diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterFactory.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterFactory.java
index bfd90374..f370606b 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterFactory.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterFactory.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class FilterFactory {
                     return new ArrayEvalFilter(pathFragment);
                 } else if (!pathFragment.contains("=") && !pathFragment.contains("<") && !pathFragment.contains(">")) {
                     //[?(@.isbn)]
-                    return new HasFieldFilter(pathFragment);
+                    return new HasPathFilter(pathFragment);
                 } else {
                     throw new InvalidPathException("Failed to create PathTokenFilter for path fragment: " + pathFragment);
                 }
diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/HasFieldFilter.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/HasPathFilter.java
similarity index 75%
rename from json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/HasFieldFilter.java
rename to json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/HasPathFilter.java
index 347e586c..271b4ffa 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/HasFieldFilter.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/HasPathFilter.java
@@ -15,18 +15,19 @@
 package com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.filter;
 
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.Configuration;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.JsonPath;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.Option;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.PathNotFoundException;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.spi.JsonProvider;
 
-import java.util.Collection;
-
 /**
  * @author Kalle Stenflo
  */
-public class HasFieldFilter extends PathTokenFilter {
+public class HasPathFilter extends PathTokenFilter {
 
-    private final String trimmedCondition;
+    private final JsonPath path;
 
-    public HasFieldFilter(String condition) {
+    public HasPathFilter(String condition) {
         super(condition);
         String trimmedCondition = condition;
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ public class HasFieldFilter extends PathTokenFilter {
             trimmedCondition = trimmedCondition.replace("']", "");
         }
 
-        this.trimmedCondition = trim(trimmedCondition, 5, 2);
+        this.path = JsonPath.compile(trim(trimmedCondition, 5, 2));
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -48,9 +49,11 @@ public class HasFieldFilter extends PathTokenFilter {
 
         for (Object item : src) {
             if(jsonProvider.isMap(item)){
-                Collection<String> keys = jsonProvider.getPropertyKeys(item);
-                if(keys.contains(trimmedCondition)){
+                try{
+                    path.read(item, Configuration.builder().options(Option.THROW_ON_MISSING_PROPERTY).jsonProvider(jsonProvider).build());
                     jsonProvider.setProperty(result, jsonProvider.length(result), item);
+                } catch (PathNotFoundException e){
+                    // the path was not found in the item
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPathTest.java b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPathTest.java
index ee2ae0f9..b17ec5c6 100644
--- a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPathTest.java
+++ b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/JsonPathTest.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasItems;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasSize;
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 /**
@@ -316,6 +317,12 @@ public class JsonPathTest {
     }
 
 
+    @Test
+    public void exists_filter_with_nested_path() throws Exception {
+
+        assertThat(JsonPath.<List<String>>read(DOCUMENT, "$..[?(@.bicycle.color)]"), hasSize(1));
+        assertThat(JsonPath.<List<String>>read(DOCUMENT, "$..[?(@.bicycle.numberOfGears)]"), hasSize(0));
 
+    }
 
 }