diff --git a/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go b/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go
index 814b749f06..730659eab0 100644
--- a/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go
+++ b/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"regexp"
 	"sort"
@@ -1493,13 +1494,7 @@ func (sn *storageNode) registerMetricNames(mrs []storage.MetricRow, deadline sea
 	f := func(bc *handshake.BufferedConn) error {
 		return sn.registerMetricNamesOnConn(bc, mrs)
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("registerMetricNames_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("registerMetricNames_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
+	return sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("registerMetricNames_v1", f, deadline)
 }
 
 func (sn *storageNode) deleteMetrics(requestData []byte, deadline searchutils.Deadline) (int, error) {
@@ -1509,15 +1504,11 @@ func (sn *storageNode) deleteMetrics(requestData []byte, deadline searchutils.De
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		deletedCount += n
+		deletedCount = n
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("deleteMetrics_v3", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		// There is no need in zeroing deletedCount.
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("deleteMetrics_v3", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return deletedCount, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("deleteMetrics_v3", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	return deletedCount, nil
 }
@@ -1532,12 +1523,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getLabelsOnTimeRange(accountID, projectID uint32, tr stor
 		labels = ls
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("labelsOnTimeRange_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		labels = nil
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("labelsOnTimeRange_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("labelsOnTimeRange_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return labels, nil
 }
@@ -1552,12 +1539,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getLabels(accountID, projectID uint32, deadline searchuti
 		labels = ls
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("labels_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		labels = nil
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("labels_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("labels_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return labels, nil
 }
@@ -1572,12 +1555,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getLabelValuesOnTimeRange(accountID, projectID uint32, la
 		labelValues = lvs
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("labelValuesOnTimeRange_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		labelValues = nil
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("labelValuesOnTimeRange_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("labelValuesOnTimeRange_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return labelValues, nil
 }
@@ -1592,12 +1571,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getLabelValues(accountID, projectID uint32, labelName str
 		labelValues = lvs
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("labelValues_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		labelValues = nil
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("labelValues_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("labelValues_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return labelValues, nil
 }
@@ -1613,12 +1588,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getTagValueSuffixes(accountID, projectID uint32, tr stora
 		suffixes = ss
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("tagValueSuffixes_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		suffixes = nil
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("tagValueSuffixes_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("tagValueSuffixes_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return suffixes, nil
 }
@@ -1633,12 +1604,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getLabelEntries(accountID, projectID uint32, deadline sea
 		tagEntries = tes
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("labelEntries_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		tagEntries = nil
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("labelEntries_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("labelEntries_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return tagEntries, nil
 }
@@ -1653,12 +1620,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getTSDBStatusForDate(accountID, projectID uint32, date ui
 		status = st
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("tsdbStatus_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		status = nil
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("tsdbStatus_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("tsdbStatus_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return status, nil
 }
@@ -1673,12 +1636,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) getSeriesCount(accountID, projectID uint32, deadline sear
 		n = nn
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("seriesCount_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		n = 0
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("seriesCount_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return 0, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("seriesCount_v2", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	return n, nil
 }
@@ -1693,11 +1652,8 @@ func (sn *storageNode) processSearchMetricNames(requestData []byte, deadline sea
 		metricNames = mns
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("searchMetricNames_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up.
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("searchMetricNames_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("searchMetricNames_v1", f, deadline); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return metricNames, nil
 }
@@ -1709,13 +1665,22 @@ func (sn *storageNode) processSearchQuery(requestData []byte, fetchData bool, pr
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := sn.execOnConn("search_v4", f, deadline); err != nil {
-		// Try again before giving up if zero blocks read on the previous attempt.
-		if err = sn.execOnConn("search_v4", f, deadline); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	return sn.execOnConnWithPossibleRetry("search_v4", f, deadline)
+}
+
+func (sn *storageNode) execOnConnWithPossibleRetry(funcName string, f func(bc *handshake.BufferedConn) error, deadline searchutils.Deadline) error {
+	err := sn.execOnConn(funcName, f, deadline)
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
 	}
-	return nil
+	var er *errRemote
+	var ne net.Error
+	if errors.As(err, &er) || errors.As(err, &ne) && ne.Timeout() {
+		// There is no sense in repeating the query on errors induced by vmstorage (errRemote) or on network timeout errors.
+		return err
+	}
+	// Repeat the query in the hope the error was temporary.
+	return sn.execOnConn(funcName, f, deadline)
 }
 
 func (sn *storageNode) execOnConn(rpcName string, f func(bc *handshake.BufferedConn) error, deadline searchutils.Deadline) error {
@@ -1731,21 +1696,9 @@ func (sn *storageNode) execOnConn(rpcName string, f func(bc *handshake.BufferedC
 	d := time.Unix(int64(deadline.Deadline()), 0)
 	nowSecs := fasttime.UnixTimestamp()
 	currentTime := time.Unix(int64(nowSecs), 0)
-	storageTimeout := *searchutils.StorageTimeout
-	if storageTimeout > 0 {
-		dd := currentTime.Add(storageTimeout)
-		if dd.Sub(d) < 0 {
-			// Limit the remote deadline to storageTimeout,
-			// so slow vmstorage nodes may stop processing the request.
-			// See https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/711 .
-			// The local deadline remains the same, so data obtained from
-			// the remaining vmstorage nodes could be processed locally.
-			d = dd
-		}
-	}
 	timeout := d.Sub(currentTime)
 	if timeout <= 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("request timeout reached: %s or -search.storageTimeout=%s", deadline.String(), storageTimeout.String())
+		return fmt.Errorf("request timeout reached: %s", deadline.String())
 	}
 	bc, err := sn.connPool.Get()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/app/vmselect/searchutils/searchutils.go b/app/vmselect/searchutils/searchutils.go
index def7e81d4a..cff3854468 100644
--- a/app/vmselect/searchutils/searchutils.go
+++ b/app/vmselect/searchutils/searchutils.go
@@ -20,12 +20,6 @@ var (
 	maxQueryDuration    = flag.Duration("search.maxQueryDuration", time.Second*30, "The maximum duration for query execution; see also -search.storageTimeout")
 	denyPartialResponse = flag.Bool("search.denyPartialResponse", false, "Whether to deny partial responses if a part of -storageNode instances fail to perform queries; "+
 		"this trades availability over consistency; see also -search.maxQueryDuration and -search.storageTimeout")
-
-	// StorageTimeout limits the duration of query execution on every vmstorage node.
-	// See https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/711
-	StorageTimeout = flag.Duration("search.storageTimeout", 0, "The timeout for per-storage query processing; "+
-		"this allows returning partial responses if certain -storageNode instances slowly process the query; "+
-		"see also -search.maxQueryDuration and -search.denyPartialResponse command-line flags")
 )
 
 func roundToSeconds(ms int64) int64 {
@@ -124,9 +118,6 @@ func GetMaxQueryDuration(r *http.Request) time.Duration {
 	if d <= 0 || d > *maxQueryDuration {
 		d = *maxQueryDuration
 	}
-	if *StorageTimeout > 0 && d > *StorageTimeout {
-		d = *StorageTimeout
-	}
 	return d
 }
 
diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 4d0aef5a55..37bccac9d7 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 * FEATURE: publish vmutils for `GOOS=arm` on [releases page](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases).
 
 * BUGFIX: prevent from possible incomplete query results after timed out query.
+* BUGFIX: vmselect: remove `-search.storageTimeout` command-line flag, since it has the same meaning as `-search.maxQueryDuration`. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/711#issuecomment-808884995).
 
 
 # [v1.57.0](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.57.0)