A method of modifying a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement in order to reduce the number of joins executed by a database is disclosed. The method includes presenting the SQL statement to the database and identifying joins in the SQL statement for removal in accordance with one or more predetermined criteria. For each identified join, the SQL statement may be modified so as to remove the identified join and to change references to a first instance of a table which is referred to by the identified join to a second instance of the table.