diff --git a/src/integration/benchmark_test.go b/src/integration/benchmark_test.go
index 486fdae346..cc8ddff22b 100644
--- a/src/integration/benchmark_test.go
+++ b/src/integration/benchmark_test.go
@@ -1004,6 +1004,41 @@ func (self *IntegrationSuite) TestReading(c *C) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (self *IntegrationSuite) TestReadingWhenColumnHasDot(c *C) {
+	err := self.server.WriteData(`
+[
+  {
+     "name": "test_column_names_with_dots",
+     "columns": ["first.name", "last.name"],
+     "points": [["paul", "dix"], ["john", "shahid"]]
+  }
+]`)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+	for name, expected := range map[string]map[string]bool{
+		"first.name": map[string]bool{"paul": true, "john": true},
+		"last.name":  map[string]bool{"dix": true, "shahid": true},
+	} {
+		q := fmt.Sprintf("select %s from test_column_names_with_dots", name)
+
+		bs, err := self.server.RunQuery(q, "m")
+		c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+		data := []*h.SerializedSeries{}
+		err = json.Unmarshal(bs, &data)
+		c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+		c.Assert(data, HasLen, 1)
+		c.Assert(data[0].Columns, HasLen, 3) // time, sequence number and the requested columns
+		c.Assert(data[0].Columns[2], Equals, name)
+		names := map[string]bool{}
+		for _, p := range data[0].Points {
+			names[p[2].(string)] = true
+		}
+		c.Assert(names, DeepEquals, expected)
+	}
+}
+
 func (self *IntegrationSuite) TestSinglePointSelect(c *C) {
 	err := self.server.WriteData(`
 [
diff --git a/src/parser/parser_test.go b/src/parser/parser_test.go
index 3d8decaf21..571940d581 100644
--- a/src/parser/parser_test.go
+++ b/src/parser/parser_test.go
@@ -73,6 +73,24 @@ func (self *QueryParserSuite) TestParseDeleteQueryWithEndTime(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(q.GetEndTime(), Equals, time.Unix(1389040522, 0).UTC())
 }
 
+func (self *QueryParserSuite) TestParseSelectQueryWithDotInColumnName(c *C) {
+	query := "select patient.first.name from foo"
+	queries, err := ParseQuery(query)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+	c.Assert(queries, HasLen, 1)
+
+	_q := queries[0]
+
+	c.Assert(_q.SelectQuery, NotNil)
+
+	q := _q.SelectQuery
+
+	for _, columns := range q.GetReferencedColumns() {
+		c.Assert(columns, DeepEquals, []string{"patient.first.name"})
+	}
+}
+
 func (self *QueryParserSuite) TestParseDropSeries(c *C) {
 	query := "drop series foobar"
 	queries, err := ParseQuery(query)
diff --git a/src/parser/query_api.go b/src/parser/query_api.go
index 3636ac5638..f9f331747d 100644
--- a/src/parser/query_api.go
+++ b/src/parser/query_api.go
@@ -158,6 +158,24 @@ func (self *SelectQuery) GetReferencedColumns() map[*Value][]string {
 		delete(mapping, name)
 	}
 
+	if len(mapping) == 0 {
+		return returnedMapping
+	}
+
+	// if `mapping` still have some mappings, then we have mistaken a
+	// column name with dots with a prefix.column, see issue #240
+	for prefix, columnNames := range mapping {
+		for _, columnName := range columnNames {
+			for table, columns := range returnedMapping {
+				if len(returnedMapping[table]) > 1 && returnedMapping[table][0] == "*" {
+					continue
+				}
+				returnedMapping[table] = append(columns, prefix+"."+columnName)
+			}
+		}
+		delete(mapping, prefix)
+	}
+
 	return returnedMapping
 }