diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/DbOrderByTrim.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/DbOrderByTrim.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2edfe488b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/DbOrderByTrim.java
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package io.ebeaninternal.server.query;
+
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+class DbOrderByTrim {
+
+  private static final Pattern orderByTrim = Pattern.compile("(?i)\\b asc\\b|\\b desc\\b");
+
+  /**
+   * Convert the dbOrderBy clause to be safe for adding to select or distinct on.
+   */
+  static String trim(String dbOrderBy) {
+    // just remove the ASC and DESC keywords
+    return orderByTrim.matcher(dbOrderBy).replaceAll("");
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/SqlTreeBuilderTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/SqlTreeBuilderTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b8232ba6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/SqlTreeBuilderTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package io.ebeaninternal.server.query;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
+public class SqlTreeBuilderTest {
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_equal() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id", "t0.id"), "t0.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_add() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id", "t0.cre"), "t0.cre, t0.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_contained() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id", "t0.cre, t0.id"), "t0.cre, t0.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_overlap() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id, t1.id", "t0.cre, t0.id"), "t0.cre, t0.id, t1.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_overlapBoth() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id, t1.id", "t0.cre, t1.id, t0.id"), "t0.cre, t1.id, t0.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_inlineAscDesc() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id", "t0.cre asc, t1.bb desc, t3.b"), "t0.cre, t1.bb, t3.b, t0.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_inlineAscDesc2() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id", "t0.cre desc, t1.bb asc, t3.b"), "t0.cre, t1.bb, t3.b, t0.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_trailingAsc() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id", "t0.cre asc"), "t0.cre, t0.id");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void mergeOnDistinct_trailingDesc() throws Exception {
+
+    assertEquals(SqlTreeBuilder.mergeOnDistinct("t0.id", "t0.cre desc"), "t0.cre, t0.id");
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/model/json/EBasicJsonMapDetail.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/model/json/EBasicJsonMapDetail.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e220af18c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/model/json/EBasicJsonMapDetail.java
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package org.tests.model.json;
+
+import io.ebean.annotation.DbJson;
+
+import javax.persistence.Entity;
+import javax.persistence.Id;
+import javax.persistence.ManyToOne;
+import javax.persistence.Version;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+@Entity
+public class EBasicJsonMapDetail {
+
+  @Id
+  Long id;
+
+  @ManyToOne
+  EBasicJsonMap owner;
+
+  @Version
+  Long version;
+
+  String name;
+
+  @DbJson
+  Map<String, Object> content;
+
+  public EBasicJsonMapDetail(String name) {
+    this.name = name;
+  }
+
+  public Long getId() {
+    return id;
+  }
+
+  public void setId(Long id) {
+    this.id = id;
+  }
+
+  public Long getVersion() {
+    return version;
+  }
+
+  public void setVersion(Long version) {
+    this.version = version;
+  }
+
+  public EBasicJsonMap getOwner() {
+    return owner;
+  }
+
+  public void setOwner(EBasicJsonMap owner) {
+    this.owner = owner;
+  }
+
+  public String getName() {
+    return name;
+  }
+
+  public void setName(String name) {
+    this.name = name;
+  }
+
+  public Map<String, Object> getContent() {
+    return content;
+  }
+
+  public void setContent(Map<String, Object> content) {
+    this.content = content;
+  }
+}