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 fd2e3baf2..6628a2c2e 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
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 			propertyPathModel = from.get(property.getSegment()).getModel();
 		}
 
-		if (property.isCollection() || requiresJoin(propertyPathModel)) {
+		if (requiresJoin(propertyPathModel)) {
 			Join<?, ?> join = getOrCreateJoin(from, property.getSegment());
 			return (Expression<T>) (property.hasNext() ? toExpressionRecursively(join, property.next()) : join);
 		} else {
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 		Class<? extends Annotation> associationAnnotation = ASSOCIATION_TYPES.get(attribute.getPersistentAttributeType());
 
 		if (associationAnnotation == null) {
-			return false;
+			return true;
 		}
 
 		Member member = attribute.getJavaMember();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/domain/sample/User.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/domain/sample/User.java
index 210fd60fa..a2ce46402 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/domain/sample/User.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/domain/sample/User.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import javax.persistence.Entity;
 import javax.persistence.GeneratedValue;
 import javax.persistence.GenerationType;
 import javax.persistence.Id;
+import javax.persistence.Lob;
 import javax.persistence.ManyToMany;
 import javax.persistence.ManyToOne;
 import javax.persistence.NamedQuery;
@@ -60,6 +61,8 @@ public class User {
 
 	@Embedded private Address address;
 
+	@Lob private byte[] binaryData;
+
 	/**
 	 * Creates a new empty instance of {@code User}.
 	 */
@@ -291,6 +294,20 @@ public class User {
 		this.address = address;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @param binaryData the binaryData to set
+	 */
+	public void setBinaryData(byte[] binaryData) {
+		this.binaryData = binaryData;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the binaryData
+	 */
+	public byte[] getBinaryData() {
+		return binaryData;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * (non-Javadoc)
 	 * 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java
index ba6bb1eb0..cdb4b784c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java
@@ -1196,6 +1196,22 @@ public class UserRepositoryTests {
 		assertThat(page.getContent().get(3), is(thirdUser));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAJPA-454
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void findsUserByBinaryDataReference() throws Exception {
+
+		byte[] data = "Woho!!".getBytes("UTF-8");
+		firstUser.setBinaryData(data);
+
+		flushTestUsers();
+
+		List<User> result = repository.findByBinaryData(data);
+		assertThat(result, hasSize(1));
+		assertThat(result, hasItem(firstUser));
+	}
+
 	private Page<User> executeSpecWithSort(Sort sort) {
 
 		flushTestUsers();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsIntegrationTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsIntegrationTests.java
index 682b4c166..cc979cc2f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/QueryUtilsIntegrationTests.java
@@ -90,6 +90,21 @@ public class QueryUtilsIntegrationTests {
 		QueryUtils.toExpressionRecursively(root, PropertyPath.from("customer", Order.class));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAJPA-454
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void createsJoingToTraverseCollectionPath() {
+
+		CriteriaBuilder builder = em.getCriteriaBuilder();
+		CriteriaQuery<User> query = builder.createQuery(User.class);
+		Root<User> root = query.from(User.class);
+
+		QueryUtils.toExpressionRecursively(root, PropertyPath.from("colleaguesLastname", User.class));
+
+		assertThat(root.getJoins(), hasSize(1));
+	}
+
 	protected void assertNoJoinRequestedForOptionalAssociation(Root<Order> root) {
 		assertThat(root.getJoins(), is(empty()));
 	}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/sample/UserRepository.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/sample/UserRepository.java
index 3f506dfa0..42f18dc0f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/sample/UserRepository.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/sample/UserRepository.java
@@ -288,4 +288,9 @@ public interface UserRepository extends JpaRepository<User, Integer>, JpaSpecifi
 	 * @see DATAJPA-405
 	 */
 	List<User> findAllByOrderByLastnameAsc();
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAJPA-454
+	 */
+	List<User> findByBinaryData(byte[] data);
 }