diff --git a/lib/cartodb/models/aggregation/aggregation-query.js b/lib/cartodb/models/aggregation/aggregation-query.js
index 84216e91..7cdbe265 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/models/aggregation/aggregation-query.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/models/aggregation/aggregation-query.js
@@ -197,31 +197,36 @@ const timeDimensionParameters = definition => {
     };
 };
 
-const dimensionExpression = definition => {
+// Adapt old-style dimension definitions for backwards compatibility
+const adaptDimensionDefinition = definition => {
     if (typeof(definition) === 'string') {
-        return `"definition"`;
+        return { column: definition }
+    }
+    return definition;
+};
+
+const dimensionExpression = definition => {
+    if (definition.group_by) {
+        // Currently only time dimensions are supported with parameters
+        return timeDimension(timeDimensionParameters(definition));
+    } else {
+        return `"${definition.column}"`;
     }
-    // Currently only time dimensions are supported with parameters
-    return timeDimension(timeDimensionParameters(definition));
 };
 
 const dimensionNames = (ctx, table) => {
     let dimensions = aggregateDimensions(ctx);
-    if (table) {
-        return sep(Object.keys(dimensions).map(
-            dimension_name => `${table}."${dimension_name}"`
-        ));
-    }
-    return sep(Object.keys(dimensions).map(dimension_name => {
-        return `"${dimension_name}"`;
+    return sep(Object.keys(dimensions).map(dimensionName => {
+        return table ? `${table}."${dimensionName}"` : `"${dimensionName}"`;
     }));
 };
 
 const dimensionDefs = ctx => {
     let dimensions = aggregateDimensions(ctx);
-    return sep(Object.keys(dimensions).map(dimension_name => {
-        const expression = dimensionExpression(dimensions[dimension_name]);
-        return `${expression} AS "${dimension_name}"`;
+    return sep(Object.keys(dimensions).map(dimensionName => {
+        const dimension = adaptDimensionDefinition(dimensions[dimensionName]);
+        const expression = dimensionExpression(dimension);
+        return `${expression} AS "${dimensionName}"`;
     }));
 };