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 351a08f29..9a9f6c12e 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
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 			propertyPathModel = from.get(segment).getModel();
 		}
 
-		if (requiresJoin(propertyPathModel, model instanceof PluralAttribute) && !isAlreadyFetched(from, segment)) {
+		if (requiresJoin(propertyPathModel, model instanceof PluralAttribute, !property.hasNext()) && !isAlreadyFetched(from, segment)) {
 			Join<?, ?> join = getOrCreateJoin(from, segment);
 			return (Expression<T>) (property.hasNext() ? toExpressionRecursively(join, property.next()) : join);
 		} else {
@@ -603,9 +603,10 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 	 * 
 	 * @param propertyPathModel may be {@literal null}.
 	 * @param forPluralAttribute
+	 * @param forLeafProperty
 	 * @return
 	 */
-	private static boolean requiresJoin(@Nullable Bindable<?> propertyPathModel, boolean forPluralAttribute) {
+	private static boolean requiresJoin(@Nullable Bindable<?> propertyPathModel, boolean forPluralAttribute, boolean forLeafProperty) {
 
 		if (propertyPathModel == null && forPluralAttribute) {
 			return true;
@@ -620,6 +621,9 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 		if (!ASSOCIATION_TYPES.containsKey(attribute.getPersistentAttributeType())) {
 			return false;
 		}
+		if (forLeafProperty && !attribute.isCollection()) {
+			return false;
+		}
 
 		Class<? extends Annotation> associationAnnotation = ASSOCIATION_TYPES.get(attribute.getPersistentAttributeType());
 
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 969811ac7..6e708115e 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
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public class QueryUtilsIntegrationTests {
 		CriteriaQuery<User> query = builder.createQuery(User.class);
 		Root<User> root = query.from(User.class);
 
-		QueryUtils.toExpressionRecursively(root, PropertyPath.from("manager", User.class));
+		QueryUtils.toExpressionRecursively(root, PropertyPath.from("manager.firstname", User.class));
 
 		assertThat(root.getJoins()).hasSize(1);
 	}