Index: hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/Loader.java
===================================================================
--- hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/Loader.java	(revision 9974)
+++ hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/Loader.java	(working copy)
@@ -313,7 +314,7 @@
 					result = loaded;
 				}
 			} 
-			while ( keyToRead.equals( loadedKeys[0] ) && resultSet.next() );
+			while ( keyToRead.equals( loadedKeys[getRootKeyIndex()] ) && resultSet.next() );
 		}
 		catch ( SQLException sqle ) {
 			throw JDBCExceptionHelper.convert(
@@ -353,9 +355,6 @@
 	        final QueryParameters queryParameters,
 	        final boolean returnProxies) throws HibernateException {
 
-		// note that for sequential scrolling, we make the assumption that
-		// the first persister element is the "root entity"
-
 		try {
 			if ( resultSet.isAfterLast() ) {
 				// don't even bother trying to read further
@@ -372,13 +371,7 @@
 			// not the most efficient.  But the call here is needed, and there
 			// currently is no other way without refactoring of the doQuery()/getRowFromResultSet()
 			// methods
-			final EntityKey currentKey = getKeyFromResultSet(
-					0,
-					getEntityPersisters()[0],
-					null,
-					resultSet,
-					session
-				);
+			final EntityKey currentKey = getKeyToRead(resultSet, session);
 
 			return sequentialLoad( resultSet, session, queryParameters, returnProxies, currentKey );
 		}
@@ -437,13 +430,7 @@
 			if ( resultSet.isAfterLast() && isLogicallyAfterLast ) {
 				// position cursor to the last row
 				resultSet.last();
-				keyToRead = getKeyFromResultSet(
-						0,
-						getEntityPersisters()[0],
-						null,
-						resultSet,
-						session
-					);
+				keyToRead = getKeyToRead(resultSet, session);
 			}
 			else {
 				// Since the result set cursor is always left at the first
@@ -457,21 +444,9 @@
 				// the last physical sequential row for the logical row in which
 				// we are interested in processing
 				boolean firstPass = true;
-				final EntityKey lastKey = getKeyFromResultSet(
-						0,
-						getEntityPersisters()[0],
-						null,
-						resultSet,
-						session
-					);
+				final EntityKey lastKey = getKeyToRead(resultSet, session);
 				while ( resultSet.previous() ) {
-					EntityKey checkKey = getKeyFromResultSet(
-							0,
-							getEntityPersisters()[0],
-							null,
-							resultSet,
-							session
-						);
+					EntityKey checkKey = getKeyToRead(resultSet, session);
 
 					if ( firstPass ) {
 						firstPass = false;
@@ -488,13 +463,7 @@
 			// Read backwards until we read past the first physical sequential
 			// row with the key we are interested in loading
 			while ( resultSet.previous() ) {
-				EntityKey checkKey = getKeyFromResultSet(
-						0,
-						getEntityPersisters()[0],
-						null,
-						resultSet,
-						session
-					);
+				EntityKey checkKey = getKeyToRead(resultSet, session);
 
 				if ( !keyToRead.equals( checkKey ) ) {
 					break;
@@ -518,6 +487,20 @@
 		}
 	}
 
+	private EntityKey getKeyToRead(final ResultSet resultSet, final SessionImplementor session) throws SQLException {
+		return getKeyFromResultSet(
+				getRootKeyIndex(),
+				getEntityPersisters()[getRootKeyIndex()],
+				null,
+				resultSet,
+				session
+			);
+	}
+
+	protected int getRootKeyIndex() {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	private static EntityKey getOptionalObjectKey(QueryParameters queryParameters, SessionImplementor session) {
 		final Object optionalObject = queryParameters.getOptionalObject();
 		final Serializable optionalId = queryParameters.getOptionalId();
Index: hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/criteria/CriteriaLoader.java
===================================================================
--- hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/criteria/CriteriaLoader.java	(revision 9974)
+++ hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/loader/criteria/CriteriaLoader.java	(working copy)
@@ -166,4 +166,11 @@
 				.transformList(results);
 	}
 
+	protected boolean needsFetchingScroll() {
+		return collectionPersisters != null;
+	}
+	
+	protected int getRootKeyIndex() {
+		return aliases.length-1;
+	}
 }