diff --git a/src/Tools/Pagination/CountWalker.php b/src/Tools/Pagination/CountWalker.php
index d2129435558..f11b25d6821 100644
--- a/src/Tools/Pagination/CountWalker.php
+++ b/src/Tools/Pagination/CountWalker.php
@@ -37,27 +37,31 @@ public function walkSelectStatement(SelectStatement $selectStatement): void
             throw new RuntimeException('Cannot count query which selects two FROM components, cannot make distinction');
         }
 
-        $fromRoot            = reset($from);
-        $rootAlias           = $fromRoot->rangeVariableDeclaration->aliasIdentificationVariable;
-        $rootClass           = $this->getMetadataForDqlAlias($rootAlias);
-        $identifierFieldName = $rootClass->getSingleIdentifierFieldName();
+        $distinct = $this->_getQuery()->getHint(self::HINT_DISTINCT);
 
-        $pathType = PathExpression::TYPE_STATE_FIELD;
-        if (isset($rootClass->associationMappings[$identifierFieldName])) {
-            $pathType = PathExpression::TYPE_SINGLE_VALUED_ASSOCIATION;
-        }
+        $countPathExpressionOrLiteral = '*';
+        if ($distinct) {
+            $fromRoot            = reset($from);
+            $rootAlias           = $fromRoot->rangeVariableDeclaration->aliasIdentificationVariable;
+            $rootClass           = $this->getMetadataForDqlAlias($rootAlias);
+            $identifierFieldName = $rootClass->getSingleIdentifierFieldName();
+
+            $pathType = PathExpression::TYPE_STATE_FIELD;
+            if (isset($rootClass->associationMappings[$identifierFieldName])) {
+                $pathType = PathExpression::TYPE_SINGLE_VALUED_ASSOCIATION;
+            }
 
-        $pathExpression       = new PathExpression(
-            PathExpression::TYPE_STATE_FIELD | PathExpression::TYPE_SINGLE_VALUED_ASSOCIATION,
-            $rootAlias,
-            $identifierFieldName,
-        );
-        $pathExpression->type = $pathType;
+            $countPathExpressionOrLiteral       = new PathExpression(
+                PathExpression::TYPE_STATE_FIELD | PathExpression::TYPE_SINGLE_VALUED_ASSOCIATION,
+                $rootAlias,
+                $identifierFieldName,
+            );
+            $countPathExpressionOrLiteral->type = $pathType;
+        }
 
-        $distinct                                         = $this->_getQuery()->getHint(self::HINT_DISTINCT);
         $selectStatement->selectClause->selectExpressions = [
             new SelectExpression(
-                new AggregateExpression('count', $pathExpression, $distinct),
+                new AggregateExpression('count', $countPathExpressionOrLiteral, $distinct),
                 null,
             ),
         ];
diff --git a/tests/Tests/ORM/Tools/Pagination/CountWalkerTest.php b/tests/Tests/ORM/Tools/Pagination/CountWalkerTest.php
index 5af90e87949..6a223e67f50 100644
--- a/tests/Tests/ORM/Tools/Pagination/CountWalkerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Tests/ORM/Tools/Pagination/CountWalkerTest.php
@@ -27,6 +27,20 @@ public function testCountQuery(): void
         );
     }
 
+    public function testCountQueryWithoutDistinctUsesCountStar(): void
+    {
+        $query = $this->entityManager->createQuery(
+            'SELECT p, c, a FROM Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Tools\Pagination\BlogPost p JOIN p.category c JOIN p.author a',
+        );
+        $query->setHint(Query::HINT_CUSTOM_TREE_WALKERS, [CountWalker::class]);
+        $query->setHint(CountWalker::HINT_DISTINCT, false);
+
+        self::assertEquals(
+            'SELECT count(*) AS sclr_0 FROM BlogPost b0_ INNER JOIN Category c1_ ON b0_.category_id = c1_.id INNER JOIN Author a2_ ON b0_.author_id = a2_.id',
+            $query->getSQL(),
+        );
+    }
+
     public function testCountQueryMixedResultsWithName(): void
     {
         $query = $this->entityManager->createQuery(