diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/el/ElPropertyChain.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/el/ElPropertyChain.java
index 045380cc8..404e75096 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/el/ElPropertyChain.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/el/ElPropertyChain.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public class ElPropertyChain implements ElPropertyValue {
 	        return containsMany;
 	    }
 	    
-	    int i = 1 + SplitName.count('.', sinceProperty);
+	    int i = 1 + SplitName.count(sinceProperty);
 	    
 	    for (; i < chain.length; i++) {
             if (chain[i].getBeanProperty().containsMany()) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/query/SplitName.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/query/SplitName.java
index 41a197734..8d9e66cbb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/query/SplitName.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/query/SplitName.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package com.avaje.ebeaninternal.server.query;
 
 public class SplitName {
 
+  private static final char PERIOD = '.';
+
   public static String add(String prefix, String name) {
     if (prefix != null) {
       return prefix + "." + name;
@@ -13,11 +15,11 @@ public class SplitName {
   /**
    * Return the number of occurrences of char in name.
    */
-  public static int count(char c, String name) {
+  public static int count(String name) {
 
     int count = 0;
     for (int i = 0; i < name.length(); i++) {
-      if (c == name.charAt(i)) {
+      if (PERIOD == name.charAt(i)) {
         count++;
       }
     }