diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/Entity/BasicEntityPersister.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/Entity/BasicEntityPersister.php
index 8ce4c03ce11..2a57fc7e8c4 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/Entity/BasicEntityPersister.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Persisters/Entity/BasicEntityPersister.php
@@ -1933,20 +1933,7 @@ private function getValues($value): array
             return [$newValue];
         }
 
-        if (is_object($value) && $this->em->getMetadataFactory()->hasMetadataFor(ClassUtils::getClass($value))) {
-            $class = $this->em->getClassMetadata(get_class($value));
-            if ($class->isIdentifierComposite) {
-                $newValue = [];
-
-                foreach ($class->getIdentifierValues($value) as $innerValue) {
-                    $newValue = array_merge($newValue, $this->getValues($innerValue));
-                }
-
-                return $newValue;
-            }
-        }
-
-        return [$this->getIndividualValue($value)];
+        return $this->getIndividualValue($value);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1954,15 +1941,34 @@ private function getValues($value): array
      *
      * @param mixed $value
      *
-     * @return mixed
+     * @return       array<mixed>
+     * @psalm-return list<mixed>
      */
     private function getIndividualValue($value)
     {
-        if (! is_object($value) || ! $this->em->getMetadataFactory()->hasMetadataFor(ClassUtils::getClass($value))) {
-            return $value;
+        if (! is_object($value)) {
+            return [$value];
+        }
+
+        $valueClass = ClassUtils::getClass($value);
+
+        if ($this->em->getMetadataFactory()->isTransient($valueClass)) {
+            return [$value];
+        }
+
+        $class = $this->em->getClassMetadata($valueClass);
+
+        if ($class->isIdentifierComposite) {
+            $newValue = [];
+
+            foreach ($class->getIdentifierValues($value) as $innerValue) {
+                $newValue = array_merge($newValue, $this->getValues($innerValue));
+            }
+
+            return $newValue;
         }
 
-        return $this->em->getUnitOfWork()->getSingleIdentifierValue($value);
+        return [$this->em->getUnitOfWork()->getSingleIdentifierValue($value)];
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/GH7512Test.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/GH7512Test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d390d50899c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/GH7512Test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket;
+
+use Doctrine\Common\Collections\Collection;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\Column;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\DiscriminatorMap;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\Entity;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\GeneratedValue;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\Id;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\InheritanceType;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ManyToOne;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\OneToMany;
+use Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase;
+
+class GH7512Test extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
+{
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+
+        $this->setUpEntitySchema([
+            GH7512EntityA::class,
+            GH7512EntityB::class,
+            GH7512EntityC::class,
+        ]);
+
+        $this->_em->persist(new GH7512EntityA());
+        $this->_em->persist(new GH7512EntityC());
+        $this->_em->flush();
+        $this->_em->clear();
+    }
+
+    public function testFindEntityByAssociationPropertyJoinedChildWithClearMetadata(): void
+    {
+        // unset metadata for entity B as though it hasn't been touched yet in application lifecycle.
+        $this->_em->getMetadataFactory()->setMetadataFor(GH7512EntityB::class, null);
+        $result = $this->_em->getRepository(GH7512EntityC::class)->findBy([
+            'entityA' => new GH7512EntityB(),
+        ]);
+        $this->assertEmpty($result);
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @Entity()
+ * @InheritanceType("JOINED")
+ * @DiscriminatorMap({
+ *     "entitya"=Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket\GH7512EntityA::class,
+ *     "entityB"=Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket\GH7512EntityB::class
+ * })
+ */
+class GH7512EntityA
+{
+    /**
+     * @Column(type="integer")
+     * @Id()
+     * @GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
+     * @var int
+     */
+    public $id;
+
+    /**
+     * @OneToMany(targetEntity="Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket\GH7512EntityC", mappedBy="entityA")
+     * @var Collection<int, GH7512EntityC>
+     */
+    public $entityCs;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @Entity()
+ */
+class GH7512EntityB extends GH7512EntityA
+{
+}
+
+/**
+ * @Entity()
+ */
+class GH7512EntityC
+{
+    /**
+     * @Column(type="integer")
+     * @Id()
+     * @GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
+     * @var int
+     */
+    public $id;
+
+    /**
+     * @ManyToOne(targetEntity="Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket\GH7512EntityA", inversedBy="entityCs")
+     * @var GH7512EntityA
+     */
+    public $entityA;
+}