diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpression.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpression.java
index f1ac4243a..53653e416 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpression.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpression.java
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ import io.ebean.bean.EntityBean;
 import io.ebean.event.BeanQueryRequest;
 import io.ebean.util.SplitName;
 import io.ebeaninternal.api.ManyWhereJoins;
+import io.ebeaninternal.api.NaturalKeyQueryData;
 import io.ebeaninternal.api.SpiExpression;
 import io.ebeaninternal.api.SpiExpressionRequest;
 import io.ebeaninternal.api.SpiExpressionValidation;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.BeanDescriptor;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.BeanProperty;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.BeanPropertyAssocOne;
-import io.ebeaninternal.api.NaturalKeyQueryData;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -201,9 +201,10 @@ public class DefaultExampleExpression implements SpiExpression, ExampleExpressio
   @Override
   public void addSql(SpiExpressionRequest request) {
 
-    if (!list.isEmpty()) {
+    if (list.isEmpty()) {
+      request.append("1=1");
+    } else {
       request.append("(");
-
       for (int i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) {
         SpiExpression item = list.get(i);
         if (i > 0) {
@@ -211,7 +212,6 @@ public class DefaultExampleExpression implements SpiExpression, ExampleExpressio
         }
         item.addSql(request);
       }
-
       request.append(") ");
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java
index 00ba20dc2..a593bfe01 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java
@@ -91,6 +91,25 @@ public class DefaultExampleExpressionTest extends BaseExpressionTest {
 
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void emptyExampleBean() {
+
+    ResetBasicData.reset();
+
+    Customer customer = new Customer();
+
+    Query<Customer> query = server().find(Customer.class)
+      .where()
+      .eq("status", Customer.Status.NEW)
+      .exampleLike(customer)
+      .startsWith("name", "Rob")
+      .query();
+
+    query.findList();
+
+    assertThat(sqlOf(query)).contains("and 1=1 and t0.name like");
+  }
+
   private <T> OrmQueryRequest<T> create(SpiQuery<T> query) {
     return new OrmQueryRequest<>(null, null, query, null);
   }