diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/ConditionalOperators.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/ConditionalOperators.java
index 07bfebd70..16b8efe79 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/ConditionalOperators.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/ConditionalOperators.java
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public class ConditionalOperators {
 		public OtherwiseBuilder thenValueOf(String fieldReference) {
 
 			Assert.notNull(fieldReference, "FieldReference must not be null!");
-			return createThenBuilder().then(fieldReference);
+			return createThenBuilder().thenValueOf(fieldReference);
 		}
 
 		private ThenBuilder createThenBuilder() {
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/AggregationUnitTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/AggregationUnitTests.java
index 12f2e744f..43a9cc668 100755
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/AggregationUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/AggregationUnitTests.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import org.bson.Document;
 import org.junit.Test;
-
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort.Direction;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.core.aggregation.ConditionalOperators.Cond;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.core.query.Criteria;
@@ -438,14 +437,14 @@ public class AggregationUnitTests {
 		assertThat(getAsDocument(project, "color")).containsEntry("$cond", expectedCondition);
 	}
 
-	@Test // DATAMONGO-861
+	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-2242
 	public void referencingProjectionAliasesShouldRenderProjectionConditionalWithFieldReferenceCorrectly() {
 
 		Document agg = Aggregation.newAggregation(//
 				project().and("color").as("chroma"), project().and("luminosity") //
 						.applyCondition(ConditionalOperators //
 								.when("chroma") //
-								.thenValueOf("bright") //
+								.then("bright") //
 								.otherwise("dark"))) //
 				.toDocument("foo", Aggregation.DEFAULT_CONTEXT);
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/CondExpressionUnitTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/CondExpressionUnitTests.java
index 9284268d2..f206e683a 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/CondExpressionUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/CondExpressionUnitTests.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public class CondExpressionUnitTests {
 				() -> newBuilder().when("isYellow").then(newBuilder().when("field").then("then-value")).otherwise("otherwise"));
 	}
 
-	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-1542
+	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-1542, DATAMONGO-2242
 	public void simpleBuilderShouldRenderCorrectly() {
 
 		Cond operator = ConditionalOperators.when("isYellow").thenValueOf("bright").otherwise("dark");
@@ -62,13 +62,13 @@ public class CondExpressionUnitTests {
 
 		Document expectedCondition = new Document() //
 				.append("if", "$isYellow") //
-				.append("then", "bright") //
+				.append("then", "$bright") //
 				.append("else", "dark");
 
 		assertThat(document).containsEntry("$cond", expectedCondition);
 	}
 
-	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-1542
+	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-1542, DATAMONGO-2242
 	public void simpleCriteriaShouldRenderCorrectly() {
 
 		Cond operator = ConditionalOperators.when(Criteria.where("luminosity").gte(100)).thenValueOf("bright")
@@ -77,13 +77,13 @@ public class CondExpressionUnitTests {
 
 		Document expectedCondition = new Document() //
 				.append("if", new Document("$gte", Arrays.<Object> asList("$luminosity", 100))) //
-				.append("then", "bright") //
+				.append("then", "$bright") //
 				.append("else", "dark");
 
 		assertThat(document).containsEntry("$cond", expectedCondition);
 	}
 
-	@Test // DATAMONGO-861
+	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-2242
 	public void andCriteriaShouldRenderCorrectly() {
 
 		Cond operator = ConditionalOperators.when(Criteria.where("luminosity").gte(100) //
@@ -99,13 +99,13 @@ public class CondExpressionUnitTests {
 
 		Document expectedCondition = new Document() //
 				.append("if", Arrays.<Object> asList(luminosity, new Document("$and", Arrays.asList(hue, saturation)))) //
-				.append("then", "bright") //
+				.append("then", "$bright") //
 				.append("else", "$dark-field");
 
 		assertThat(document).containsEntry("$cond", expectedCondition);
 	}
 
-	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-1542
+	@Test // DATAMONGO-861, DATAMONGO-1542, DATAMONGO-2242
 	public void twoArgsCriteriaShouldRenderCorrectly() {
 
 		Criteria criteria = Criteria.where("luminosity").gte(100) //
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public class CondExpressionUnitTests {
 
 		Document expectedCondition = new Document() //
 				.append("if", Arrays.asList(gte, is)) //
-				.append("then", "bright") //
+				.append("then", "$bright") //
 				.append("else", "dark");
 
 		assertThat(document).containsEntry("$cond", expectedCondition);