diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecution.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecution.java
index ada670440..6a5833df3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecution.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecution.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package org.springframework.data.jpa.repository.query;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import javax.persistence.EntityManager;
 import javax.persistence.NoResultException;
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ import org.springframework.data.repository.support.PageableExecutionUtils.TotalS
 import org.springframework.data.util.CloseableIterator;
 import org.springframework.data.util.StreamUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 
 /**
  * Set of classes to contain query execution strategies. Depending (mostly) on the return type of a
@@ -55,8 +57,10 @@ public abstract class JpaQueryExecution {
 	static {
 
 		ConfigurableConversionService conversionService = new DefaultConversionService();
-		conversionService.removeConvertible(Collection.class, Object.class);
+
 		conversionService.addConverter(JpaResultConverters.BlobToByteArrayConverter.INSTANCE);
+		conversionService.removeConvertible(Collection.class, Object.class);
+		potentiallyRemoveOptionalConverter(conversionService);
 
 		CONVERSION_SERVICE = conversionService;
 	}
@@ -319,4 +323,29 @@ public abstract class JpaQueryExecution {
 			return StreamUtils.createStreamFromIterator(iter);
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Removes the converter being able to convert any object into an {@link Optional} from the given
+	 * {@link ConversionService} in case we're running on Java 8.
+	 * 
+	 * @param conversionService must not be {@literal null}.
+	 */
+	public static void potentiallyRemoveOptionalConverter(ConfigurableConversionService conversionService) {
+
+		ClassLoader classLoader = JpaQueryExecution.class.getClassLoader();
+
+		if (ClassUtils.isPresent("java.util.Optional", classLoader)) {
+
+			try {
+
+				Class<?> optionalType = ClassUtils.forName("java.util.Optional", classLoader);
+				conversionService.removeConvertible(Object.class, optionalType);
+
+			} catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
+				return;
+			} catch (LinkageError e) {
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecutionUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecutionUnitTests.java
index 25f3da18e..44f71d31d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecutionUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/query/JpaQueryExecutionUnitTests.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import javax.persistence.EntityManager;
 import javax.persistence.Query;
@@ -220,15 +221,32 @@ public class JpaQueryExecutionUnitTests {
 		verify(jpaQuery).createCountQuery((Object[]) any());
 	}
 
-	public static void sampleMethod(Pageable pageable) {
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAJPA-951
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void doesNotPreemtivelyWrapResultIntoOptional() throws Exception {
 
+		doReturn(method).when(jpaQuery).getQueryMethod();
+		doReturn(Optional.class).when(method).getReturnType();
+
+		StubQueryExecution execution = new StubQueryExecution() {
+			protected Object doExecute(AbstractJpaQuery query, Object[] values) {
+				return "result";
+			}
+		};
+
+		Object result = execution.execute(jpaQuery, new Object[0]);
+
+		assertThat(result, is(instanceOf(String.class)));
 	}
 
+	public static void sampleMethod(Pageable pageable) {}
+
 	static class StubQueryExecution extends JpaQueryExecution {
 
 		@Override
 		protected Object doExecute(AbstractJpaQuery query, Object[] values) {
-
 			return null;
 		}
 	}