diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQuery.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQuery.java
index 9c43d281b..fc3130bfb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQuery.java
@@ -73,14 +73,32 @@ final class SimpleJpaQuery extends AbstractJpaQuery {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Validates the given query for syntactical correctness.
+	 * 
+	 * @param query
+	 * @param em
+	 */
 	private final void validateQuery(String query, EntityManager em) {
 
+		EntityManager validatingEm = null;
+
 		try {
-			em.createQuery(query);
+
+			validatingEm = em.getEntityManagerFactory().createEntityManager();
+			validatingEm.createQuery(query);
+
 		} catch (RuntimeException e) {
+
 			// Needed as there's ambiguities in how an invalid query string shall be expressed by the persistence provider
 			// http://java.net/projects/jpa-spec/lists/jsr338-experts/archive/2012-07/message/17
 			throw e instanceof IllegalArgumentException ? e : new IllegalArgumentException(e);
+
+		} finally {
+
+			if (validatingEm != null) {
+				validatingEm.close();
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryLookupStrategyUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryLookupStrategyUnitTests.java
index b7f11a137..312f8a3ca 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryLookupStrategyUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryLookupStrategyUnitTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2013 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.
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 
 import javax.persistence.EntityManager;
+import javax.persistence.EntityManagerFactory;
 
+import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
@@ -45,12 +47,16 @@ import org.springframework.data.repository.query.QueryLookupStrategy.Key;
 @RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.class)
 public class JpaQueryLookupStrategyUnitTests {
 
-	@Mock
-	EntityManager em;
-	@Mock
-	QueryExtractor extractor;
-	@Mock
-	NamedQueries namedQueries;
+	@Mock EntityManager em;
+	@Mock EntityManagerFactory emf;
+	@Mock QueryExtractor extractor;
+	@Mock NamedQueries namedQueries;
+
+	@Before
+	public void setUp() {
+		when(em.getEntityManagerFactory()).thenReturn(emf);
+		when(emf.createEntityManager()).thenReturn(em);
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * @see DATAJPA-226
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQueryUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQueryUnitTests.java
index 86889fd10..96e7e7e36 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQueryUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/SimpleJpaQueryUnitTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2008-2011 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2008-2013 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.
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import javax.persistence.EntityManager;
+import javax.persistence.EntityManagerFactory;
 import javax.persistence.TypedQuery;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -51,22 +52,20 @@ public class SimpleJpaQueryUnitTests {
 
 	JpaQueryMethod method;
 
-	@Mock
-	EntityManager em;
-	@Mock
-	QueryExtractor extractor;
-	@Mock
-	TypedQuery<Long> query;
-	@Mock
-	RepositoryMetadata metadata;
-	@Mock
-	ParameterBinder binder;
+	@Mock EntityManager em;
+	@Mock EntityManagerFactory emf;
+	@Mock QueryExtractor extractor;
+	@Mock TypedQuery<Long> query;
+	@Mock RepositoryMetadata metadata;
+	@Mock ParameterBinder binder;
 
 	@Before
 	public void setUp() throws SecurityException, NoSuchMethodException {
 
 		when(em.createQuery(anyString())).thenReturn(query);
 		when(em.createQuery(anyString(), eq(Long.class))).thenReturn(query);
+		when(em.getEntityManagerFactory()).thenReturn(emf);
+		when(emf.createEntityManager()).thenReturn(em);
 
 		Method setUp = UserRepository.class.getMethod("findByLastname", String.class);
 		method = new JpaQueryMethod(setUp, metadata, extractor);