diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandler.java
index f9013b440..50c5c5ff4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandler.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2014-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2014-2017 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package org.springframework.data.repository.core.support;
 
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.springframework.core.CollectionFactory;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.TypeDescriptor;
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ class QueryExecutionResultHandler {
 			return result;
 		}
 
+		result = unwrapOptional(result);
+
 		if (QueryExecutionConverters.supports(expectedReturnType)) {
 
 			TypeDescriptor targetType = TypeDescriptor.valueOf(expectedReturnType);
@@ -102,4 +105,19 @@ class QueryExecutionResultHandler {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Unwraps the given value if it's a JDK 8 {@link Optional}.
+	 * 
+	 * @param source can be {@literal null}.
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private static Object unwrapOptional(Object source) {
+
+		if (source == null) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		return Optional.class.isInstance(source) ? Optional.class.cast(source).orElse(null) : source;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandlerUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandlerUnitTests.java
index cfca5ccee..8a7da8025 100755
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandlerUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/core/support/QueryExecutionResultHandlerUnitTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package org.springframework.data.repository.core.support;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.*;
 
+import javaslang.control.Option;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 import rx.Completable;
@@ -336,6 +337,17 @@ public class QueryExecutionResultHandlerUnitTests {
 		assertThat(flux.next().block()).isEqualTo(entity.block());
 	}
 
+	@Test // DATACMNS-1056
+	public void convertsOptionalToThirdPartyOption() throws Exception {
+
+		Entity value = new Entity();
+		Optional<Entity> entity = Optional.of(value);
+
+		Object result = handler.postProcessInvocationResult(entity, TypeDescriptor.valueOf(Option.class));
+
+		assertThat(result).isInstanceOfSatisfying(Option.class, it -> assertThat(it.get()).isEqualTo(value));
+	}
+
 	private static TypeDescriptor getTypeDescriptorFor(String methodName) throws Exception {
 
 		Method method = Sample.class.getMethod(methodName);