diff --git a/spring-data-riak/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplate.java b/spring-data-riak/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplate.java
index dc7988800..ef1cbcda7 100644
--- a/spring-data-riak/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplate.java
+++ b/spring-data-riak/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplate.java
@@ -548,11 +548,25 @@ public class RiakTemplate extends RestGatewaySupport implements KeyValueStoreOpe
 
   public <T> T execute(MapReduceJob job, Class<T> targetType) {
     RestTemplate restTemplate = getRestTemplate();
-    ResponseEntity<T> resp = restTemplate.postForEntity(mapReduceUri,
+    ResponseEntity<List> resp = restTemplate.postForEntity(mapReduceUri,
         job.toJson(),
-        targetType);
+        List.class);
     if (resp.hasBody()) {
-      return resp.getBody();
+      if (!targetType.isAssignableFrom(List.class)) {
+        List<?> results = (List<?>) resp.getBody();
+        if (results.size() == 1) {
+          Object obj = results.get(0);
+          if (obj.getClass() != targetType) {
+            ConversionService conv = getConversionService();
+            if (conv.canConvert(obj.getClass(), targetType)) {
+              return conv.convert(obj, targetType);
+            }
+          } else {
+            return (T) obj;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      return (T) resp.getBody();
     }
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/spring-data-riak/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplateSpec.groovy b/spring-data-riak/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplateSpec.groovy
index 4fcd71c5f..749c8022d 100644
--- a/spring-data-riak/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplateSpec.groovy
+++ b/spring-data-riak/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/data/riak/core/RiakTemplateSpec.groovy
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ class RiakTemplateSpec extends Specification {
 
   }
 
-  def "Test Map/Reduce"() {
+  def "Test Map/Reduce returning Integer"() {
 
     given:
     MapReduceJob job = riak.createMapReduceJob()
@@ -193,7 +193,29 @@ class RiakTemplateSpec extends Specification {
         addPhase(reducePhase)
 
     when:
-    def result = riak.execute(job, List)
+    def result = riak.execute(job, Integer)
+
+    then:
+    1 == result
+
+  }
+
+  def "Test Map/Reduce returning List"() {
+
+    given:
+    MapReduceJob job = riak.createMapReduceJob()
+    def mapJs = new JavascriptMapReduceOperation("function(v){ return [1]; }")
+    def mapPhase = new RiakMapReducePhase("map", "javascript", mapJs)
+
+    def reduceJs = new JavascriptMapReduceOperation("function(v){ return [v.length]; }")
+    def reducePhase = new RiakMapReducePhase("reduce", "javascript", reduceJs)
+
+    job.addInputs(["test"]).
+        addPhase(mapPhase).
+        addPhase(reducePhase)
+
+    when:
+    def result = riak.execute(job)
 
     then:
     1 == result.size()
diff --git a/spring-data-riak/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/data/riak/core/TestObject.java b/spring-data-riak/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/data/riak/core/TestObject.java
deleted file mode 100644
index fb37ae547..000000000
--- a/spring-data-riak/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/data/riak/core/TestObject.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (c) 2010 by J. Brisbin <jon@jbrisbin.com>
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-package org.springframework.data.riak.core;
-
-/**
- * @author J. Brisbin <jon@jbrisbin.com>
- */
-public class TestObject {
-  String test = "value";
-  Integer integer = 12;
-
-  public String getTest() {
-    return test;
-  }
-
-  public void setTest(String test) {
-    this.test = test;
-  }
-
-  public Integer getInteger() {
-    return integer;
-  }
-
-  public void setInteger(Integer integer) {
-    this.integer = integer;
-  }
-}