diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtils.java
index 328958bab..dfe16b94c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtils.java
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 		builder = new StringBuilder();
 		builder.append("select");
 		builder.append("\\s+"); // at least one space separating
+		builder.append("(.*\\s+)?"); // anything in between (e.g. distinct) at least one space separating
 		builder.append("new");
 		builder.append("\\s+"); // at least one space separating
 		builder.append(IDENTIFIER);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsUnitTests.java
index f74699e8a..f0cd00184 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsUnitTests.java
@@ -323,7 +323,15 @@ public class QueryUtilsUnitTests {
 		assertThat(applySorting(query, sort, "c"), endsWith("order by c.dPropertyStartingWithJoinAlias asc"));
 	}
 
-	private void assertCountQuery(String originalQuery, String countQuery) {
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAJPA-938
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void detectsConstructorExpressionInDistinctQuery() {
+		assertThat(hasConstructorExpression("select distinct new Foo() from Bar b"), is(true));
+	}
+
+	private static void assertCountQuery(String originalQuery, String countQuery) {
 		assertThat(createCountQueryFor(originalQuery), is(countQuery));
 	}
 }