diff --git a/src/VirtualColumn.php b/src/VirtualColumn.php
index f7a6e3c..82de5aa 100644
--- a/src/VirtualColumn.php
+++ b/src/VirtualColumn.php
@@ -139,4 +139,18 @@ public static function getCustomColumns(): array
             'id',
         ];
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a column name for an attribute that can be used in SQL queries.
+     *
+     * (`foo` or `data->foo` depending on whether `foo` is in custom columns)
+     */
+    public function getColumnForQuery(string $column): string
+    {
+        if (in_array($column, static::getCustomColumns(), true)) {
+            return $column;
+        }
+
+        return static::getDataColumn() . '->' . $column;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/VirtualColumnTest.php b/tests/VirtualColumnTest.php
index 812b599..247b189 100644
--- a/tests/VirtualColumnTest.php
+++ b/tests/VirtualColumnTest.php
@@ -88,6 +88,23 @@ public function model_is_always_decoded_when_accessed_by_user_event()
         MyModel::first();
     }
 
+    /** @test */
+    public function column_names_are_generated_correctly()
+    {
+        // FooModel's virtual data column name is 'virtual'
+        $virtualColumnName = 'virtual->foo';
+        $customColumnName = 'custom1';
+
+        /** @var FooModel $model */
+        $model = FooModel::create([
+            'custom1' => $customColumnName,
+            'foo' => $virtualColumnName
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertSame($customColumnName, $model->getColumnForQuery('custom1'));
+        $this->assertSame($virtualColumnName, $model->getColumnForQuery('foo'));
+    }
+
     // maybe add an explicit test that the saving() and updating() listeners don't run twice?
 }
 
@@ -107,3 +124,25 @@ public static function getCustomColumns(): array
         ];
     }
 }
+
+class FooModel extends Model
+{
+    use VirtualColumn;
+
+    protected $guarded = [];
+    public $timestamps = false;
+
+    public static function getCustomColumns(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'id',
+            'custom1',
+            'custom2',
+        ];
+    }
+
+    public static function getDataColumn(): string
+    {
+        return 'virtual';
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/etc/migrations/2022_10_21_000001_create_foo_models_table.php b/tests/etc/migrations/2022_10_21_000001_create_foo_models_table.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98aa537
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/etc/migrations/2022_10_21_000001_create_foo_models_table.php
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+class CreateFooModelsTable extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function up()
+    {
+        Schema::create('foo_models', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->increments('id');
+
+            $table->string('custom1')->nullable();
+            $table->string('custom2')->nullable();
+
+            $table->json('virtual');
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function down()
+    {
+        Schema::dropIfExists('foo_models');
+    }
+}