diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/OrderBy.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/OrderBy.java
index 7ce78f340..10e6baf37 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/OrderBy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/OrderBy.java
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import io.ebean.util.StringHelper;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
@@ -412,15 +411,15 @@ public final class OrderBy<T> implements Serializable {
 
     String[] chunks = orderByClause.split(",");
     for (String chunk : chunks) {
-      String[] pairs = chunk.split(" ");
-      Property p = parseProperty(pairs);
+      Property p = parseProperty(chunk);
       if (p != null) {
         list.add(p);
       }
     }
   }
 
-  private Property parseProperty(String[] pairs) {
+  private Property parseProperty(String chunk) {
+    String[] pairs = chunk.split(" ");
     if (pairs.length == 0) {
       return null;
     }
@@ -446,8 +445,7 @@ public final class OrderBy<T> implements Serializable {
       boolean asc = isAscending(wordList.get(1));
       return new Property(wordList.get(0), asc, wordList.get(2), wordList.get(3));
     }
-    String m = "Expecting a 1, 2 or 4 words in [" + Arrays.toString(pairs) + "] but got " + wordList;
-    throw new RuntimeException(m);
+    return new Property(chunk.trim(), true);
   }
 
   private boolean isAscending(String s) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByOnComplex.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByOnComplex.java
index ab983c7d4..34b029448 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByOnComplex.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByOnComplex.java
@@ -3,10 +3,14 @@ package org.tests.query.orderby;
 import io.ebean.BaseTestCase;
 import io.ebean.Ebean;
 import io.ebean.Query;
-import org.tests.model.basic.Order;
-import org.tests.model.basic.ResetBasicData;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.tests.model.basic.Order;
+import org.tests.model.basic.ResetBasicData;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 public class TestOrderByOnComplex extends BaseTestCase {
 
@@ -24,4 +28,18 @@ public class TestOrderByOnComplex extends BaseTestCase {
 
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testOrderByCase() {
+
+    ResetBasicData.reset();
+
+    Query<Order> query = Ebean.find(Order.class)
+      .orderBy("case when status=3 then 10 when status=2 then 11 else 99 end");
+
+    List<Order> list = query.findList();
+
+    assertThat(sqlOf(query)).contains("select t0.id, t0.status, t0.order_date, t0.ship_date, t1.name, t0.cretime, t0.updtime, t0.kcustomer_id from o_order t0 join o_customer t1 on t1.id = t0.kcustomer_id  order by case when t0.status=3 then 10 when t0.status=2 then 11 else 99 end");
+    assertThat(list).isNotEmpty();
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/unitinternal/TestOrderByParse.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/unitinternal/TestOrderByParse.java
index 450cdea1e..6cd43c5be 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/unitinternal/TestOrderByParse.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/unitinternal/TestOrderByParse.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import io.ebean.BaseTestCase;
 import io.ebean.OrderBy;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
@@ -15,6 +16,16 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
  */
 public class TestOrderByParse extends BaseTestCase {
 
+  @Test
+  public void testParseRaw() {
+
+    OrderBy<Object> o1 = new OrderBy<>("case when status='N' then 1 when status='F' then 2 else 99 end");
+    assertEquals(1, o1.getProperties().size());
+    assertTrue(o1.getProperties().get(0).isAscending());
+    assertThat(o1.toStringFormat()).isEqualTo("case when status='N' then 1 when status='F' then 2 else 99 end");
+    assertThat(o1.getProperties().get(0).getProperty()).isEqualTo("case when status='N' then 1 when status='F' then 2 else 99 end");
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testParsingOne() {