diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java
index 892d58470..35d9aa168 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java
@@ -1697,6 +1697,11 @@ private static Exp mapKeysNotContain(Map<QualifierKey, Object> qualifierMap) {
     private static Exp mapKeysContain(Map<QualifierKey, Object> qualifierMap) {
         String errMsg = "MAP_KEYS_CONTAIN FilterExpression unsupported type: got " +
             getValue(qualifierMap).getClass().getSimpleName();
+        String[] dotPathArray = getDotPathArray(getDotPath(qualifierMap));
+        if (hasMapKeyPlaceholder(qualifierMap) && dotPathArray != null && dotPathArray.length > 1) {
+            List<String> ctxList = convertToStringListExclStart(dotPathArray);
+            qualifierMap.put(CTX_ARRAY, resolveCtxList(ctxList));
+        }
         return mapKeysCountComparedToZero(qualifierMap, Exp::gt, getValue(qualifierMap), errMsg);
     }
 
@@ -2007,4 +2012,8 @@ protected Filter collectionRange(IndexCollectionType collectionType, Map<Qualifi
     protected Filter geoWithinRadius(IndexCollectionType collectionType, Map<QualifierKey, Object> qualifierMap) {
         return Filter.geoContains(getBinName(qualifierMap), getValue(qualifierMap).toString());
     }
+
+    private static boolean hasMapKeyPlaceholder(Map<QualifierKey, Object> qualifierMap) {
+        return (Boolean) qualifierMap.getOrDefault(MAP_KEY_PLACEHOLDER, false);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/BaseQualifierBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/BaseQualifierBuilder.java
index bc1210390..dc513985f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/BaseQualifierBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/BaseQualifierBuilder.java
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ public abstract class BaseQualifierBuilder<T extends BaseQualifierBuilder<?>> im
     protected final Map<QualifierKey, Object> map = new HashMap<>();
 
     public boolean getIgnoreCase() {
-        Object ignoreCase = map.get(IGNORE_CASE);
-        return ignoreCase != null && Boolean.parseBoolean(ignoreCase.toString());
+        return  (Boolean) map.getOrDefault(IGNORE_CASE, false);
     }
 
     public FilterOperation getFilterOperation() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/QualifierKey.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/QualifierKey.java
index d193ed40a..8757fb108 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/QualifierKey.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/qualifier/QualifierKey.java
@@ -24,5 +24,6 @@ public enum QualifierKey {
     FILTER_OPERATION,
     DIGEST_KEY,
     HAS_SINDEX_FILTER,
-    SERVER_VERSION_SUPPORT
+    SERVER_VERSION_SUPPORT,
+    MAP_KEY_PLACEHOLDER
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/MapQueryCreator.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/MapQueryCreator.java
index f95eeb8c5..9d23a300a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/MapQueryCreator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/MapQueryCreator.java
@@ -280,11 +280,8 @@ private Qualifier processMapContaining(QueryQualifierBuilder qb, Part part, Stri
                 case KEY -> {
                     op = keysOp;
                     setQualifierBuilderValue(qb, queryParameters.get(1));
-                    // the actual value is irrelevant here,
-                    // the last dotPath element is discarded within AerospikeQueryCreatorUtils.getCtxFromDotPathArray(),
-                    // the elements except the first and the last are converted to CTX,
-                    // the key object (can contain '.') is transferred separately via qualifier builder value
-                    dotPath.add("mapKeyPlaceholder");
+                    // Map key placeholder is set for "Map keys containing" queries
+                    qb.setMapKeyPlaceholder();
                 }
                 case VALUE -> {
                     op = valuesOp;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/QueryQualifierBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/QueryQualifierBuilder.java
index 1fe3af10e..3b3cfd1e2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/QueryQualifierBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/QueryQualifierBuilder.java
@@ -102,8 +102,15 @@ public QueryQualifierBuilder setServerVersionSupport(ServerVersionSupport server
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set Map key placeholder (for "Map keys containing" queries).
+     */
+    public QueryQualifierBuilder setMapKeyPlaceholder() {
+        this.map.put(MAP_KEY_PLACEHOLDER, true);
+        return this;
+    }
+
     public boolean hasDotPath() {
         return map.get(DOT_PATH) != null;
     }
-
 }