diff --git a/SqlKata.Execution/Query.Extensions.cs b/SqlKata.Execution/Query.Extensions.cs
index e7a98a41..9d9bccdd 100644
--- a/SqlKata.Execution/Query.Extensions.cs
+++ b/SqlKata.Execution/Query.Extensions.cs
@@ -242,14 +242,14 @@ public static async Task<T> AggregateAsync<T>(this Query query, string aggregate
             return await db.ExecuteScalarAsync<T>(query.AsAggregate(aggregateOperation, columns), transaction, timeout);
         }
 
-        public static T Count<T>(this Query query, string[] columns, IDbTransaction transaction = null, int? timeout = null)
+        public static T Count<T>(this Query query, string[] columns = null, IDbTransaction transaction = null, int? timeout = null)
         {
             var db = CreateQueryFactory(query);
 
             return db.ExecuteScalar<T>(query.AsCount(columns), transaction, timeout);
         }
 
-        public static async Task<T> CountAsync<T>(this Query query, string[] columns, IDbTransaction transaction = null, int? timeout = null)
+        public static async Task<T> CountAsync<T>(this Query query, string[] columns = null, IDbTransaction transaction = null, int? timeout = null)
         {
             var db = CreateQueryFactory(query);
 
diff --git a/version.props b/version.props
index 5561707a..8361c2d2 100644
--- a/version.props
+++ b/version.props
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <Project>
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <VersionPrefix>2.1.0</VersionPrefix>
+    <VersionPrefix>2.2.0</VersionPrefix>
     <VersionSuffix></VersionSuffix>
   </PropertyGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file