diff --git a/lib/fs/fs.go b/lib/fs/fs.go
index 10b9e0cc9..925f16012 100644
--- a/lib/fs/fs.go
+++ b/lib/fs/fs.go
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ func CopyDirectory(srcPath, dstPath string) error {
 		}
 		src := filepath.Join(srcPath, de.Name())
 		dst := filepath.Join(dstPath, de.Name())
-		if err := copyFile(src, dst); err != nil {
+		if err := CopyFile(src, dst); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -324,7 +324,8 @@ func CopyDirectory(srcPath, dstPath string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func copyFile(srcPath, dstPath string) error {
+// CopyFile copies the file from srcPath to dstPath.
+func CopyFile(srcPath, dstPath string) error {
 	src, err := os.Open(srcPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/lib/storage/block_stream_merger.go b/lib/storage/block_stream_merger.go
index cc5935aaa..77992295e 100644
--- a/lib/storage/block_stream_merger.go
+++ b/lib/storage/block_stream_merger.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func (bsm *blockStreamMerger) Init(bsrs []*blockStreamReader, retentionDeadline
 	bsm.nextBlockNoop = true
 }
 
-func (bsm *blockStreamMerger) getRetentionDeadline(b *Block) int64 {
+func (bsm *blockStreamMerger) getRetentionDeadline(bh *blockHeader) int64 {
 	return bsm.retentionDeadline
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/storage/merge.go b/lib/storage/merge.go
index 347f2c792..7207fd213 100644
--- a/lib/storage/merge.go
+++ b/lib/storage/merge.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func mergeBlockStreamsInternal(ph *partHeader, bsw *blockStreamWriter, bsm *bloc
 			atomic.AddUint64(rowsDeleted, uint64(b.bh.RowsCount))
 			continue
 		}
-		retentionDeadline := bsm.getRetentionDeadline(b)
+		retentionDeadline := bsm.getRetentionDeadline(&b.bh)
 		if b.bh.MaxTimestamp < retentionDeadline {
 			// Skip blocks out of the given retention.
 			atomic.AddUint64(rowsDeleted, uint64(b.bh.RowsCount))
diff --git a/lib/storage/search.go b/lib/storage/search.go
index 64b0a7cfb..1a3cdefe6 100644
--- a/lib/storage/search.go
+++ b/lib/storage/search.go
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ type Search struct {
 	// idb is used for MetricName lookup for the found data blocks.
 	idb *indexDB
 
+	// retentionDeadline is used for filtering out blocks outside the configured retention.
+	retentionDeadline int64
+
 	ts tableSearch
 
 	// tr contains time range used in the serach.
@@ -157,6 +160,7 @@ func (s *Search) reset() {
 	s.MetricBlockRef.BlockRef = nil
 
 	s.idb = nil
+	s.retentionDeadline = 0
 	s.ts.reset()
 	s.tr = TimeRange{}
 	s.tfss = nil
@@ -178,9 +182,11 @@ func (s *Search) Init(qt *querytracer.Tracer, storage *Storage, tfss []*TagFilte
 	if s.needClosing {
 		logger.Panicf("BUG: missing MustClose call before the next call to Init")
 	}
+	retentionDeadline := int64(fasttime.UnixTimestamp()*1e3) - storage.retentionMsecs
 
 	s.reset()
 	s.idb = storage.idb()
+	s.retentionDeadline = retentionDeadline
 	s.tr = tr
 	s.tfss = tfss
 	s.deadline = deadline
@@ -240,6 +246,10 @@ func (s *Search) NextMetricBlock() bool {
 		s.loops++
 		tsid := &s.ts.BlockRef.bh.TSID
 		if tsid.MetricID != s.prevMetricID {
+			if s.ts.BlockRef.bh.MaxTimestamp < s.retentionDeadline {
+				// Skip the block, since it contains only data outside the configured retention.
+				continue
+			}
 			var err error
 			s.MetricBlockRef.MetricName, err = s.idb.searchMetricNameWithCache(s.MetricBlockRef.MetricName[:0], tsid.MetricID, tsid.AccountID, tsid.ProjectID)
 			if err != nil {