diff --git a/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java b/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java
index bfb3ccf2d52..35e0fcd5222 100644
--- a/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java
+++ b/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ public class PropertyOrFieldReference extends SpelNodeImpl {
 
 		@Override
 		public boolean isWritable() {
-			return true;
+			return this.ref.isWritableProperty(this.ref.name, this.contextObject, this.evalContext);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/SetValueTests.java b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/SetValueTests.java
index 8ae798be642..5d26439e875 100644
--- a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/SetValueTests.java
+++ b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/SetValueTests.java
@@ -75,6 +75,54 @@ public class SetValueTests extends AbstractExpressionTests {
 		setValue("arrayContainer.bytes[1]", (byte) 3);
 		setValue("arrayContainer.chars[1]", (char) 3);
 	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testIsWritableForInvalidExpressions_SPR10610() {
+		Expression e = null;
+		StandardEvaluationContext lContext = TestScenarioCreator.getTestEvaluationContext();
+		
+		// PROPERTYORFIELDREFERENCE
+		// Non existent field (or property):
+		e = parser.parseExpression("arrayContainer.wibble");
+		assertFalse("Should not be writable!",e.isWritable(lContext));
+
+		e = parser.parseExpression("arrayContainer.wibble.foo");
+		try {
+			assertFalse("Should not be writable!",e.isWritable(lContext));
+			fail("Should have had an error because wibble does not really exist");
+		} catch (SpelEvaluationException see) {
+//			org.springframework.expression.spel.SpelEvaluationException: EL1008E:(pos 15): Property or field 'wibble' cannot be found on object of type 'org.springframework.expression.spel.testresources.ArrayContainer' - maybe not public?
+//					at org.springframework.expression.spel.ast.PropertyOrFieldReference.readProperty(PropertyOrFieldReference.java:225)
+			// success!
+		}
+		
+		// VARIABLE
+		// the variable does not exist (but that is OK, we should be writable)
+		e = parser.parseExpression("#madeup1");
+		assertTrue("Should be writable!",e.isWritable(lContext));
+
+		e = parser.parseExpression("#madeup2.bar"); // compound expression
+		assertFalse("Should not be writable!",e.isWritable(lContext));
+		
+		// INDEXER
+		// non existent indexer (wibble made up)
+		e = parser.parseExpression("arrayContainer.wibble[99]");
+		try {
+			assertFalse("Should not be writable!",e.isWritable(lContext));
+			fail("Should have had an error because wibble does not really exist");
+		} catch (SpelEvaluationException see) {
+			// success!
+		}
+		
+		// non existent indexer (index via a string)
+		e = parser.parseExpression("arrayContainer.ints['abc']");
+		try {
+			assertFalse("Should not be writable!",e.isWritable(lContext));
+			fail("Should have had an error because wibble does not really exist");
+		} catch (SpelEvaluationException see) {
+			// success!
+		}
+	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testSetArrayElementValueAllPrimitiveTypesErrors() {