diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java
index 21eb819f7..70766124f 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java
@@ -19,13 +19,10 @@
 import static org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.RestMediaTypes.*;
 import static org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMethod.*;
 
+import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.Serializable;
-import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.*;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
-import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisher;
@@ -42,6 +39,7 @@
 import org.springframework.data.rest.core.event.BeforeLinkDeleteEvent;
 import org.springframework.data.rest.core.event.BeforeLinkSaveEvent;
 import org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.support.BackendId;
+import org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.util.InputStreamHttpInputMessage;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.CollectionModel;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.EntityModel;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.IanaLinkRelations;
@@ -54,6 +52,7 @@
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
 import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.HttpMessageNotReadableException;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ExceptionHandler;
@@ -248,6 +247,10 @@ public ResponseEntity<? extends RepresentationModel<?>> createPropertyReference(
 			Class<?> propertyType = prop.property.getType();
 
 			if (prop.property.isCollectionLike()) {
+				if (source.getLinks().isEmpty()) {
+					throw new HttpMessageNotReadableException("No links provided",
+							InputStreamHttpInputMessage.of(InputStream.nullInputStream()));
+				}
 
 				Collection<Object> collection = AUGMENTING_METHODS.contains(requestMethod) //
 						? (Collection<Object>) prop.propertyValue //
@@ -261,6 +264,10 @@ public ResponseEntity<? extends RepresentationModel<?>> createPropertyReference(
 				prop.accessor.setProperty(prop.property, collection);
 
 			} else if (prop.property.isMap()) {
+				if (source.getLinks().isEmpty()) {
+					throw new HttpMessageNotReadableException("No links provided",
+							InputStreamHttpInputMessage.of(InputStream.nullInputStream()));
+				}
 
 				Map<LinkRelation, Object> map = AUGMENTING_METHODS.contains(requestMethod) //
 						? (Map<LinkRelation, Object>) prop.propertyValue //
@@ -283,8 +290,9 @@ public ResponseEntity<? extends RepresentationModel<?>> createPropertyReference(
 				}
 
 				if (!source.getLinks().hasSingleLink()) {
-					throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-							"Must send only 1 link to update a property reference that isn't a List or a Map.");
+					throw new HttpMessageNotReadableException(
+							"Must send only 1 link to update a property reference that isn't a List or a Map.",
+							InputStreamHttpInputMessage.of(InputStream.nullInputStream()));
 				}
 
 				prop.accessor.setProperty(prop.property,
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceControllerUnitTests.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceControllerUnitTests.java
index c2d9c1f94..491b343e5 100755
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceControllerUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceControllerUnitTests.java
@@ -15,13 +15,12 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.catchThrowable;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.AssertionsForClassTypes.assertThat;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.*;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.*;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.ExtendWith;
@@ -46,6 +45,7 @@
 import org.springframework.hateoas.CollectionModel;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.Link;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.HttpMessageNotReadableException;
 
 /**
  * Unit tests for {@link RepositoryPropertyReferenceController}.
@@ -90,11 +90,105 @@ void usesRepositoryInvokerToLookupRelatedInstance() throws Exception {
 		verify(invoker).invokeFindById("some-id");
 	}
 
-	@RestResource
+	@Test // DATAREST-2495
+	void rejectsEmptyLinksForAssociationUpdate() throws Exception {
+
+		KeyValuePersistentEntity<?, ?> entity = mappingContext.getRequiredPersistentEntity(Sample.class);
+
+		ResourceMappings mappings = new PersistentEntitiesResourceMappings(
+				new PersistentEntities(Collections.singleton(mappingContext)));
+		ResourceMetadata metadata = spy(mappings.getMetadataFor(Sample.class));
+		when(metadata.getSupportedHttpMethods()).thenReturn(AllSupportedHttpMethods.INSTANCE);
+
+		RepositoryPropertyReferenceController controller = new RepositoryPropertyReferenceController(repositories,
+				invokerFactory);
+		controller.setApplicationEventPublisher(publisher);
+
+		doReturn(Optional.of(new Sample())).when(invoker).invokeFindById(4711);
+
+		RootResourceInformation information = new RootResourceInformation(metadata, entity, invoker);
+
+		// Do we need integration test to verify HTTP response code?
+		Throwable thrown = catchThrowable(
+				() -> controller.createPropertyReference(information, HttpMethod.POST, null, 4711, "references"));
+		assertThat(thrown).isInstanceOf(HttpMessageNotReadableException.class);
+
+		verify(invoker, never()).invokeFindById("some-id");
+	}
+
+	@Test // GH-2495
+	void rejectsMultipleLinksForSingleValuedAssociation() throws Exception {
+
+		KeyValuePersistentEntity<?, ?> entity = mappingContext.getRequiredPersistentEntity(SingleSample.class);
+
+		ResourceMappings mappings = new PersistentEntitiesResourceMappings(
+				new PersistentEntities(Collections.singleton(mappingContext)));
+		ResourceMetadata metadata = spy(mappings.getMetadataFor(SingleSample.class));
+		when(metadata.getSupportedHttpMethods()).thenReturn(AllSupportedHttpMethods.INSTANCE);
+
+		RepositoryPropertyReferenceController controller = new RepositoryPropertyReferenceController(repositories,
+				invokerFactory);
+		controller.setApplicationEventPublisher(publisher);
+
+		doReturn(Optional.of(new SingleSample())).when(invoker).invokeFindById(4711);
+
+		RootResourceInformation information = new RootResourceInformation(metadata, entity, invoker);
+		CollectionModel<Object> request = CollectionModel
+				.empty(List.of(Link.of("/reference/some-id"), Link.of("/reference/some-another-id")));
+
+		// Do we need integration test to verify HTTP response code?
+		Throwable thrown = catchThrowable(
+				() -> controller.createPropertyReference(information, HttpMethod.POST, request, 4711, "reference"));
+		assertThat(thrown).isInstanceOf(HttpMessageNotReadableException.class);
+
+		verify(invokerFactory, never()).getInvokerFor(Reference.class);
+		verify(invoker, never()).invokeFindById("some-id");
+		verify(invoker, never()).invokeFindById("some-another-id");
+	}
+
+	@Test // GH-2495
+	void rejectsMapLinksForSingleValuedAssociation() throws Exception {
+
+		KeyValuePersistentEntity<?, ?> entity = mappingContext.getRequiredPersistentEntity(MapSample.class);
+
+		ResourceMappings mappings = new PersistentEntitiesResourceMappings(
+				new PersistentEntities(Collections.singleton(mappingContext)));
+		ResourceMetadata metadata = spy(mappings.getMetadataFor(MapSample.class));
+		when(metadata.getSupportedHttpMethods()).thenReturn(AllSupportedHttpMethods.INSTANCE);
+
+		RepositoryPropertyReferenceController controller = new RepositoryPropertyReferenceController(repositories,
+				invokerFactory);
+		controller.setApplicationEventPublisher(publisher);
+
+		doReturn(Optional.of(new MapSample())).when(invoker).invokeFindById(4711);
+
+		RootResourceInformation information = new RootResourceInformation(metadata, entity, invoker);
+
+		// Do we need integration test to verify HTTP response code?
+		Throwable thrown = catchThrowable(
+				() -> controller.createPropertyReference(information, HttpMethod.POST, null, 4711, "reference"));
+		assertThat(thrown).isInstanceOf(HttpMessageNotReadableException.class);
+
+		verify(invokerFactory, never()).getInvokerFor(Reference.class);
+		verify(invoker, never()).invokeFindById("some-id");
+	}
+
+
+    @RestResource
 	static class Sample {
 		@org.springframework.data.annotation.Reference List<Reference> references = new ArrayList<Reference>();
 	}
 
+	@RestResource
+	static class SingleSample {
+		@org.springframework.data.annotation.Reference Reference reference;
+	}
+
+	@RestResource
+	static class MapSample {
+		@org.springframework.data.annotation.Reference Map<Reference, Reference> reference;
+	}
+
 	@RestResource
 	static class Reference {}