diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/criterion/Restrictions.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/criterion/Restrictions.java
index 6c1b4b8c7d..6530588357 100755
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/criterion/Restrictions.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/criterion/Restrictions.java
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ public class Restrictions {
 	public static SimpleExpression like(String propertyName, String value, MatchMode matchMode) {
 		return new SimpleExpression(propertyName, matchMode.toMatchString(value), " like " );
 	}
+
 	/**
 	 * A case-insensitive "like", similar to Postgres <tt>ilike</tt>
 	 * operator
@@ -111,8 +112,12 @@ public class Restrictions {
 	 * @return Criterion
 	 */
 	public static Criterion ilike(String propertyName, Object value) {
-		return new LikeExpression(propertyName, value.toString());
+		if ( value == null ) {
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Comparison value passed to ilike cannot be null" );
+		}
+		return ilike( propertyName, value.toString(), MatchMode.ANYWHERE );
 	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Apply a "greater than" constraint to the named property
 	 * @param propertyName
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/criterion/CriterionTest.java b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/criterion/CriterionTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f95cca09aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/criterion/CriterionTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+/*
+ * Hibernate, Relational Persistence for Idiomatic Java
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2012, Red Hat Inc. or third-party contributors as
+ * indicated by the @author tags or express copyright attribution
+ * statements applied by the authors.  All third-party contributions are
+ * distributed under license by Red Hat Inc.
+ *
+ * This copyrighted material is made available to anyone wishing to use, modify,
+ * copy, or redistribute it subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License, as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
+ * or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with this distribution; if not, write to:
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor
+ * Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ */
+package org.hibernate.test.criterion;
+
+import org.hibernate.Criteria;
+import org.hibernate.HibernateException;
+import org.hibernate.IrrelevantEntity;
+import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
+import org.hibernate.cfg.AvailableSettings;
+import org.hibernate.cfg.Configuration;
+import org.hibernate.criterion.CriteriaQuery;
+import org.hibernate.criterion.Criterion;
+import org.hibernate.criterion.LikeExpression;
+import org.hibernate.criterion.Restrictions;
+import org.hibernate.dialect.Dialect;
+import org.hibernate.engine.spi.SessionFactoryImplementor;
+import org.hibernate.engine.spi.TypedValue;
+import org.hibernate.internal.CriteriaImpl;
+import org.hibernate.loader.criteria.CriteriaQueryTranslator;
+import org.hibernate.type.Type;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import org.hibernate.testing.junit4.BaseUnitTestCase;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+/**
+ * @author Steve Ebersole
+ */
+public class CriterionTest extends BaseUnitTestCase {
+	@Test
+	public void testIlikeRendering() {
+		SessionFactory sf = new Configuration()
+				.addAnnotatedClass( IrrelevantEntity.class )
+				.setProperty( AvailableSettings.DIALECT, IlikeSupportingDialect.class.getName() )
+				.buildSessionFactory();
+		final Criteria criteria = sf.openSession().createCriteria( IrrelevantEntity.class );
+		final CriteriaQueryTranslator translator = new CriteriaQueryTranslator( 
+				(SessionFactoryImplementor) sf, 
+				(CriteriaImpl) criteria, 
+				IrrelevantEntity.class.getName(), 
+				"a" 
+		);
+		final Criterion ilikeExpression = Restrictions.ilike( "name", "abc" );
+		final String ilikeExpressionSqlFragment = ilikeExpression.toSqlString( criteria, translator );
+		assertEquals( "a.name insensitiveLike ?", ilikeExpressionSqlFragment );
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testIlikeMimicing() {
+		SessionFactory sf = new Configuration()
+				.addAnnotatedClass( IrrelevantEntity.class )
+				.setProperty( AvailableSettings.DIALECT, NonIlikeSupportingDialect.class.getName() )
+				.buildSessionFactory();
+		final Criteria criteria = sf.openSession().createCriteria( IrrelevantEntity.class );
+		final CriteriaQueryTranslator translator = new CriteriaQueryTranslator(
+				(SessionFactoryImplementor) sf,
+				(CriteriaImpl) criteria,
+				IrrelevantEntity.class.getName(),
+				"a"
+		);
+		final Criterion ilikeExpression = Restrictions.ilike( "name", "abc" );
+		final String ilikeExpressionSqlFragment = ilikeExpression.toSqlString( criteria, translator );
+		assertEquals( "lowLowLow(a.name) like ?", ilikeExpressionSqlFragment );
+	}
+
+	public static class IlikeSupportingDialect extends Dialect {
+		@Override
+		public boolean supportsCaseInsensitiveLike() {
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public String getCaseInsensitiveLike() {
+			return "insensitiveLike";
+		}
+	}
+
+	public static class NonIlikeSupportingDialect extends Dialect {
+		@Override
+		public boolean supportsCaseInsensitiveLike() {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public String getCaseInsensitiveLike() {
+			throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public String getLowercaseFunction() {
+			return "lowLowLow";
+		}
+	}
+}