getTables call fails w/ syntax error

We installed the newest Connector/J 1.5.2 instead of 1.4.6. We discovered a bug in the new driver.
getTables() call fails w/ syntax error. Failure occurs when using MariaDB JDBC driver V1.5.2 , but works when using MariaDB JDBC driver V1.4.6.

call getTables()

• • • SQLException caught ***

SQLState: 42000
Message: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MariaDB server version for the right syntax to use near '' at line 1
Query is : SELECT TABLE_SCHEMA TABLE_CAT, NULL TABLE_SCHEM, TABLE_NAME, IF(TABLE_TYPE='BASE TABLE', 'TABLE', TABLE_TYPE) as TABLE_TYPE, TABLE_COMMENT REMARKS, NULL TYPE_CAT, NULL TYPE_SCHEM, NULL TYPE_NAME, NULL SELF_REFERENCING_COL_NAME, NULL REF_GENERATION FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE (ISNULL(database()) OR (TABLE_SCHEMA = database())) AND (TABLE_NAME = 'junk') ORDER BY TABLE_TYPE, TABLE_SCHEMA, TABLE_NAME
Vendor: 1064

When the above SQL statement is run in MariaDB natively, it returns a row with no problem.