diff --git a/lib/ecto/repo/queryable.ex b/lib/ecto/repo/queryable.ex
index dc462a6a60..c4a7cb4175 100644
--- a/lib/ecto/repo/queryable.ex
+++ b/lib/ecto/repo/queryable.ex
@@ -140,12 +140,12 @@ defmodule Ecto.Repo.Queryable do
 
   def exists?(name, queryable, opts) do
     queryable =
-      Query.exclude(queryable, :select)
-      |> Query.exclude(:preload)
+      Query.exclude(queryable, :preload)
+      |> rewrite_combinations()
+      |> Query.exclude(:select)
       |> Query.exclude(:distinct)
       |> Query.select(1)
       |> Query.limit(1)
-      |> rewrite_combinations()
 
     case all(name, queryable, opts) do
       [1] -> true
@@ -155,13 +155,10 @@ defmodule Ecto.Repo.Queryable do
 
   defp rewrite_combinations(%{combinations: []} = query), do: query
 
-  defp rewrite_combinations(%{combinations: combinations} = query) do
-    combinations =
-      Enum.map(combinations, fn {type, query} ->
-        {type, query |> Query.exclude(:select) |> Query.select(1)}
-      end)
-
-    %{query | combinations: combinations}
+  defp rewrite_combinations(query) do
+    query
+    |> Query.subquery()
+    |> Queryable.Ecto.SubQuery.to_query()
   end
 
   def one(name, queryable, tuplet) do
diff --git a/test/ecto/repo_test.exs b/test/ecto/repo_test.exs
index 97c01bfe4b..bd6248f711 100644
--- a/test/ecto/repo_test.exs
+++ b/test/ecto/repo_test.exs
@@ -565,18 +565,29 @@ defmodule Ecto.RepoTest do
                "#Ecto.Query<from m0 in Ecto.RepoTest.MySchema, order_by: [asc: m0.id], limit: 1, select: 1>"
     end
 
-    test "overrides any select" do
+    test "overrides any select without combinations" do
       from(MySchema, select: true) |> TestRepo.exists?()
       assert_received {:all, query}
 
       assert inspect(query) ==
                "#Ecto.Query<from m0 in Ecto.RepoTest.MySchema, limit: 1, select: 1>"
+    end
 
-      from(MySchema, union: ^from(MySchema, select: true)) |> TestRepo.exists?()
-      assert_received {:all, query}
+    test "wraps combinations in a subquery before overriding the select" do
+      query = from(m in MySchema, select: m.id, distinct: true)
+      combination = from(m in MySchema, select: m.id)
 
-      assert inspect(query) ==
-               "#Ecto.Query<from m0 in Ecto.RepoTest.MySchema, union: (from m0 in Ecto.RepoTest.MySchema,\n  select: 1), limit: 1, select: 1>"
+      for type <- [:union, :union_all, :except, :except_all, :intersect, :intersect_all] do
+        TestRepo.exists?(%{query | combinations: [{type, combination}]})
+        assert_received {:all, exists_query}
+
+        assert %{from: %{source: %Ecto.SubQuery{query: inner_query}}, combinations: []} = exists_query
+        assert %{select: %{expr: 1}, limit: %{expr: 1}, distinct: nil} = exists_query
+        assert [{^type, inner_combination}] = inner_query.combinations
+        assert inner_query.select.expr != 1
+        assert inner_query.distinct != nil
+        assert inner_combination.select.expr != 1
+      end
     end
   end