@@ -1252,7 +1252,7 @@ sub _create_query {

         my $tag_parse = exists $ENV{DBIX_CUSTOM_TAG_PARSE}

           ? $ENV{DBIX_CUSTOM_TAG_PARSE} : $self->{tag_parse};

-        my $sql = $source || '';

+        my $sql = " " . $source || '';

         if ($tag_parse && ($sql =~ /\s\{/ || $sql =~ /^\{/)) {

             $query = $self->query_builder->build_query($sql);

         }

@@ -1263,7 +1263,7 @@ sub _create_query {

             my $duplicate;

             # Parameter regex

             $sql =~ s/([0-9]):/$1\\:/g;

-            while ($sql =~ /(^|.*?[^\\]):([$c\.]+)(?:\{(.*?)\})?(.*)/sg) {

+            while ($sql =~ /(.*?[^\\]):([$c\.]+)(?:\{(.*?)\})?(.*)/sg) {

                 push @columns, $2;

                 $duplicate = 1 if ++$duplicate{$columns[-1]} > 1;

                 $sql = defined $3 ? "$1$2 $3 ?$4" : "$1?$4";

@@ -98,11 +98,9 @@ sub _parse {

             $column = $columns->[0];

         }

         else {

-            my $sql = $clause;

+            my $sql = " " . $clause || '';

             $sql =~ s/([0-9]):/$1\\:/g;

-            if ($sql =~ /[^\\]:([$c\.]+)/s || $sql =~ /^:([$c\.]+)/s) {

-                ($column) = $1;

-            }

+            ($column) = $sql =~ /[^\\]:([$c\.]+)/s

         }

         unless (defined $column) {

             push @$where, $clause;

@@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@ $dbi->execute($create_table1);

 $source = "select * from $table1 where $key1 = :$key1 and $key2 = :$key2";

 $dbi->execute($source, {}, query => 1);

 is_deeply($dbi->{_cached}->{$source}, 

-          {sql => "select * from $table1 where $key1 = ? and $key2 = ?", columns => [$key1, $key2], tables => []}, "cache");

+          {sql => " select * from $table1 where $key1 = ? and $key2 = ?", columns => [$key1, $key2], tables => []}, "cache");

 eval { $dbi->execute("drop table $table1") };

 $dbi->execute($create_table1);

@@ -3112,10 +3112,10 @@ $dbi = DBIx::Custom->connect;

 eval { $dbi->execute("drop table $table1") };

 $dbi->execute($create_table1);

 $dbi->execute("select * from $table1");

-is($dbi->last_sql, "select * from $table1");

+is($dbi->last_sql, " select * from $table1");

 eval{$dbi->execute("aaa")};

-is($dbi->last_sql, 'aaa');

+is($dbi->last_sql, ' aaa');

 test 'DBIx::Custom header';

 $dbi = DBIx::Custom->connect;