Index: wp-includes/query.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/query.php	(revision 18667)
+++ wp-includes/query.php	(working copy)
@@ -1940,6 +1940,7 @@
 		$fields = '';
 		$post_status_join = false;
 		$page = 1;
+		$expand_ids = false;
 
 		if ( isset( $q['caller_get_posts'] ) ) {
 			_deprecated_argument( 'WP_Query', '3.1', __( '"caller_get_posts" is deprecated. Use "ignore_sticky_posts" instead.' ) );
@@ -2591,6 +2592,11 @@
 				$$piece = isset( $clauses[ $piece ] ) ? $clauses[ $piece ] : '';
 		}
 
+		if ( "$wpdb->posts.*" == $fields ) {
+			$fields = "$wpdb->posts.ID";
+			$expand_ids = true;	
+		}
+
 		if ( ! empty($groupby) )
 			$groupby = 'GROUP BY ' . $groupby;
 		if ( !empty( $orderby ) )
@@ -2606,11 +2612,25 @@
 
 		if ( 'ids' == $q['fields'] ) {
 			$this->posts = $wpdb->get_col($this->request);
-
 			return $this->posts;
-		}
+		} elseif ( $expand_ids ) {
+			$ids = $wpdb->get_col( $this->request );
 
-		if ( 'id=>parent' == $q['fields'] ) {
+			if ( $ids ) {
+				if ( !$q['no_found_rows'] && !empty( $limits ) ) {
+					$found_posts_query = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts_query', array( 'SELECT FOUND_ROWS()', &$this ) );
+					$this->found_posts = $wpdb->get_var( $found_posts_query );
+					$this->found_posts = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts', array( $this->found_posts, &$this ) );
+					$this->max_num_pages = ceil($this->found_posts / $q['posts_per_page']);
+				}
+	
+				$query = sprintf( "SELECT $wpdb->posts.* FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE ID IN (%s) $orderby", join( ",", $ids ) );
+				$this->posts = $wpdb->get_results($query);
+			} else {
+				$this->found_posts = $this->max_num_pages = 0;
+				$this->posts = array();
+			}
+		} elseif ( 'id=>parent' == $q['fields'] ) {
 			$this->posts = $wpdb->get_results($this->request);
 
 			$r = array();
@@ -2618,10 +2638,10 @@
 				$r[ $post->ID ] = $post->post_parent;
 
 			return $r;
+		} else {
+			$this->posts = $wpdb->get_results($this->request);
 		}
 
-		$this->posts = $wpdb->get_results($this->request);
-
 		// Raw results filter.  Prior to status checks.
 		if ( !$q['suppress_filters'] )
 			$this->posts = apply_filters_ref_array('posts_results', array( $this->posts, &$this ) );
@@ -2639,7 +2659,7 @@
 			$this->comment_count = count($this->comments);
 		}
 
-		if ( !$q['no_found_rows'] && !empty($limits) ) {
+		if ( !$q['no_found_rows'] && !empty($limits) && !$expand_ids ) {
 			$found_posts_query = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts_query', array( 'SELECT FOUND_ROWS()', &$this ) );
 			$this->found_posts = $wpdb->get_var( $found_posts_query );
 			$this->found_posts = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts', array( $this->found_posts, &$this ) );