diff --git a/backbone.js b/backbone.js
index 4e116dec9..83f7e0d26 100644
--- a/backbone.js
+++ b/backbone.js
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@
     options || (options = {});
     if (options.model) this.model = options.model;
     if (options.comparator !== void 0) this.comparator = options.comparator;
+    this.models = [];
     this._reset();
     this.initialize.apply(this, arguments);
     if (models) this.reset(models, _.extend({silent: true}, options));
@@ -796,7 +797,7 @@
       for (var i = 0, l = this.models.length; i < l; i++) {
         this._removeReference(this.models[i]);
       }
-      options.previousModels = this.models;
+      options.previousModels = this.models.slice();
       this._reset();
       if (models) this.add(models, _.extend({silent: true}, options));
       if (!options.silent) this.trigger('reset', this, options);
@@ -849,7 +850,7 @@
     // Reset all internal state. Called when the collection is reset.
     _reset: function() {
       this.length = 0;
-      this.models = [];
+      this.models.length = 0;
       this._byId  = {};
     },
 
diff --git a/test/collection.js b/test/collection.js
index 0bca07d94..5dda3235d 100644
--- a/test/collection.js
+++ b/test/collection.js
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 
   test("reset", 10, function() {
     var resetCount = 0;
-    var models = col.models;
+    var models = col.models.slice();
     col.on('reset', function() { resetCount += 1; });
     col.reset([]);
     equal(resetCount, 1);