diff --git a/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/planner/multi_fact_join_groups.rs b/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/planner/multi_fact_join_groups.rs
index 1e53d1d3bce3d..9323c5e882b01 100644
--- a/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/planner/multi_fact_join_groups.rs
+++ b/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/planner/multi_fact_join_groups.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::cube_bridge::join_hints::JoinHintItem;
 use crate::planner::collectors::{
     collect_join_hints, collect_multiplied_measures, has_multi_stage_members,
 };
@@ -207,7 +208,12 @@ impl MultiFactJoinGroups {
                 .measure_hints
                 .iter()
                 .map(|mh| -> Result<_, CubeError> {
-                    let (key, join_tree) = resolve(&mh.hints)?;
+                    let measure_hints = if mh.hints.is_empty() {
+                        Self::fallback_hints_for_measure(query_tools, &mh.measure)?
+                    } else {
+                        mh.hints.clone()
+                    };
+                    let (key, join_tree) = resolve(&measure_hints)?;
                     Ok((vec![mh.measure.clone()], key, join_tree))
                 })
                 .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?
@@ -230,6 +236,27 @@ impl MultiFactJoinGroups {
             .collect())
     }
 
+    /// Hints to use for a measure whose own hint set resolved to empty.
+    /// Seeds the measure's owning cube when it is a real, joinable cube;
+    /// returns empty for views (resolved via the query's other members).
+    fn fallback_hints_for_measure(
+        query_tools: &Rc<State>,
+        measure: &Rc<MemberSymbol>,
+    ) -> Result<JoinHints, CubeError> {
+        let cube_name = measure.cube_name();
+        let is_view = query_tools
+            .cube_evaluator()
+            .cube_from_path(cube_name.clone())
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|cube| cube.static_data().is_view)
+            .unwrap_or(false);
+        if is_view {
+            Ok(JoinHints::new())
+        } else {
+            Ok(JoinHints::from_items(vec![JoinHintItem::Single(cube_name)]))
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn measures_join_hints(&self) -> &MeasuresJoinHints {
         &self.measures_join_hints
     }
diff --git a/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/member_expressions.rs b/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/member_expressions.rs
index be41a92022834..ed2fe2e9ad6a9 100644
--- a/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/member_expressions.rs
+++ b/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/member_expressions.rs
@@ -143,6 +143,34 @@ async fn test_expr_measure_sum() {
     }
 }
 
+// COUNT(*) is a dependency-free measure expression: it references no members, so it
+// resolves an empty join-hint set, and with no dimensions/filters to seed the join the
+// planner must fall back to the measure's own cube (`orders`) instead of building a
+// null join. Regression for hint-less member-expression measures: without the fallback,
+// the empty hints reach `JoinGraph.build_join([])`, which yields no joinable cube.
+// integration_basic seed has 9 orders → 9.
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn test_expr_measure_count_star_no_hints() {
+    let ctx = create_context();
+    let expr = make_measure_expression("total_count", "orders", "COUNT(*)");
+
+    let options = Rc::new(
+        MockBaseQueryOptions::builder()
+            .cube_evaluator(ctx.query_tools().cube_evaluator().clone())
+            .base_tools(ctx.query_tools().base_tools().clone())
+            .join_graph(ctx.query_tools().join_graph().clone())
+            .security_context(ctx.security_context().clone())
+            .measures(Some(vec![expr]))
+            .build(),
+    );
+
+    ctx.build_sql_from_options(options.clone()).unwrap();
+
+    if let Some(result) = ctx.try_execute_pg_from_options(options, SEED).await {
+        insta::assert_snapshot!(result);
+    }
+}
+
 // Multiplied dim-only ME: a measure expression evaluating to a
 // dimension expression (MAX over `customers.city`) used together
 // with an `orders` dimension. `orders→customers` is many_to_one, so
diff --git a/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/snapshots/cubesqlplanner__tests__integration__member_expressions__expr_measure_count_star_no_hints.snap b/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/snapshots/cubesqlplanner__tests__integration__member_expressions__expr_measure_count_star_no_hints.snap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a4790e00483de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/cube/cubesqlplanner/cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/snapshots/cubesqlplanner__tests__integration__member_expressions__expr_measure_count_star_no_hints.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+source: cubesqlplanner/src/tests/integration/member_expressions.rs
+expression: result
+---
+total_count
+-----------
+9