diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Alias.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Alias.java
index 56c495e79c..f970aa893d 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Alias.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Alias.java
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@ import static org.jooq.SQLDialect.POSTGRES;
 import static org.jooq.SQLDialect.SQLITE;
 // ...
 // ...
+import static org.jooq.impl.DSL.asterisk;
 import static org.jooq.impl.DSL.falseCondition;
 import static org.jooq.impl.DSL.field;
 import static org.jooq.impl.DSL.select;
 import static org.jooq.impl.Keywords.K_AS;
-import static org.jooq.impl.Tools.list;
 import static org.jooq.impl.Tools.DataKey.DATA_UNALIAS_ALIASES_IN_ORDER_BY;
 
 import java.util.EnumSet;
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ final class Alias<Q extends QueryPart> extends AbstractQueryPart {
                     && (wrapped instanceof TableImpl || wrapped instanceof CommonTableExpressionImpl)) {
 
                 Select<Record> select =
-                    select(list(field("*"))).from(((Table<?>) wrapped).as(alias));
+                    select(asterisk()).from(((Table<?>) wrapped).as(alias));
 
                 context.sql('(').formatIndentStart().formatNewLine()
                        .visit(select).formatIndentEnd().formatNewLine()
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ final class Alias<Q extends QueryPart> extends AbstractQueryPart {
                     ? (Select<?>) wrapped
                     : wrapped instanceof DerivedTable
                     ? ((DerivedTable<?>) wrapped).query()
-                    : select(field("*")).from(((Table<?>) wrapped).as(alias))
+                    : select(asterisk()).from(((Table<?>) wrapped).as(alias))
 
                 );
 
diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultRenderContext.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultRenderContext.java
index 1e24528c7b..0ea49cf9c1 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultRenderContext.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultRenderContext.java
@@ -224,19 +224,21 @@ class DefaultRenderContext extends AbstractContext<RenderContext> implements Ren
             if (e1.positions == null || e1.joinNode == null)
                 continue outer;
 
-            String replaced = "(" + DSL.using(configuration).renderContext().declareTables(true).render(e1.joinNode.joinTree()) + ")";
-            sql.replace(e1.positions[0], e1.positions[1], replaced);
+            if (!e1.joinNode.children.isEmpty()) {
+                String replaced = "(" + DSL.using(configuration).renderContext().declareTables(true).render(e1.joinNode.joinTree()) + ")";
+                sql.replace(e1.positions[0], e1.positions[1], replaced);
 
-            int shift = replaced.length() - (e1.positions[1] - e1.positions[0]);
+                int shift = replaced.length() - (e1.positions[1] - e1.positions[0]);
 
-            inner:
-            for (ScopeStackElement e2 : scopeStack) {
-                if (e2.positions == null)
-                    continue inner;
+                inner:
+                for (ScopeStackElement e2 : scopeStack) {
+                    if (e2.positions == null)
+                        continue inner;
 
-                if (e2.positions[0] > e1.positions[0]) {
-                    e2.positions[0] = e2.positions[0] + shift;
-                    e2.positions[1] = e2.positions[1] + shift;
+                    if (e2.positions[0] > e1.positions[0]) {
+                        e2.positions[0] = e2.positions[0] + shift;
+                        e2.positions[1] = e2.positions[1] + shift;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }