diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/tree/select/SqmSelectStatement.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/tree/select/SqmSelectStatement.java
index 9a6630ae57d9..6ce9859f81b2 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/tree/select/SqmSelectStatement.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/tree/select/SqmSelectStatement.java
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.SqmCopyContext;
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.SqmStatement;
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.cte.SqmCteStatement;
+import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.domain.SqmEntityValuedSimplePath;
+import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.domain.SqmPath;
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.expression.ValueBindJpaCriteriaParameter;
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.expression.SqmParameter;
+import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.from.SqmFrom;
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.from.SqmFromClause;
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.predicate.SqmPredicate;
 import org.hibernate.query.sqm.tree.from.SqmRoot;
@@ -528,8 +531,9 @@ public SqmSelectStatement<Long> createCountQuery() {
 		//      in 'select' list (we don't even need to hit the database to
 		//      know they return exactly one row)
 		if ( queryPart.isSimpleQueryPart()
-				&& !( querySpec = (SqmQuerySpec<?>) queryPart ).isDistinct()
-				&& querySpec.getGroupingExpressions().isEmpty() ) {
+				&& !( querySpec = queryPart.getFirstQuerySpec() ).isDistinct()
+				&& querySpec.getGroupingExpressions().isEmpty()
+				&& !selectsEntityValuedPaths( querySpec ) ) {
 			for ( SqmRoot<?> root : querySpec.getRootList() ) {
 				root.removeLeftFetchJoins();
 			}
@@ -553,6 +557,31 @@ public SqmSelectStatement<Long> createCountQuery() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private static boolean selectsEntityValuedPaths(SqmQuerySpec<?> querySpec) {
+		for ( SqmSelectableNode<?> selection : querySpec.getSelectClause().getSelectionItems() ) {
+			if ( selection instanceof SqmEntityValuedSimplePath<?> entityPath ) {
+				final SqmPath<?> lhs = entityPath.getLhs();
+				if ( lhs instanceof SqmFrom<?, ?> from ) {
+					// force an explicit inner join for this implicit entity valued path
+					from.join( entityPath.getNavigablePath().getLocalName() );
+				}
+				else {
+					return true;
+				}
+			}
+			else if ( selection instanceof SqmPath<?> path ) {
+				SqmPath<?> lhs = path.getLhs();
+				while ( lhs != null ) {
+					if ( lhs instanceof SqmEntityValuedSimplePath<?> ) {
+						return true;
+					}
+					lhs = lhs.getLhs();
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	private <S> void aliasSelections(SqmQueryPart<S> queryPart) {
 		if ( queryPart.isSimpleQueryPart() ) {
 			final SqmQuerySpec<S> querySpec = queryPart.getFirstQuerySpec();
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/count/CountTest.java b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/count/CountTest.java
index 246df5d3bfbf..6055d4ae91be 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/count/CountTest.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/count/CountTest.java
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@
 import jakarta.persistence.criteria.JoinType;
 import jakarta.persistence.criteria.ParameterExpression;
 import jakarta.persistence.criteria.Root;
+import org.hibernate.engine.spi.SessionImplementor;
+import org.hibernate.query.spi.QueryImplementor;
 import org.hibernate.testing.orm.junit.DomainModel;
+import org.hibernate.testing.orm.junit.Jira;
 import org.hibernate.testing.orm.junit.SessionFactory;
 import org.hibernate.testing.orm.junit.SessionFactoryScope;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import java.util.List;
@@ -28,7 +32,6 @@
 public class CountTest {
 
 	@Test void testCount(SessionFactoryScope scope) {
-		scope.inTransaction(session -> session.createMutationQuery("delete Book").executeUpdate());
 		scope.inTransaction(session -> {
 			session.persist(new Book("9781932394153", "Hibernate in Action"));
 			session.persist(new Book("9781617290459", "Java Persistence with Hibernate"));
@@ -64,7 +67,6 @@ public class CountTest {
 	}
 
 	@Test void testCountNative(SessionFactoryScope scope) {
-		scope.inTransaction(session -> session.createMutationQuery("delete Book").executeUpdate());
 		scope.inTransaction(session -> {
 			session.persist(new Book("9781932394153", "Hibernate in Action"));
 			session.persist(new Book("9781617290459", "Java Persistence with Hibernate"));
@@ -86,7 +88,6 @@ public class CountTest {
 	}
 
 	@Test void testCountCriteria(SessionFactoryScope scope) {
-		scope.inTransaction(session -> session.createMutationQuery("delete Book").executeUpdate());
 		scope.inTransaction(session -> {
 			session.persist(new Book("9781932394153", "Hibernate in Action"));
 			session.persist(new Book("9781617290459", "Java Persistence with Hibernate"));
@@ -120,6 +121,50 @@ public class CountTest {
 		});
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	@Jira( "https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HHH-19065" )
+	public void testJoins(SessionFactoryScope scope) {
+		scope.inTransaction( session -> {
+			Publisher p = new Publisher( 1L, "Manning" );
+			session.persist( p );
+			final Book book = new Book( "9781932394153", "Hibernate in Action" );
+			book.publisher = p;
+			session.persist( book );
+			session.persist( new Book( "9781617290459", "Java Persistence with Hibernate" ) );
+		} );
+		scope.inSession( session -> {
+			// explicit inner join
+			assertCount( 1, "select p from Book b join b.publisher p", Publisher.class, session );
+			assertCount( 1, "select p.name from Book b join b.publisher p", String.class, session );
+			// explicit left join
+			assertCount( 2, "select p from Book b left join b.publisher p", Publisher.class, session );
+			assertCount( 2, "select p.name from Book b left join b.publisher p", String.class, session );
+			// implicit join
+			assertCount( 1, "select b.publisher from Book b", Publisher.class, session );
+			assertCount( 1, "select b.publisher from Book b join b.publisher", Publisher.class, session );
+			assertCount( 1, "select b.publisher.name from Book b", String.class, session );
+			assertCount( 1, "select publisher.name from Book b left join b.publisher", String.class, session );
+			assertCount( 1,
+					"select publisher.name from Book b left join b.publisher where publisher.name is null or length(publisher.name) > 0",
+					String.class, session );
+			// selecting only the id does not create an explicit join
+			assertCount( 2, "select b.publisher.id from Book b", Long.class, session );
+		} );
+	}
+
+	private <T> void assertCount(int expected, String hql, Class<T> resultClass, SessionImplementor session) {
+		final QueryImplementor<T> query = session.createQuery( hql, resultClass );
+		final List<T> resultList = query.getResultList();
+		final long resultCount = query.getResultCount();
+		assertEquals( expected, resultList.size() );
+		assertEquals( expected, resultCount );
+	}
+
+	@AfterEach
+	public void tearDown(SessionFactoryScope scope) {
+		scope.getSessionFactory().getSchemaManager().truncateMappedObjects();
+	}
+
 	@Entity(name="Book")
 	@Table(name = "books")
 	static class Book {
@@ -151,6 +196,15 @@ static class Author {
 	@Entity(name="Publisher")
 	@Table(name = "pubs")
 	static class Publisher {
-		@Id String name;
+		@Id Long id;
+		String name;
+
+		Publisher() {
+		}
+
+		Publisher(Long id, String name) {
+			this.id = id;
+			this.name = name;
+		}
 	}
 }