diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQuery.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQuery.java
index bbb5bd345..83dff9368 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQuery.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQuery.java
@@ -25,13 +25,10 @@ import org.springframework.data.repository.query.Parameter;
 import org.springframework.data.repository.query.parser.Part;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import static org.springframework.util.StringUtils.collectionToCommaDelimitedString;
-import static org.springframework.util.StringUtils.collectionToDelimitedString;
-import static org.springframework.util.StringUtils.hasText;
+import static org.springframework.util.StringUtils.*;
 
 public class CypherQuery implements CypherQueryDefinition {
     private final VariableContext variableContext = new VariableContext();
@@ -42,6 +39,7 @@ public class CypherQuery implements CypherQueryDefinition {
     private int index = 0;
     private final Neo4jPersistentEntity<?> entity;
     private final Neo4jTemplate template;
+    private boolean isCountQuery = false;
 
     public CypherQuery(final Neo4jPersistentEntity<?> entity, Neo4jTemplate template) {
         this.entity = entity;
@@ -176,7 +174,12 @@ public class CypherQuery implements CypherQueryDefinition {
             builder.append(" WHERE ").append(whereClauses);
         }
 
-        builder.append(" RETURN ").append(String.format(QueryTemplates.VARIABLE, getEntityName(entity)));
+        String returnEntity = String.format(QueryTemplates.VARIABLE,getEntityName(entity));
+        if (isCountQuery) {
+            builder.append(" RETURN ").append("count(").append(returnEntity).append(")");
+        } else {
+            builder.append(" RETURN ").append(returnEntity);
+        }
         return builder.toString();
     }
 
@@ -235,4 +238,8 @@ public class CypherQuery implements CypherQueryDefinition {
     public String toString() {
         return toQueryString();
     }
+
+    public void setIsCountQuery(boolean isCountQuery) {
+        this.isCountQuery = isCountQuery;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryBuilder.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryBuilder.java
index 92b9513b7..70faecfc6 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryBuilder.java
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ class CypherQueryBuilder {
         this.query = new CypherQuery(entity, template);
     }
 
+    public CypherQueryBuilder asCountQuery() {
+        query.setIsCountQuery(true);
+        return this;
+    }
+
     public CypherQueryBuilder addRestriction(Part part) {
         query.addPart(part, context.getPersistentPropertyPath(part.getProperty()));
         return this;
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryCreator.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryCreator.java
index fee5bb9ff..b7a0f2017 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryCreator.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/CypherQueryCreator.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class CypherQueryCreator extends AbstractQueryCreator<CypherQueryDefinition, Cyp
     private final MappingContext<? extends Neo4jPersistentEntity<?>, Neo4jPersistentProperty> context;
     private final Class<?> domainClass;
     private final Neo4jTemplate template;
+    private boolean isCountProjection = false;
 
     /**
      * Creates a new {@link CypherQueryCreator} using the given {@link PartTree}, {@link org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.mapping.Neo4jMappingContext} and domain
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ class CypherQueryCreator extends AbstractQueryCreator<CypherQueryDefinition, Cyp
         this.template = template;
         this.context = context;
         this.domainClass = domainClass;
+        this.isCountProjection = tree.isCountProjection();
     }
 
     /*
@@ -68,6 +70,9 @@ class CypherQueryCreator extends AbstractQueryCreator<CypherQueryDefinition, Cyp
     protected CypherQueryBuilder create(Part part, Iterator<Object> iterator) {
 
         CypherQueryBuilder builder = new CypherQueryBuilder(context, domainClass,template);
+        if (isCountProjection) {
+            builder = builder.asCountQuery();
+        }
         builder.addRestriction(part);
 
         return builder;
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/DerivedFinderTests.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/DerivedFinderTests.java
index b72a888e8..e7630a672 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/DerivedFinderTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/DerivedFinderTests.java
@@ -151,6 +151,14 @@ interface RecipeRepository extends GraphRepository<Recipe> {
 
     Set<Recipe> findByIngredientAndCookBook(Ingredient ingredient, CookBook cookBook);
     Set<Recipe> findBySecrets(Ingredient ingredient);
+
+    Long countByAuthor(String author);
+
+    Long countByIngredientAndAuthor(Ingredient ingredient, String author);
+
+    Long countByIngredient(Ingredient ingredient);
+
+    Integer countByCookBookTitle(String title);
 }
 
 @RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@@ -292,6 +300,31 @@ public class DerivedFinderTests {
         assertThat(single(recipes).author, is(equalTo("Jamie")));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void shouldCountCorrectlyUsingProperty() throws Exception {
+        Long actualCountVal = recipeRepository.countByAuthor("Hugh");
+        assertThat(actualCountVal, is(equalTo(3L)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldCountCorrectlyUsingEntityAndProperty() throws Exception {
+        Long actualCountVal = recipeRepository.countByIngredientAndAuthor(oliveOil,"Hugh");
+        assertThat(actualCountVal, is(equalTo(1L)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldCountCorrectlyUsingEntity() throws Exception {
+        Long actualCountVal = recipeRepository.countByIngredient(chocolate);
+        assertThat(actualCountVal, is(equalTo(2L)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldCountCorrectlyUsingPropertyTraversal() throws Exception {
+        Integer actualCountVal = recipeRepository.countByCookBookTitle("Naked Chef");
+        assertThat(actualCountVal, is(equalTo(1)));
+    }
+
+
     @Test
     public void shouldFindUsingEntityAndPropertyTraversal() throws Exception {
         Set<Recipe> recipes = recipeRepository.findByIngredientAndCookBookTitle(oliveOil, "Naked Chef");
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/GraphRepositoryTests.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/GraphRepositoryTests.java
index 6e0689ee4..db7ebe9d8 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/GraphRepositoryTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/GraphRepositoryTests.java
@@ -372,6 +372,14 @@ public class GraphRepositoryTests {
         assertThat(findByName, hasItem(testTeam.michael));
     }
 
+    @Test @Transactional
+    public void countByName() {
+        Long num = personRepository.countByName(testTeam.michael.getName());
+        assertEquals((Long)1L,num);
+    }
+
+
+
     @Test @Transactional
     public void findByPersonalityEnum() {
         testTeam.michael.setPersonality(Personality.EXTROVERT);
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/PersonRepository.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/PersonRepository.java
index b1033787c..b95da535e 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/PersonRepository.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/PersonRepository.java
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ public interface PersonRepository extends GraphRepository<Person>, NamedIndexRep
     Iterable<Person> findAllTeamMembersSorted(@Param("p_team") Group team, Sort sort);
 
 
+    Long countByName(String name);
+
     // Derived queries
     Iterable<Person> findByName(String name);