diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index f4eb82b8bb..ca276b9c07 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 	<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 	<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-	<version>4.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>4.2.x-4546-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<packaging>pom</packaging>
 
 	<name>Spring Data MongoDB</name>
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml b/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml
index 2de4b6b635..2dde06c17d 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb-benchmarks/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 		<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-		<version>4.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>4.2.x-4546-SNAPSHOT</version>
 		<relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
 	</parent>
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml b/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml
index 41b81f9aa6..d1f4e8467e 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb-distribution/pom.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 		<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-		<version>4.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>4.2.x-4546-SNAPSHOT</version>
 		<relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
 	</parent>
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml b/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml
index d7a9ddaa63..cc54adba7b 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/pom.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	<parent>
 		<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
 		<artifactId>spring-data-mongodb-parent</artifactId>
-		<version>4.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+		<version>4.2.x-4546-SNAPSHOT</version>
 		<relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
 	</parent>
 
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethod.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethod.java
index 1d01c877b9..20e9677905 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethod.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethod.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.ReadPreference;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.Tailable;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.repository.Update;
+import org.springframework.data.mongodb.util.BsonUtils;
 import org.springframework.data.projection.ProjectionFactory;
 import org.springframework.data.repository.core.RepositoryMetadata;
 import org.springframework.data.repository.query.QueryMethod;
@@ -504,6 +505,16 @@ public void verify() {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if (hasAnnotatedAggregation()) {
+			for (String stage : getAnnotatedAggregation()) {
+				if (BsonUtils.isJsonArray(stage)) {
+					throw new IllegalStateException("""
+							Invalid aggregation pipeline. Please split Aggregation.pipeline from "[{...}, {...}]" to "{...}", "{...}".
+							Offending Method: %s.%s
+							""".formatted(method.getDeclaringClass().getSimpleName(), method.getName()));
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	private boolean isNumericOrVoidReturnValue() {
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethodUnitTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethodUnitTests.java
index 8663913007..7799a0fab0 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethodUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/repository/query/MongoQueryMethodUnitTests.java
@@ -358,6 +358,15 @@ void detectsReadPreferenceForAggregation() throws Exception {
 		assertThat(method.getAnnotatedReadPreference()).isEqualTo("secondaryPreferred");
 	}
 
+	@Test // GH-4546
+	void errorsOnInvalidAggregation() throws Exception {
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(IllegalStateException.class) //
+				.isThrownBy(() -> queryMethod(InvalidAggregationMethodRepo.class, "findByAggregation").verify()) //
+				.withMessageContaining("Invalid aggregation") //
+				.withMessageContaining("findByAggregation");
+	}
+
 	private MongoQueryMethod queryMethod(Class<?> repository, String name, Class<?>... parameters) throws Exception {
 
 		Method method = repository.getMethod(name, parameters);
@@ -465,6 +474,12 @@ interface InvalidUpdateMethodRepo extends Repository<Person, Long> {
 		Person findAndIncrementVisitsByFirstname(String firstname);
 	}
 
+	interface InvalidAggregationMethodRepo extends Repository<Person, Long> {
+
+		@Aggregation("[{'$group': { _id: '$templateId', maxVersion : { $max : '$version'} } }]")
+		List<User> findByAggregation();
+	}
+
 	interface Customer {
 
 	}