diff --git a/app/vmselect/prometheus/prometheus.go b/app/vmselect/prometheus/prometheus.go
index c3fedf1db..973e0c8b5 100644
--- a/app/vmselect/prometheus/prometheus.go
+++ b/app/vmselect/prometheus/prometheus.go
@@ -634,7 +634,9 @@ func QueryRangeHandler(at *auth.Token, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) e
 	if err := promql.ValidateMaxPointsPerTimeseries(start, end, step); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	start, end = promql.AdjustStartEnd(start, end, step)
+	if mayCache {
+		start, end = promql.AdjustStartEnd(start, end, step)
+	}
 
 	ec := promql.EvalConfig{
 		AuthToken: at,