diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
index 1ea493e6610..2c773810901 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
@@ -263,6 +263,6 @@ public class MultiMatchQuery extends MatchQuery {
     }
 
     protected boolean forceAnalyzeQueryString() {
-        return this.queryBuilder.forceAnalyzeQueryString();
+        return this.queryBuilder == null ? super.forceAnalyzeQueryString() : this.queryBuilder.forceAnalyzeQueryString();
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/MultiMatchQueryTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/MultiMatchQueryTests.java
index 09d65f8d497..92c24ccff7d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/MultiMatchQueryTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/MultiMatchQueryTests.java
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ public class MultiMatchQueryTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         assertHitCount(searchResponse, 2l);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testSingleField() {
+        SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch("test")
+                .setQuery(randomizeType(multiMatchQuery("15", "skill"))).get();
+        assertNoFailures(searchResponse);
+        assertFirstHit(searchResponse, hasId("theone"));
+        // TODO we need equivalence tests with match query here
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testCutoffFreq() throws ExecutionException, InterruptedException {
         final long numDocs = client().prepareCount("test")