     * collection-typed property without a getter, to which elements are set by adding the source elements to the
+     * collection retrieved via the getter.
+     *
+     * @return {@code true} if the target accessor is a setter, {@code false} otherwise
+     */
+    public boolean isTargetAccessorSetter() {
+        return isTargetAccessorSetter;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.PropertyMapping.ftl b/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.PropertyMapping.ftl
index 84660f74c..a2ce497f5 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.PropertyMapping.ftl
+++ b/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.PropertyMapping.ftl
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@
 -->
 <#-- a) invoke mapping method -->
 <#if mappingMethod??>
-<#if hasTargetSetter>
+<#if targetAccessorSetter>
 ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}( <@includeModel object=mappingMethod input="${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}()"/> );
-<#else>
-if ( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() != null ) {
-${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}().addAll( <@includeModel object=mappingMethod input="${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}()"/> );
+<#elseif targetType.collectionType>
+if ( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() != null && ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}() != null ) {
+    ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}().addAll( <@includeModel object=mappingMethod input="${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}()"/> );
 }
 </#if>
 <#-- b) simple conversion -->
@@ -39,13 +39,15 @@ if ( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() != null ) {
 <#-- c) simply set -->
 <#else>
     <#if targetType.collectionType || targetType.mapType>
+        <#if targetAccessorSetter>
 if ( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() != null ) {
-<#if hasTargetSetter>
     ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}( new <#if targetType.implementationType??><@includeModel object=targetType.implementationType/><#else><@includeModel object=targetType/></#if>( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() ) );
-<#else>
-    ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}().addAll( new <#if targetType.implementationType??><@includeModel object=targetType.implementationType/><#else><@includeModel object=targetType/></#if>( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() ) );
-</#if>
 }
+        <#else>
+if ( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() != null && ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}() != null ) {
+    ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}().addAll( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() );
+}
+        </#if>
     <#else>
 ${ext.targetBeanName}.${targetAccessorName}( ${sourceBeanName}.${sourceAccessorName}() );
     </#if>