diff --git a/app/vlselect/logsql/logsql.go b/app/vlselect/logsql/logsql.go
index 6113918bd..a6a1cfc89 100644
--- a/app/vlselect/logsql/logsql.go
+++ b/app/vlselect/logsql/logsql.go
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ func ProcessHitsRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Requ
 	}
 
 	// Prepare the query for hits count.
-	q.Optimize()
 	q.DropAllPipes()
 	q.AddCountByTimePipe(int64(step), int64(offset), fields)
 
@@ -204,7 +203,6 @@ func ProcessFieldNamesRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *htt
 	}
 
 	// Obtain field names for the given query
-	q.Optimize()
 	fieldNames, err := vlstorage.GetFieldNames(ctx, tenantIDs, q)
 	if err != nil {
 		httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "cannot obtain field names: %s", err)
@@ -244,7 +242,6 @@ func ProcessFieldValuesRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *ht
 	}
 
 	// Obtain unique values for the given field
-	q.Optimize()
 	values, err := vlstorage.GetFieldValues(ctx, tenantIDs, q, fieldName, uint64(limit))
 	if err != nil {
 		httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "cannot obtain values for field %q: %s", fieldName, err)
@@ -267,7 +264,6 @@ func ProcessStreamFieldNamesRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter,
 	}
 
 	// Obtain stream field names for the given query
-	q.Optimize()
 	names, err := vlstorage.GetStreamFieldNames(ctx, tenantIDs, q)
 	if err != nil {
 		httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "cannot obtain stream field names: %s", err)
@@ -306,7 +302,6 @@ func ProcessStreamFieldValuesRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter,
 	}
 
 	// Obtain stream field values for the given query and the given fieldName
-	q.Optimize()
 	values, err := vlstorage.GetStreamFieldValues(ctx, tenantIDs, q, fieldName, uint64(limit))
 	if err != nil {
 		httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "cannot obtain stream field values: %s", err)
@@ -338,7 +333,6 @@ func ProcessStreamIDsRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http
 	}
 
 	// Obtain streamIDs for the given query
-	q.Optimize()
 	streamIDs, err := vlstorage.GetStreamIDs(ctx, tenantIDs, q, uint64(limit))
 	if err != nil {
 		httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "cannot obtain stream_ids: %s", err)
@@ -370,7 +364,6 @@ func ProcessStreamsRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.R
 	}
 
 	// Obtain streams for the given query
-	q.Optimize()
 	streams, err := vlstorage.GetStreams(ctx, tenantIDs, q, uint64(limit))
 	if err != nil {
 		httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "cannot obtain streams: %s", err)
@@ -398,7 +391,6 @@ func ProcessLiveTailRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.
 			"see https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victorialogs/querying/#live-tailing for details", q)
 		return
 	}
-	q.Optimize()
 
 	refreshIntervalMsecs, err := httputils.GetDuration(r, "refresh_interval", 1000)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -429,12 +421,7 @@ func ProcessLiveTailRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.
 	}
 	qOrig := q
 	for {
-		q = qOrig.Clone(end)
-		q.AddTimeFilter(start, end)
-		// q.Optimize() call is needed for converting '*' into filterNoop.
-		// See https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/6785#issuecomment-2358547733
-		q.Optimize()
-
+		q = qOrig.CloneWithTimeFilter(end, start, end)
 		if err := vlstorage.RunQuery(ctxWithCancel, tenantIDs, q, tp.writeBlock); err != nil {
 			httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "cannot execute tail query [%s]: %s", q, err)
 			return
@@ -613,8 +600,6 @@ func ProcessStatsQueryRangeRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r
 		return
 	}
 
-	q.Optimize()
-
 	m := make(map[string]*statsSeries)
 	var mLock sync.Mutex
 
@@ -725,8 +710,6 @@ func ProcessStatsQueryRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *htt
 		return
 	}
 
-	q.Optimize()
-
 	var rows []statsRow
 	var rowsLock sync.Mutex
 
@@ -826,7 +809,6 @@ func ProcessQueryRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Req
 
 		q.AddPipeLimit(uint64(limit))
 	}
-	q.Optimize()
 
 	writeBlock := func(_ uint, timestamps []int64, columns []logstorage.BlockColumn) {
 		if len(columns) == 0 || len(columns[0].Values) == 0 {
@@ -857,7 +839,6 @@ type row struct {
 func getLastNQueryResults(ctx context.Context, tenantIDs []logstorage.TenantID, q *logstorage.Query, limit int) ([]row, error) {
 	limitUpper := 2 * limit
 	q.AddPipeLimit(uint64(limitUpper))
-	q.Optimize()
 
 	rows, err := getQueryResultsWithLimit(ctx, tenantIDs, q, limitUpper)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -877,11 +858,7 @@ func getLastNQueryResults(ctx context.Context, tenantIDs []logstorage.TenantID,
 	qOrig := q
 	for {
 		timestamp := qOrig.GetTimestamp()
-		q = qOrig.Clone(timestamp)
-		q.AddTimeFilter(start, end)
-		// q.Optimize() call is needed for converting '*' into filterNoop.
-		// See https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/6785#issuecomment-2358547733
-		q.Optimize()
+		q = qOrig.CloneWithTimeFilter(timestamp, start, end)
 		rows, err := getQueryResultsWithLimit(ctx, tenantIDs, q, limitUpper)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -1005,6 +982,7 @@ func parseCommonArgs(r *http.Request) (*logstorage.Query, []logstorage.TenantID,
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse query [%s]: %s", qStr, err)
 	}
+	q.Optimize()
 
 	// Parse optional start and end args
 	start, okStart, err := getTimeNsec(r, "start")
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/parser.go b/lib/logstorage/parser.go
index d770581a1..1c47b7d25 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/parser.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/parser.go
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func (q *Query) AddCountByTimePipe(step, off int64, fields []string) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Clone returns a copy of q.
+// Clone returns a copy of q at the given timestamp.
 func (q *Query) Clone(timestamp int64) *Query {
 	qStr := q.String()
 	qCopy, err := ParseQueryAtTimestamp(qStr, timestamp)
@@ -345,6 +345,16 @@ func (q *Query) Clone(timestamp int64) *Query {
 	return qCopy
 }
 
+// CloneWithTimeFilter clones q at the given timestamp and adds _time:[start, end] filter to the cloned q.
+func (q *Query) CloneWithTimeFilter(timestamp, start, end int64) *Query {
+	q = q.Clone(timestamp)
+	q.AddTimeFilter(start, end)
+	// q.Optimize() call is needed for converting '*' into filterNoop.
+	// See https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/6785#issuecomment-2358547733
+	q.Optimize()
+	return q
+}
+
 // CanReturnLastNResults returns true if time range filter at q can be adjusted for returning the last N results.
 func (q *Query) CanReturnLastNResults() bool {
 	for _, p := range q.pipes {