diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireAccessor.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireAccessor.java
index c86d6b1d..098e6449 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireAccessor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireAccessor.java
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessException;
 import com.gemstone.gemfire.GemFireCheckedException;
 import com.gemstone.gemfire.GemFireException;
 import com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.Region;
+import com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.query.CqInvalidException;
+import com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.query.IndexInvalidException;
+import com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.query.QueryInvalidException;
 
 /**
  * Base class for GemfireTemplate and GemfireInterceptor, defining common properties such as {@link Region}. 
@@ -70,15 +73,27 @@ public class GemfireAccessor implements InitializingBean {
 	/**
 	 * Converts the given GemFire exception to an appropriate exception from the
 	 * <code>org.springframework.dao</code> hierarchy. Note that this particular implementation
-	 * is called only for GemFire exception that extend {@link IllegalArgumentException}.
+	 * is called only for GemFire querying exception that do <b>NOT</b> extend from GemFire exception.
 	 * May be overridden in subclasses.
 	 * 
 	 * @see com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.query.CqInvalidException
 	 * @param ex GemFireException that occurred
 	 * @return the corresponding DataAccessException instance
 	 */
-	public DataAccessException convertGemFireAccessException(IllegalArgumentException ex) {
-		return GemfireCacheUtils.convertGemfireAccessException(ex);
+	public DataAccessException convertGemFireQueryException(RuntimeException ex) {
+		if (ex instanceof CqInvalidException) {
+			return GemfireCacheUtils.convertGemfireAccessException((CqInvalidException) ex);
+		}
+
+		if (ex instanceof IndexInvalidException) {
+			return GemfireCacheUtils.convertGemfireAccessException((IndexInvalidException) ex);
+		}
+
+		if (ex instanceof QueryInvalidException) {
+			return GemfireCacheUtils.convertGemfireAccessException((QueryInvalidException) ex);
+		}
+
+		return new GemfireSystemException(ex);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireCacheUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireCacheUtils.java
index 20da530d..fe62978d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireCacheUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireCacheUtils.java
@@ -232,10 +232,39 @@ public abstract class GemfireCacheUtils {
 		if (ex instanceof UnmodifiableException) {
 			return new GemfireSystemException(ex);
 		}
+
+		// for exceptions that had their parent changed in 6.5
+		DataAccessException dae = convertQueryExceptions(ex);
+		if (dae != null)
+			return dae;
+
 		// fall back
 		return new GemfireSystemException(ex);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Dedicated method for converting exceptions changed in 6.5 that had their
+	 * parent changed. This method exists to 'fool' the compiler type checks
+	 * by loosening the type so the code compiles on both 6.5 (pre and current) branches.
+	 * 
+	 * @param ex
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	private static DataAccessException convertQueryExceptions(RuntimeException ex) {
+		if (ex instanceof IndexInvalidException) {
+			return convertGemfireAccessException((IndexInvalidException) ex);
+		}
+		if (ex instanceof QueryInvalidException) {
+			return convertGemfireAccessException((QueryInvalidException) ex);
+		}
+
+		if (ex instanceof CqInvalidException) {
+			return convertGemfireAccessException((CqInvalidException) ex);
+		}
+
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Converts the given (checked) Gemfire exception to an appropriate one from the
 	 * <code>org.springframework.dao</code> hierarchy.
@@ -264,20 +293,39 @@ public abstract class GemfireCacheUtils {
 		return new GemfireSystemException(ex);
 	}
 
-	public static DataAccessException convertGemfireAccessException(IllegalArgumentException ex) {
-		if (ex instanceof IndexInvalidException) {
-			return new GemfireIndexException((IndexInvalidException) ex);
-		}
+	/**
+	 * Converts the given (unchecked) Gemfire exception to an appropriate one from the
+	 * <code>org.springframework.dao</code> hierarchy. This method exists to handle backwards compatibility
+	 * for exceptions that had their parents changed in GemFire 6.5.
+	 *
+	 * @param ex Gemfire unchecked exception
+	 * @return new the corresponding DataAccessException instance
+	 */
+	public static DataAccessException convertGemfireAccessException(IndexInvalidException ex) {
+		return new GemfireIndexException(ex);
+	}
 
-		if (ex instanceof CqInvalidException) {
-			return new GemfireQueryException((CqInvalidException) ex);
-		}
+	/**
+	 * Converts the given (unchecked) Gemfire exception to an appropriate one from the
+	 * <code>org.springframework.dao</code> hierarchy. This method exists to handle backwards compatibility
+	 * for exceptions that had their parents changed in GemFire 6.5.
+	 *
+	 * @param ex Gemfire unchecked exception
+	 * @return new the corresponding DataAccessException instance
+	 */
+	public static DataAccessException convertGemfireAccessException(QueryInvalidException ex) {
+		return new GemfireQueryException(ex);
+	}
 
-		if (ex instanceof QueryInvalidException) {
-			return new GemfireQueryException((QueryInvalidException) ex);
-		}
-
-		// fall back
-		return new GemfireSystemException(ex);
+	/**
+	 * Converts the given (unchecked) Gemfire exception to an appropriate one from the
+	 * <code>org.springframework.dao</code> hierarchy. This method exists to handle backwards compatibility
+	 * for exceptions that had their parents changed in GemFire 6.5.
+	 *
+	 * @param ex Gemfire unchecked exception
+	 * @return new the corresponding DataAccessException instance
+	 */
+	public static DataAccessException convertGemfireAccessException(CqInvalidException ex) {
+		return new GemfireQueryException(ex);
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireSystemException.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireSystemException.java
index 534387cb..d735cab3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireSystemException.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireSystemException.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class GemfireSystemException extends UncategorizedDataAccessException {
 		super(ex.getMessage(), ex);
 	}
 
-	public GemfireSystemException(IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+	public GemfireSystemException(RuntimeException ex) {
 		super(ex.getMessage(), ex);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireTemplate.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireTemplate.java
index 3744f426..6ca34b27 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireTemplate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/GemfireTemplate.java
@@ -117,16 +117,16 @@ public class GemfireTemplate extends GemfireAccessor {
 			Region<?, ?> regionToExpose = (exposeNativeRegion ? getRegion() : regionProxy);
 			T result = action.doInGemfire(regionToExpose);
 			return result;
+		} catch (IndexInvalidException ex) {
+			throw convertGemFireQueryException(ex);
+		} catch (CqInvalidException ex) {
+			throw convertGemFireQueryException(ex);
+		} catch (QueryInvalidException ex) {
+			throw convertGemFireQueryException(ex);
 		} catch (GemFireCheckedException ex) {
 			throw convertGemFireAccessException(ex);
 		} catch (GemFireException ex) {
 			throw convertGemFireAccessException(ex);
-		} catch (IndexInvalidException ex) {
-			throw convertGemFireAccessException(ex);
-		} catch (CqInvalidException ex) {
-			throw convertGemFireAccessException(ex);
-		} catch (QueryInvalidException ex) {
-			throw convertGemFireAccessException(ex);
 		} catch (RuntimeException ex) {
 			// callback code threw application exception
 			throw ex;