diff --git a/Model/SqlCriteria.php b/Model/SqlCriteria.php
index 915dc2d..287ed92 100644
--- a/Model/SqlCriteria.php
+++ b/Model/SqlCriteria.php
@@ -79,14 +79,15 @@ class SqlCriteria
         return $this->model->find('', '', $this->where, null, null, null, null, 'DELETE FROM :table', $this->sql_expression_params)->affectedRows();
     }
 
-    public function count()
+    public function count($select = 'x')
     {
+	    $sql_expression_backup = $this->sql_expression;
+	    $this->select($select);
 	    $this->defineJoinExpressions();
-        $sql_expression_backup = $this->sql_expression;
         if (!$this->sql_expression) {
             $this->sql_expression = 'SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM :table';
         }
-        $count = $this->model->count(array(), '', $this->where, null, $this->group_by, $this->sql_expression, $this->sql_expression_params)->fetchField('count');
+        $count = $this->model->count($select, '', $this->where, null, $this->group_by, $this->sql_expression, $this->sql_expression_params)->fetchField('count');
         $this->sql_expression = $sql_expression_backup;
 	    return $count;
     }
diff --git a/Model/SqlModel.php b/Model/SqlModel.php
index 8c797f5..95f7cbb 100644
--- a/Model/SqlModel.php
+++ b/Model/SqlModel.php
@@ -226,14 +226,14 @@ abstract class SqlModel extends Model
         return new SqlResultProvider($result);
     }
 
-    public function count($select, $distinct, $where,$heaving = null, $group_by = null, $sql_expression = null, $sql_expression_params = array(), $cache_key = null)
+    public function count($select = 'x', $distinct, $where,$heaving = null, $group_by = null, $sql_expression = null, $sql_expression_params = array(), $cache_key = null)
     {
         $select = $this->db->selectExpr($select, $distinct);
         $where = $this->db->whereExpr($where);
         $group_by = $this->db->groupByExpr($group_by);
         $result = $this->query(
             'SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM (' .
-            (($sql_expression) ? $sql_expression : ('SELECT ' . $select . ' FROM ' . $this->identify($this->table())))
+            (($sql_expression) ? $sql_expression : ('SELECT * FROM ' . $this->identify($this->table())))
                 . (($where) ? (' WHERE ' . $where) : '')
                 . (($group_by) ? (' GROUP BY ' . $group_by) : '') . ') AS x',
             $sql_expression_params,