diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/DRawSqlColumnsParser.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/DRawSqlColumnsParser.java
index 058990467..8409794de 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/DRawSqlColumnsParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/DRawSqlColumnsParser.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package com.avaje.ebean;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 
 import javax.persistence.PersistenceException;
 
@@ -57,6 +56,9 @@ final class DRawSqlColumnsParser {
       split = tmp.toArray(new String[tmp.size()]);
     }
 
+    if (split.length == 0) {
+      throw new PersistenceException("Huh? Not expecting length=0 when parsing column " + colInfo);
+    }
     if (split.length == 1) {
       // default to column the same name as the property
       return new ColumnMapping.Column(indexPos++, split[0], null);
@@ -64,17 +66,18 @@ final class DRawSqlColumnsParser {
     if (split.length == 2) {
       return new ColumnMapping.Column(indexPos++, split[0], split[1]);
     }
-    if (split.length == 3) {
-      if (!split[1].equalsIgnoreCase("as")) {
-        String msg = "Expecting AS keyword parsing column " + colInfo;
-        throw new PersistenceException(msg);
-      }
-      return new ColumnMapping.Column(indexPos++, split[0], split[2]);
+    // Ok, we now expect/require the AS keyword and it should be the 
+    // second to last word in the colInfo content 
+    if (!split[split.length - 2].equalsIgnoreCase("as")) {
+      throw new PersistenceException("Expecting AS keyword as second to last word when parsing column " + colInfo);
     }
-
-    String msg = "Expecting Max 3 words parsing column " + colInfo + ". Got "
-        + Arrays.toString(split);
-    throw new PersistenceException(msg);
+    // build back the 'column formula' that precedes the AS keyword
+    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+    sb.append(split[0]);
+    for (int i = 1; i < split.length-2; i++) {
+      sb.append(" ").append(split[i]);
+    }
+    return new ColumnMapping.Column(indexPos++, sb.toString(), split[split.length - 1]);
   }
 
   private int nextComma() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/avaje/tests/rawsql/TestRawSqlAsKeyword.java b/src/test/java/com/avaje/tests/rawsql/TestRawSqlAsKeyword.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0222d82d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/avaje/tests/rawsql/TestRawSqlAsKeyword.java
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package com.avaje.tests.rawsql;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import com.avaje.ebean.BaseTestCase;
+import com.avaje.ebean.Ebean;
+import com.avaje.ebean.Query;
+import com.avaje.ebean.RawSql;
+import com.avaje.ebean.RawSqlBuilder;
+import com.avaje.tests.model.basic.Customer;
+import com.avaje.tests.model.basic.ResetBasicData;
+
+public class TestRawSqlAsKeyword extends BaseTestCase {
+  
+  @Test
+  public void test() {
+
+    // Make this false to run this test ... as the pipe string concatenation syntax is DB specific
+    boolean skipTestAsDBSpecficSQL = true;
+    
+    if (skipTestAsDBSpecficSQL) {
+      
+      return;
+    }
+    
+      ResetBasicData.reset();
+      
+      
+      // try valid query where spaces in the formula ...
+      RawSql rawSql = 
+          RawSqlBuilder
+              .parse("select r.id, r.name || 'hello' as name from o_customer r ")
+              .create();
+                  
+      Query<Customer> query = Ebean.find(Customer.class);
+      query.setRawSql(rawSql);
+      query.where().ilike("name", "r%");
+      
+      List<Customer> list = query.findList();
+      Assert.assertNotNull(list);
+      
+      
+      // try valid query with no spaces
+      rawSql = 
+          RawSqlBuilder
+              .parse("select r.id, r.name||'hello' as name from o_customer r ")
+              .create();
+                  
+      query = Ebean.find(Customer.class);
+      query.setRawSql(rawSql);
+      query.where().ilike("name", "r%");
+      
+      list = query.findList();
+      Assert.assertNotNull(list);
+      
+      rawSql = 
+          RawSqlBuilder
+              .parse("select r.id, r.name||'hello' name from o_customer r ")
+              .create();
+      query = Ebean.find(Customer.class);
+      query.setRawSql(rawSql);
+      query.where().ilike("name", "r%");
+      
+      list = query.findList();
+      Assert.assertNotNull(list);
+      
+      // this will barf - expecting the AS keyword now
+      rawSql = 
+          RawSqlBuilder
+              .parse("select r.id, r.name || 'hello' name from o_customer r ")
+              .create();
+      query = Ebean.find(Customer.class);
+      query.setRawSql(rawSql);
+      query.where().ilike("name", "r%");
+      
+      list = query.findList();
+      Assert.assertNotNull(list);
+  }
+}