diff --git a/packages/db-sqlite/src/countDistinct.ts b/packages/db-sqlite/src/countDistinct.ts
index de0af7a995..ae729138f0 100644
--- a/packages/db-sqlite/src/countDistinct.ts
+++ b/packages/db-sqlite/src/countDistinct.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const countDistinct: CountDistinct = async function countDistinct(
       })
       .from(this.tables[tableName])
       .where(where)
-    return Number(countResult[0]?.count)
+    return Number(countResult?.[0]?.count ?? 0)
   }
 
   let query: SQLiteSelect = db
@@ -39,5 +39,5 @@ export const countDistinct: CountDistinct = async function countDistinct(
   // Instead, COUNT (GROUP BY id) can be used which is still slower than COUNT(*) but acceptable.
   const countResult = await query
 
-  return Number(countResult[0]?.count)
+  return Number(countResult?.[0]?.count ?? 0)
 }
diff --git a/packages/drizzle/src/postgres/countDistinct.ts b/packages/drizzle/src/postgres/countDistinct.ts
index 16c2f576c9..04d7559fcf 100644
--- a/packages/drizzle/src/postgres/countDistinct.ts
+++ b/packages/drizzle/src/postgres/countDistinct.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ export const countDistinct: CountDistinct = async function countDistinct(
       })
       .from(this.tables[tableName])
       .where(where)
-    return Number(countResult[0].count)
+
+    return Number(countResult?.[0]?.count ?? 0)
   }
 
   let query = db
@@ -39,5 +40,5 @@ export const countDistinct: CountDistinct = async function countDistinct(
   // Instead, COUNT (GROUP BY id) can be used which is still slower than COUNT(*) but acceptable.
   const countResult = await query
 
-  return Number(countResult[0].count)
+  return Number(countResult?.[0]?.count ?? 0)
 }
diff --git a/test/database/int.spec.ts b/test/database/int.spec.ts
index f6ff086f6a..efad1d825d 100644
--- a/test/database/int.spec.ts
+++ b/test/database/int.spec.ts
@@ -2451,4 +2451,37 @@ describe('database', () => {
 
     expect(res.docs[0].id).toBe(customID.id)
   })
+
+  it('should count with a query that contains subqueries', async () => {
+    const category = await payload.create({
+      collection: 'categories',
+      data: { title: 'new-category' },
+    })
+    const post = await payload.create({
+      collection: 'posts',
+      data: { title: 'new-post', category: category.id },
+    })
+
+    const result_1 = await payload.count({
+      collection: 'posts',
+      where: {
+        'category.title': {
+          equals: 'new-category',
+        },
+      },
+    })
+
+    expect(result_1.totalDocs).toBe(1)
+
+    const result_2 = await payload.count({
+      collection: 'posts',
+      where: {
+        'category.title': {
+          equals: 'non-existing-category',
+        },
+      },
+    })
+
+    expect(result_2.totalDocs).toBe(0)
+  })
 })