diff --git a/lib/Builders/QueryBuilder.php b/lib/Builders/QueryBuilder.php
index f11d24a..ce24c0e 100644
--- a/lib/Builders/QueryBuilder.php
+++ b/lib/Builders/QueryBuilder.php
@@ -166,7 +166,12 @@ public function sum(string $fieldToSum, ?string $alias = null)
     /** @inheritDoc */
     public function count(string $fieldToCount, ?string $alias = null)
     {
-        $alias = $alias ?: $fieldToCount . '_count';
+        // Default alias is "<field>_count", with a special case for `*` —
+        // `*_count` isn't a valid SQL identifier and produces a syntax error
+        // when the query is executed.
+        if ($alias === null) {
+            $alias = $fieldToCount === '*' ? 'count' : $fieldToCount . '_count';
+        }
 
         if($fieldToCount !== '*'){
             $fieldToCount = $this->prependField($fieldToCount);