diff --git a/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/CassandraTemplate.java b/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/CassandraTemplate.java
index 657de9a38..92f59a1ad 100644
--- a/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/CassandraTemplate.java
+++ b/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/CassandraTemplate.java
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@ public class CassandraTemplate extends CqlTemplate implements CassandraOperation
 		Select select = QueryBuilder.select().countAll().from(entity.getTableName().toCql());
 		appendIdCriteria(select.where(), entity, id);
 
-		return count(select.getQueryString()) != 0;
+		Long count = queryForObject(select, Long.class);
+
+		return count != 0;
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTests.java b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTests.java
index 2887374e9..79095c90d 100644
--- a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTests.java
@@ -15,12 +15,6 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.cassandra.test.integration.repository;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasItem;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasItems;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.not;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
-
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -29,6 +23,14 @@ import org.springframework.data.cassandra.core.CassandraOperations;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasItem;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasItems;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.not;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
 /**
  * Tests for {@link UserRepository}.
  * 
@@ -141,6 +143,18 @@ public class UserRepositoryIntegrationTests {
 		assertThat(result, not(hasItem(tom)));
 	}
 
+	public void exists() {
+
+		String id = "tom";
+
+		assertTrue(repository.exists(id));
+
+		repository.delete(id);
+
+		assertTrue(!repository.exists(id));
+
+	}
+
 	private static void assertEquals(User user1, User user2) {
 		Assert.assertEquals(user1.getUsername(), user2.getUsername());
 		Assert.assertEquals(user1.getFirstName(), user2.getFirstName());
diff --git a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTestsDelegator.java b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTestsDelegator.java
index 2d75e5d16..dd6e0c1ab 100644
--- a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTestsDelegator.java
+++ b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/test/integration/repository/UserRepositoryIntegrationTestsDelegator.java
@@ -75,4 +75,9 @@ public abstract class UserRepositoryIntegrationTestsDelegator extends
 	public void deletesUserByIdCorrectly() {
 		tests.deletesUserByIdCorrectly();
 	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void exists() {
+		tests.exists();
+	}
 }