diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/specification/internal/MutationSpecificationImpl.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/specification/internal/MutationSpecificationImpl.java
index efde9b962c0b..47331c7f3200 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/specification/internal/MutationSpecificationImpl.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/specification/internal/MutationSpecificationImpl.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public String getName() {
 
 	@Override
 	public Class<Void> getResultType() {
-		return Void.class;
+		return null;
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/dynamic/SimpleQuerySpecificationTests.java b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/dynamic/SimpleQuerySpecificationTests.java
index 5ee5ccad0648..34332e641e9e 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/dynamic/SimpleQuerySpecificationTests.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/dynamic/SimpleQuerySpecificationTests.java
@@ -160,6 +160,22 @@ void testSimpleMutationRestriction(SessionFactoryScope factoryScope) {
 		assertThat( sqlCollector.getSqlQueries().get( 0 ) ).contains( " where be1_0.position between ? and ?" );
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void testSimpleMutationRestrictionAsReference(SessionFactoryScope factoryScope) {
+		final SQLStatementInspector sqlCollector = factoryScope.getCollectingStatementInspector();
+		var deleteBasicEntity = MutationSpecification
+				.create( BasicEntity.class, "delete BasicEntity" )
+				.restrict( Restriction.restrict( BasicEntity_.position, Range.closed( 1, 5 ) ) )
+				.reference();
+		factoryScope.inTransaction( session -> {
+			sqlCollector.clear();
+			session.createQuery( deleteBasicEntity ).executeUpdate();
+		} );
+
+		assertThat( sqlCollector.getSqlQueries() ).hasSize( 1 );
+		assertThat( sqlCollector.getSqlQueries().get( 0 ) ).contains( " where be1_0.position between ? and ?" );
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void testRootEntityForm(SessionFactoryScope factoryScope) {
 		final SQLStatementInspector sqlCollector = factoryScope.getCollectingStatementInspector();