diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/FormulaPropertyPath.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/FormulaPropertyPath.java
index b4c82f790..cc7d86bc1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/FormulaPropertyPath.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/FormulaPropertyPath.java
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 class FormulaPropertyPath {
 
-  private static final String[] AGG_FUNCTIONS = {"count","max","min","avg"};
+  private static final String[] AGG_FUNCTIONS = {"count", "max", "min", "avg"};
 
   private static final Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("([a-zA-Z]*)\\((.*)\\)");
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class FormulaPropertyPath {
   }
 
   private String trimDistinct(String propertyName) {
-    if (propertyName.startsWith(DISTINCT_)){
+    if (propertyName.startsWith(DISTINCT_)) {
       countDistinct = true;
       return propertyName.substring(DISTINCT_.length());
     } else {
@@ -67,19 +67,22 @@ class FormulaPropertyPath {
 
     ScalarType<?> scalarType;
     if (isCount()) {
-      // count maps to Long / BIGINT
       scalarType = descriptor.getScalarType(Types.BIGINT);
+
+    } else if (isConcat()) {
+      scalarType = descriptor.getScalarType(Types.VARCHAR);
+
     } else {
       // determine scalarType based on first property found by parser
       if (firstProp != null) {
         scalarType = firstProp.getBeanProperty().getScalarType();
       } else {
-        throw new IllegalStateException("unable to determine scalarType of formula [" + formula + "] for type " + descriptor+" - maybe use a cast like ::String ?");
+        throw new IllegalStateException("unable to determine scalarType of formula [" + formula + "] for type " + descriptor + " - maybe use a cast like ::String ?");
       }
     }
 
     String parsedAggregation = buildFormula(parsed);
-    return new DynamicPropertyAggregationFormula(formula, scalarType, parsedAggregation, isAggregate(),null);
+    return new DynamicPropertyAggregationFormula(formula, scalarType, parsedAggregation, isAggregate(), null);
   }
 
   private boolean isAggregate() {
@@ -93,9 +96,9 @@ class FormulaPropertyPath {
 
   private String buildFormula(String parsed) {
     if (countDistinct) {
-      return "count(distinct "+parsed+")";
+      return "count(distinct " + parsed + ")";
     } else {
-      return outerFunction +"("+parsed+")";
+      return outerFunction + "(" + parsed + ")";
     }
   }
 
@@ -103,4 +106,8 @@ class FormulaPropertyPath {
     return outerFunction.equals("count");
   }
 
+  private boolean isConcat() {
+    return outerFunction.equals("concat");
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java
index 6a0c4404a..0ace4031c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java
@@ -402,4 +402,25 @@ public class TestAggregationCount extends BaseTestCase {
     assertThat(sql.get(0)).contains("select concat(t0.last_name,', ',t0.first_name) from contact t0 where t0.phone is null  order by t0.last_name");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void concat_expectString() {
+
+    ResetBasicData.reset();
+
+    LoggedSqlCollector.start();
+
+    List<String> names =
+
+      Ebean.find(Contact.class)
+        .select("concat(updtime,', ',firstName)")
+        .where().isNull("phone")
+        .orderBy().asc("lastName")
+        .findSingleAttributeList();
+
+    assertThat(names).isNotEmpty();
+
+    List<String> sql = LoggedSqlCollector.stop();
+    assertThat(sql.get(0)).contains("select concat(t0.updtime,', ',t0.first_name) from contact t0");
+  }
+
 }