diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index cf0b330b6c..38874df3eb 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ This is a {{ site.pmd.release_type }} release.
     *   [#1513](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1513): \[java] LocalVariableCouldBeFinal: allow excluding the variable in a for-each loop
 *   java-errorprone
     *   [#1035](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1035): \[java] ReturnFromFinallyBlock: False positive on lambda expression in finally block
+*   plsql
+    *   [#1508](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1508): \[plsql] Parse Exception when using SELECT COUNT(*)
 
 ### API Changes
 
diff --git a/pmd-plsql/etc/grammar/PldocAST.jjt b/pmd-plsql/etc/grammar/PldocAST.jjt
index d6d82ae949..12a426bb39 100644
--- a/pmd-plsql/etc/grammar/PldocAST.jjt
+++ b/pmd-plsql/etc/grammar/PldocAST.jjt
@@ -1486,7 +1486,7 @@ void SelectListEntry() #void :
 ASTColumnAlias ColumnAlias() :
 {}
 {
-    <IDENTIFIER> { jjtThis.setImage(token.image); }
+    ( <IDENTIFIER> | <QUOTED_LITERAL> ) { jjtThis.setImage(token.image); }
     { return jjtThis; }
 }
 
@@ -1549,7 +1549,7 @@ ASTTableReference TableReference() :
         "(" Subquery() ")"
     )
 
-    [ TableAlias() ]
+    [ LOOKAHEAD(2) TableAlias() ]
     
     { return jjtThis; }
 }
@@ -2983,9 +2983,8 @@ ASTArguments Arguments() :
 }
 {
   //"(" [ ArgumentList() ] ")"
-  ("(")   
-  [ (ArgumentList())  ] 
-  (")")   
+
+  "(" [ [<ALL> | <DISTINCT> | <UNIQUE>] ("*" | ArgumentList()) ] ")"
  { 
  return jjtThis ; 
  }
@@ -3362,7 +3361,7 @@ ASTTypeSpecification TypeSpecification()  :
 		( 
 		    <UNDER> ObjectNameDeclaration()  //SUBTYPE
 		  | LOOKAHEAD(2) (<IS> | <AS> )   <OBJECT>  // OBJECT TYPE
-		  | LOOKAHEAD(2) (<IS> | <AS> )   <OPAQUE> <VARYING> "(*)" // OPAQUE TYPE
+		  | LOOKAHEAD(2) (<IS> | <AS> )   <OPAQUE> <VARYING> "(" "*" ")" // OPAQUE TYPE
 		                                                                <USING> <LIBRARY>  (<IDENTIFIER> | <QUOTED_LITERAL> | StringLiteral() )
 			                                                                             [ "." (<IDENTIFIER> | <QUOTED_LITERAL> | StringLiteral() ) ]
 		  | LOOKAHEAD(2) (<IS> | <AS> ) CollectionTypeName() <OF> Datatype() 
diff --git a/pmd-plsql/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressionsTest.java b/pmd-plsql/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressionsTest.java
index 7bd3b43c38..b6264dfe94 100644
--- a/pmd-plsql/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressionsTest.java
+++ b/pmd-plsql/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressionsTest.java
@@ -17,10 +17,18 @@ public class SelectExpressionsTest extends AbstractPLSQLParserTst {
 
     @Test
     @Ignore
-    public void parseSelectCount() throws Exception {
+    public void parseSelectExpression() throws Exception {
         String code = IOUtils.toString(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("SelectExpressions.pls"),
                 StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         ASTInput input = parsePLSQL(code);
         Assert.assertNotNull(input);
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void parseSelectCount() throws Exception {
+        String code = IOUtils.toString(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("SelectCount.pls"),
+                StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        ASTInput input = parsePLSQL(code);
+        Assert.assertNotNull(input);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/pmd-plsql/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectCount.pls b/pmd-plsql/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectCount.pls
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..23748a1c9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmd-plsql/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectCount.pls
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+DECLARE
+    bonus   NUMBER(8,2);
+BEGIN
+
+SELECT COUNT(*) INTO x FROM y1;
+SELECT COUNT (*)  INTO x FROM y2;
+SELECT COUNT ( * )  INTO x FROM y2;
+SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT other_id) INTO x FROM y3;
+SELECT COUNT(ALL other_id) INTO x FROM y3;
+SELECT COUNT(UNIQUE other_id) INTO x FROM y3;
+
+SELECT
+   some_col "alias in quotes"
+   INTO some_record
+   FROM some_table;
+
+SELECT
+        COUNT(*) "Total Empl"
+   INTO some_record
+   FROM some_table;
+
+END;
+/
diff --git a/pmd-plsql/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressions.pls b/pmd-plsql/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressions.pls
index 9270c1c1f1..06641367bd 100644
--- a/pmd-plsql/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressions.pls
+++ b/pmd-plsql/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/plsql/ast/SelectExpressions.pls
@@ -4,17 +4,6 @@
 
 BEGIN
 
-SELECT
-   some_col "alias in quotes"
-   INTO some_record
-   FROM some_table;
-
-
-SELECT
-        COUNT(*) "Total Empl"
-   INTO some_record
-   FROM some_table;
-
 SELECT
     AVG(salary) * 12 "Average Sal"
   INTO some_record