diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequest.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequest.java
index 120e98a27..2372ed7c3 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequest.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ import java.util.function.Predicate;
  */
 public final class DtoQueryRequest<T> extends AbstractSqlQueryRequest {
 
+  private static final String ENC_PREFIX = EncryptAlias.PREFIX;
+  private static final String ENC_PREFIX_UPPER = EncryptAlias.PREFIX.toUpperCase();
+
   private final SpiDtoQuery<T> query;
 
   private final DtoQueryEngine queryEngine;
@@ -133,9 +136,9 @@ public final class DtoQueryRequest<T> extends AbstractSqlQueryRequest {
   }
 
   static String parseColumn(String columnLabel) {
-    if (columnLabel.startsWith("_e_") || columnLabel.startsWith("_E_")) {
+    if (columnLabel.startsWith(ENC_PREFIX) || columnLabel.startsWith(ENC_PREFIX_UPPER)) {
       // encrypted column alias in the form _e_<tableAlias>_<column>
-      final int pos = columnLabel.indexOf("_", 3);
+      final int pos = columnLabel.indexOf("_", 4);
       if (pos > -1) {
         return columnLabel.substring(pos + 1);
       }
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/EncryptAlias.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/EncryptAlias.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e73a2a9e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/EncryptAlias.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package io.ebeaninternal.server.core;
+
+/**
+ * Used to create column alias for encrypted columns.
+ */
+public interface EncryptAlias {
+  String PREFIX = "zx__";
+}
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanProperty.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanProperty.java
index d3b1f429b..270415a22 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanProperty.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanProperty.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import io.ebeaninternal.api.SpiExpressionRequest;
 import io.ebeaninternal.api.SpiQuery;
 import io.ebeaninternal.api.json.SpiJsonReader;
 import io.ebeaninternal.api.json.SpiJsonWriter;
+import io.ebeaninternal.server.core.EncryptAlias;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.core.InternString;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.generatedproperty.GeneratedProperty;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.generatedproperty.GeneratedWhenCreated;
@@ -65,6 +66,8 @@ public class BeanProperty implements ElPropertyValue, Property, STreeProperty {
 
   private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(BeanProperty.class);
 
+  private static final String ENC_PREFIX = " " + EncryptAlias.PREFIX;
+
   /**
    * Flag to mark this is the id property.
    */
@@ -531,7 +534,7 @@ public class BeanProperty implements ElPropertyValue, Property, STreeProperty {
    * Return the SQL for the column including decryption function and column alias.
    */
   private String getDecryptSqlWithColumnAlias(String tableAlias) {
-    return dbEncryptFunction.getDecryptSql(tableAlias + "." + this.getDbColumn()) + " _e_" + tableAlias + "_" + this.getDbColumn();
+    return dbEncryptFunction.getDecryptSql(tableAlias + "." + this.getDbColumn()) + ENC_PREFIX + tableAlias + "_" + this.getDbColumn();
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequestTest.java b/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequestTest.java
index f8bdd66bd..4b85f18f1 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequestTest.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DtoQueryRequestTest.java
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ public class DtoQueryRequestTest {
   public void testParse() {
 
     assertEquals("foo", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("foo"));
-    assertEquals("bar", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("_e_t0_bar"));
-    assertEquals("BAR", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("_E_T0_BAR"));
-    assertEquals("baz", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("_e_t42_baz"));
-    assertEquals("BAZ", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("_E_T42_BAZ"));
+    assertEquals("bar", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("zx__t0_bar"));
+    assertEquals("BAR", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("ZX__T0_BAR"));
+    assertEquals("baz", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("zx__t42_baz"));
+    assertEquals("BAZ", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("ZX__T42_BAZ"));
 
     assertEquals("e_t42_nope", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("e_t42_nope"));
     assertEquals("_f_t42_nope", DtoQueryRequest.parseColumn("_f_t42_nope"));