diff --git a/lib/storage/index_db.go b/lib/storage/index_db.go
index 26728b039..bf30836e0 100644
--- a/lib/storage/index_db.go
+++ b/lib/storage/index_db.go
@@ -506,9 +506,6 @@ func generateTSID(dst *TSID, mn *MetricName) {
 }
 
 func (is *indexSearch) createGlobalIndexes(tsid *TSID, mn *MetricName) {
-	// The order of index items is important.
-	// It guarantees index consistency.
-
 	ii := getIndexItems()
 	defer putIndexItems(ii)
 
@@ -1504,17 +1501,17 @@ func (db *indexDB) searchMetricNameWithCache(dst []byte, metricID uint64) ([]byt
 		db.s.missingMetricIDs = nil
 		db.s.missingMetricIDsResetDeadline = ct + 2*60
 	}
-	timestamp, ok := db.s.missingMetricIDs[metricID]
+	deleteDeadline, ok := db.s.missingMetricIDs[metricID]
 	if !ok {
 		if db.s.missingMetricIDs == nil {
 			db.s.missingMetricIDs = make(map[uint64]uint64)
 		}
-		db.s.missingMetricIDs[metricID] = ct
-		timestamp = ct
+		deleteDeadline = ct + 60
+		db.s.missingMetricIDs[metricID] = deleteDeadline
 	}
 	db.s.missingMetricIDsLock.Unlock()
 
-	if ct > timestamp+60 {
+	if ct > deleteDeadline {
 		// Cannot find the MetricName for the given metricID for the last 60 seconds.
 		// It is likely the indexDB contains incomplete set of metricID -> metricName entries
 		// after unclean shutdown or after restoring from a snapshot.
diff --git a/lib/storage/storage.go b/lib/storage/storage.go
index 8be641051..be09f9db5 100644
--- a/lib/storage/storage.go
+++ b/lib/storage/storage.go
@@ -147,9 +147,11 @@ type Storage struct {
 	deletedMetricIDs           atomic.Pointer[uint64set.Set]
 	deletedMetricIDsUpdateLock sync.Mutex
 
-	// missingMetricIDs maps metricID to the timestamp of first unsuccessful lookup
-	// of metricName by the given metricID.
+	// missingMetricIDs maps metricID to the deadline in unix timestamp seconds
+	// after which all the indexdb entries for the given metricID
+	// must be deleted if metricName isn't found by the given metricID.
 	// This is used inside searchMetricNameWithCache() for detecting permanently missing metricID->metricName entries.
+	// See https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/5959
 	missingMetricIDsLock          sync.Mutex
 	missingMetricIDs              map[uint64]uint64
 	missingMetricIDsResetDeadline uint64
@@ -1151,7 +1153,7 @@ func (s *Storage) SearchMetricNames(qt *querytracer.Tracer, tfss []*TagFilters,
 		metricName, ok = idb.searchMetricNameWithCache(metricName[:0], metricID)
 		if !ok {
 			// Skip missing metricName for metricID.
-			// It should be automatically fixed. See indexDB.searchMetricName for details.
+			// It should be automatically fixed. See indexDB.searchMetricNameWithCache for details.
 			continue
 		}
 		if _, ok := metricNamesSeen[string(metricName)]; ok {