diff --git a/lib/storage/storage.go b/lib/storage/storage.go
index 4e8c4c7a3..c3f050f2c 100644
--- a/lib/storage/storage.go
+++ b/lib/storage/storage.go
@@ -1290,13 +1290,29 @@ func (s *Storage) SearchLabelValuesWithFiltersOnTimeRange(qt *querytracer.Tracer
 	}
 	if len(tfss) == 1 && len(tfss[0].tfs) == 1 && string(tfss[0].tfs[0].key) == key {
 		// tfss contains only a single filter on labelName. It is faster searching for label values
-		// without any filters and then later applying the filter to the found label values.
-		lvs, err := idb.SearchLabelValuesWithFiltersOnTimeRange(qt, labelName, nil, tr, maxLabelValues, maxMetrics, deadline)
+		// without any filters and limits and then later applying the filter and the limit to the found label values.
+		qt.Printf("search for up to %d values for the label %q on the time range %s", maxMetrics, labelName, &tr)
+		lvs, err := idb.SearchLabelValuesWithFiltersOnTimeRange(qt, labelName, nil, tr, maxMetrics, maxMetrics, deadline)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+		needSlowSearch := len(lvs) == maxMetrics
+
+		lvsLen := len(lvs)
 		lvs = filterLabelValues(lvs, &tfss[0].tfs[0], key)
-		return lvs, nil
+		qt.Printf("found %d out of %d values for the label %q after filtering", len(lvs), lvsLen, labelName)
+		if len(lvs) >= maxLabelValues {
+			qt.Printf("leave %d out of %d values for the label %q because of the limit", maxLabelValues, len(lvs), labelName)
+			lvs = lvs[:maxLabelValues]
+
+			// We found at least maxLabelValues unique values for the label with the given filters.
+			// It is OK returning all these values instead of falling back to the slow search.
+			needSlowSearch = false
+		}
+		if !needSlowSearch {
+			return lvs, nil
+		}
+		qt.Printf("fall back to slow search because only a subset of label values is found")
 	}
 
 	return idb.SearchLabelValuesWithFiltersOnTimeRange(qt, labelName, tfss, tr, maxLabelValues, maxMetrics, deadline)