diff --git a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilder.java b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilder.java
index 2d57ab944..1dd87495a 100644
--- a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilder.java
+++ b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilder.java
@@ -125,10 +125,12 @@ public final class ToStringBuilder {
       sb.append("[]");
       return;
     }
-    int collectionPos = 0;
+    boolean firstElement = true;
     sb.append("[");
     for (Object o : c) {
-      if (collectionPos++ > 0) {
+      if (firstElement) {
+        firstElement = false;
+      } else {
         sb.append(", ");
       }
       value(o);
diff --git a/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilderTest.java b/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilderTest.java
index 1a251e4bd..b00fc30bb 100644
--- a/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilderTest.java
+++ b/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/ToStringBuilderTest.java
@@ -29,6 +29,34 @@ class ToStringBuilderTest {
     assertThat(builder.toString()).isEqualTo("Object@0(a:1, b:B)");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void add_referenceBeanCollection_expect_nothingAdded() {
+    ToStringBuilder builder = new ToStringBuilder();
+    builder.add("ref", new BeanList<>(null));
+    assertThat(builder.toString()).isEqualTo("");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void addCollection_some() {
+    ToStringBuilder builder = new ToStringBuilder();
+    builder.addCollection( new BeanList<>(List.of("A","B")));
+    assertThat(builder.toString()).isEqualTo("[A, B]");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void addCollection_null() {
+    ToStringBuilder builder = new ToStringBuilder();
+    builder.addCollection(null);
+    assertThat(builder.toString()).isEqualTo("[]");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void addCollection_empty() {
+    ToStringBuilder builder = new ToStringBuilder();
+    builder.addCollection(Collections.emptyList());
+    assertThat(builder.toString()).isEqualTo("[]");
+  }
+
   @Test
   void flatBean() {
     Recurse instance0 = new Recurse(42, "java");