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 ef2b7b816..0ba422464 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
@@ -65,7 +65,13 @@ final class SimpleJpaQuery extends AbstractJpaQuery {
 
 		// Try to create a Query object already to fail fast
 		if (!method.isNativeQuery()) {
-			em.createQuery(queryString);
+			try {
+				em.createQuery(queryString);
+			} 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);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
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 6e3aebce6..b7f11a137 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
@@ -62,13 +62,14 @@ public class JpaQueryLookupStrategyUnitTests {
 		Method method = UserRepository.class.getMethod("findByFoo", String.class);
 		RepositoryMetadata metadata = new DefaultRepositoryMetadata(UserRepository.class);
 
-		Exception reference = new IllegalArgumentException();
+		Throwable reference = new RuntimeException();
 		when(em.createQuery(anyString())).thenThrow(reference);
 
 		try {
 			strategy.resolveQuery(method, metadata, namedQueries);
 		} catch (Exception e) {
-			assertThat(e, is(reference));
+			assertThat(e, is(instanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class)));
+			assertThat(e.getCause(), is(reference));
 		}
 	}