diff --git a/querydsl-core/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidator.java b/querydsl-core/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidator.java
index 4b27946f2..edad71b04 100644
--- a/querydsl-core/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidator.java
+++ b/querydsl-core/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidator.java
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@
  */
 package com.mysema.query.types.path;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import com.google.common.primitives.Primitives;
 import com.mysema.util.BeanUtils;
+import com.mysema.util.ReflectionUtils;
 
 /**
  * PathBuilderValidator validates PathBuilder properties at creation time
@@ -44,7 +48,14 @@ public interface PathBuilderValidator {
         public <T> Class<? extends T> validate(Class<?> parent, String property, Class<T> propertyType) {
             while (!parent.equals(Object.class)) {
                 try {
-                    return (Class<? extends T>) parent.getDeclaredField(property).getType();
+                    Field field = parent.getDeclaredField(property);
+                    if (Map.class.isAssignableFrom(field.getType())) {
+                        return (Class) ReflectionUtils.getTypeParameterAsClass(field.getGenericType(), 1);
+                    } else if (Collection.class.isAssignableFrom(field.getType())) {
+                        return (Class) ReflectionUtils.getTypeParameterAsClass(field.getGenericType(), 0);
+                    } else {
+                        return (Class) Primitives.wrap(field.getType());
+                    }
                 } catch (NoSuchFieldException e) {
                     parent = parent.getSuperclass();
                 }
@@ -60,7 +71,17 @@ public interface PathBuilderValidator {
             if (getter == null && Primitives.wrap(propertyType).equals(Boolean.class)) {
                 getter = BeanUtils.getAccessor("is", property, parent);
             }
-            return getter != null ? (Class<? extends T>) getter.getReturnType() : null;
+            if (getter != null) {
+                if (Map.class.isAssignableFrom(getter.getReturnType())) {
+                    return (Class) ReflectionUtils.getTypeParameterAsClass(getter.getGenericReturnType(), 1);
+                } else if (Collection.class.isAssignableFrom(getter.getReturnType())) {
+                    return (Class) ReflectionUtils.getTypeParameterAsClass(getter.getGenericReturnType(), 0);
+                } else {
+                    return (Class) Primitives.wrap(getter.getReturnType());
+                }
+            } else {
+                return null;
+            }
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/querydsl-core/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidatorTest.java b/querydsl-core/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidatorTest.java
index 8f1751bae..d66ca2aa3 100644
--- a/querydsl-core/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidatorTest.java
+++ b/querydsl-core/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/types/path/PathBuilderValidatorTest.java
@@ -1,18 +1,26 @@
 package com.mysema.query.types.path;
 
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Map;
+
 import org.junit.Test;
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 
 public class PathBuilderValidatorTest {
 
     public static class Customer {
         String name;
+        Collection<Integer> collection;
+        Map<String, Integer> map;
     }
 
     public static class ExtendedCustomer extends Customer {}
 
     public static class Project {
         public String getName() { return ""; }
+        public Collection<Integer> getCollection() { return null; }
+        public Map<String, Integer> getMap() { return null; }
     }
 
     public static class ExtendedProject extends Project {
@@ -21,16 +29,18 @@ public class PathBuilderValidatorTest {
 
     @Test
     public void Default() {
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(Customer.class, "name", String.class));
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(ExtendedCustomer.class, "name", String.class));
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(Project.class, "name", String.class));
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(ExtendedProject.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(Customer.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(ExtendedCustomer.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(Project.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.DEFAULT.validate(ExtendedProject.class, "name", String.class));
     }
 
     @Test
     public void Fields() {
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(Customer.class, "name", String.class));
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(ExtendedCustomer.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(Customer.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(ExtendedCustomer.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(Integer.class, PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(Customer.class, "collection", Collection.class));
+        assertEquals(Integer.class, PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(Customer.class, "map", Map.class));
         assertNull(PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(Project.class, "name", String.class));
         assertNull(PathBuilderValidator.FIELDS.validate(ExtendedProject.class, "name", String.class));
     }
@@ -39,8 +49,10 @@ public class PathBuilderValidatorTest {
     public void Properties() {
         assertNull(PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(Customer.class, "name", String.class));
         assertNull(PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(ExtendedCustomer.class, "name", String.class));
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(Project.class, "name", String.class));
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(ExtendedProject.class, "name", String.class));
-        assertNotNull(PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(ExtendedProject.class, "started", Boolean.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(Project.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(ExtendedProject.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(Boolean.class, PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(ExtendedProject.class, "started", Boolean.class));
+        assertEquals(Integer.class, PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(Project.class, "collection", Collection.class));
+        assertEquals(Integer.class, PathBuilderValidator.PROPERTIES.validate(Project.class, "map", Map.class));
     }
 }
diff --git a/querydsl-jpa/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidator.java b/querydsl-jpa/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidator.java
index aba0a0da5..70b93ba6a 100644
--- a/querydsl-jpa/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidator.java
+++ b/querydsl-jpa/src/main/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidator.java
@@ -14,8 +14,12 @@
 package com.mysema.query.jpa.support;
 
 import javax.persistence.EntityManager;
+import javax.persistence.metamodel.Attribute;
+import javax.persistence.metamodel.ManagedType;
 import javax.persistence.metamodel.Metamodel;
+import javax.persistence.metamodel.PluralAttribute;
 
+import com.google.common.primitives.Primitives;
 import com.mysema.query.types.path.PathBuilderValidator;
 
 /**
@@ -36,7 +40,13 @@ public class JPAPathBuilderValidator implements PathBuilderValidator {
     @Override
     public <T> Class<? extends T> validate(Class<?> parent, String property, Class<T> propertyType) {
         try {
-            return (Class)metamodel.managedType(parent).getAttribute(property).getJavaType();
+            ManagedType managedType = metamodel.managedType(parent);
+            Attribute attribute = managedType.getAttribute(property);
+            if (attribute instanceof PluralAttribute) {
+                return ((PluralAttribute)attribute).getElementType().getJavaType();
+            } else {
+                return Primitives.wrap(attribute.getJavaType());
+            }
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             return null;
         }
diff --git a/querydsl-jpa/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidatorTest.java b/querydsl-jpa/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidatorTest.java
index ea97e4137..0b3d5af93 100644
--- a/querydsl-jpa/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidatorTest.java
+++ b/querydsl-jpa/src/test/java/com/mysema/query/jpa/support/JPAPathBuilderValidatorTest.java
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@ package com.mysema.query.jpa.support;
 
 import javax.persistence.EntityManagerFactory;
 import javax.persistence.Persistence;
+import java.util.Collection;
 
 import com.mysema.query.jpa.domain.Cat;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 
 public class JPAPathBuilderValidatorTest {
 
@@ -26,7 +28,9 @@ public class JPAPathBuilderValidatorTest {
     @Test
     public void validate() {
         JPAPathBuilderValidator validator = new JPAPathBuilderValidator(entityManagerFactory.getMetamodel());
-        assertNotNull(validator.validate(Cat.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(String.class, validator.validate(Cat.class, "name", String.class));
+        assertEquals(Cat.class, validator.validate(Cat.class, "kittens", Collection.class));
+        assertEquals(Cat.class, validator.validate(Cat.class, "mate", Cat.class));
         assertNull(validator.validate(Cat.class, "xxx", String.class));
         assertNull(validator.validate(Object.class, "name", String.class));
     }