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 3a173b5a2..92d1b8059 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
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 	public static final String DELETE_ALL_QUERY_STRING = "delete from %s x";
 
 	private static final String DEFAULT_ALIAS = "x";
-	private static final String COUNT_REPLACEMENT = "select count($3$5) $4$5$6";
+	private static final String COUNT_REPLACEMENT_TEMPLATE = "select count(%s) $5$6$7";
+	private static final String SIMPLE_COUNT_VALUE = "$2";
+	private static final String COMPLEX_COUNT_VALUE = "$3$6";
 
 	private static final Pattern ALIAS_MATCH;
 	private static final Pattern COUNT_MATCH;
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 		ALIAS_MATCH = compile(builder.toString(), CASE_INSENSITIVE);
 
 		builder = new StringBuilder();
-		builder.append("(select\\s+((distinct )?.+?)\\s+)?(from\\s+");
+		builder.append("(select\\s+((distinct )?(.+)?)\\s+)?(from\\s+");
 		builder.append(IDENTIFIER);
 		builder.append("(?:\\s+as)?\\s+)");
 		builder.append(IDENTIFIER_GROUP);
@@ -326,7 +328,12 @@ public abstract class QueryUtils {
 		Assert.hasText(originalQuery);
 
 		Matcher matcher = COUNT_MATCH.matcher(originalQuery);
-		return matcher.replaceFirst(COUNT_REPLACEMENT);
+		String variable = matcher.matches() ? matcher.group(4) : null;
+		boolean useVariable = StringUtils.hasText(variable) && !variable.startsWith("new")
+				&& !variable.startsWith("count(");
+
+		return matcher.replaceFirst(String.format(COUNT_REPLACEMENT_TEMPLATE, useVariable ? SIMPLE_COUNT_VALUE
+				: COMPLEX_COUNT_VALUE));
 	}
 
 	/**
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 8423541a1..9c43d281b 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
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ final class SimpleJpaQuery extends AbstractJpaQuery {
 
 		this.method = method;
 		this.query = new StringQuery(queryString);
-		this.countQuery = new StringQuery(method.getCountQuery() == null ? QueryUtils.createCountQueryFor(queryString)
-				: method.getCountQuery());
 
 		Parameters parameters = method.getParameters();
 		boolean hasPagingOrSortingParameter = parameters.hasPageableParameter() || parameters.hasSortParameter();
@@ -61,15 +59,28 @@ final class SimpleJpaQuery extends AbstractJpaQuery {
 			throw new IllegalStateException("Cannot use native queries with dynamic sorting and/or pagination!");
 		}
 
-		// Try to create a Query object already to fail fast
+		String preparedQueryString = this.query.getQuery();
+
 		if (!method.isNativeQuery()) {
-			try {
-				em.createQuery(query.getQuery());
-			} 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);
-			}
+			validateQuery(preparedQueryString, em);
+		}
+
+		this.countQuery = new StringQuery(method.getCountQuery() != null ? method.getCountQuery()
+				: QueryUtils.createCountQueryFor(preparedQueryString));
+
+		if (!method.isNativeQuery()) {
+			validateQuery(this.countQuery.getQuery(), em);
+		}
+	}
+
+	private final void validateQuery(String query, EntityManager em) {
+
+		try {
+			em.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);
 		}
 	}
 
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 ce627f308..522556181 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
@@ -203,6 +203,16 @@ public class QueryUtilsUnitTests {
 		assertThat(applySorting(query, sort, "p"), endsWith("order by p.lastname asc, lower(p.firstname) asc"));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAJPA-342
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void usesReturnedVariableInCOuntProjectionIfSet() {
+
+		assertCountQuery("select distinct m.genre from Media m where m.user = ?1 order by m.genre asc",
+				"select count(distinct m.genre) from Media m where m.user = ?1 order by m.genre asc");
+	}
+
 	private void assertCountQuery(String originalQuery, String countQuery) {
 		assertThat(createCountQueryFor(originalQuery), is(countQuery));
 	}