diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/sql/BaseSqmToSqlAstConverter.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/sql/BaseSqmToSqlAstConverter.java
index 2cbb5f024e..594b490616 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/sql/BaseSqmToSqlAstConverter.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/sqm/sql/BaseSqmToSqlAstConverter.java
@@ -3786,8 +3786,6 @@ public abstract class BaseSqmToSqlAstConverter<T extends Statement> extends Base
 						querySpec::applyPredicate,
 						this
 				);
-				// Force initialization of a possible lazy table group
-				tableGroup.getPrimaryTableReference();
 				querySpec.getFromClause().addRoot( tableGroup );
 			}
 			else {
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest.java b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest.java
index 78f59669d7..d4e448feac 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/orm/test/query/ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
-@JiraKey("HHH-16721")
 @DomainModel(annotatedClasses = {
         ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest.A.class,
         ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest.B.class,
@@ -28,6 +27,7 @@ import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 public class ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest {
 
     @Test
+    @JiraKey("HHH-16721")
     public void testImplicitJoinInSubquery(SessionFactoryScope scope) {
         SQLStatementInspector statementInspector = scope.getCollectingStatementInspector();
         statementInspector.clear();
@@ -41,6 +41,22 @@ public class ImplicitJoinInSubqueryTest {
         );
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @JiraKey("HHH-17445")
+    public void testImplicitJoinInSubquery2(SessionFactoryScope scope) {
+        SQLStatementInspector statementInspector = scope.getCollectingStatementInspector();
+        statementInspector.clear();
+        scope.inTransaction(
+                entityManager -> {
+                    entityManager.createSelectionQuery(
+                            "select a from A a where exists (select 1 from B b where a.b.c is null)"
+                    ).getResultList();
+                    assertThat( statementInspector.getSqlQueries().get( 0 ) ).contains( "b1_0.c_id is null" );
+                    assertThat( statementInspector.getSqlQueries().get( 0 ) ).doesNotContain( ".id=b1_0.c_id" );
+                }
+        );
+    }
+
     @Entity(name = "A")
     public static class A {
         @Id