diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/ItemDAOImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/ItemDAOImpl.java
index 95baec8c7c..0e5327cebc 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/ItemDAOImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/dao/impl/ItemDAOImpl.java
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public class ItemDAOImpl extends AbstractHibernateDSODAO<Item> implements ItemDA
             List<UUID> collectionUuids, String regexClause) throws SQLException {
         // Build the query infrastructure
         CriteriaBuilder criteriaBuilder = getCriteriaBuilder(context);
-        CriteriaQuery<Item> criteriaQuery = getCriteriaQuery(criteriaBuilder, Item.class);
+        CriteriaQuery<Long> criteriaQuery = criteriaBuilder.createQuery(Long.class);
         // Select
         Root<Item> itemRoot = criteriaQuery.from(Item.class);
         // Apply the selected predicates
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/dao/impl/HandleDAOImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/dao/impl/HandleDAOImpl.java
index f1d90281b9..495f1f05a4 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/dao/impl/HandleDAOImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/dao/impl/HandleDAOImpl.java
@@ -91,10 +91,9 @@ public class HandleDAOImpl extends AbstractHibernateDAO<Handle> implements Handl
     @Override
     public long countHandlesByPrefix(Context context, String prefix) throws SQLException {
         CriteriaBuilder criteriaBuilder = getCriteriaBuilder(context);
-        CriteriaQuery criteriaQuery = getCriteriaQuery(criteriaBuilder, Handle.class);
+        CriteriaQuery<Long> criteriaQuery = criteriaBuilder.createQuery(Long.class);
 
         Root<Handle> handleRoot = criteriaQuery.from(Handle.class);
-        criteriaQuery.select(handleRoot);
         criteriaQuery.where(criteriaBuilder.like(handleRoot.get(Handle_.handle), prefix + "%"));
         return countLong(context, criteriaQuery, criteriaBuilder, handleRoot);
     }