diff --git a/lib/logstorage/parser_test.go b/lib/logstorage/parser_test.go
index 3c35dbf01..1a83eefe6 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/parser_test.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/parser_test.go
@@ -1552,7 +1552,7 @@ func TestQueryGetNeededColumns(t *testing.T) {
 	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f3)`, `f1,f2`, ``)
 	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f1,f3)`, `f1,f2`, ``)
 	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f3) | stats count() r1`, ``, ``)
-	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f1) | stats count() r1`, `f1`, ``)
+	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f1) | stats count() r1`, ``, ``)
 	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f1) | stats count(f2,f3) r1`, `f1,f2`, ``)
 	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f3) | fields f2`, `f2`, ``)
 	f(`* | fields f1, f2 | sort by(f1,f3) | fields f2`, `f1,f2`, ``)
@@ -1783,17 +1783,41 @@ func TestQueryGetNeededColumns(t *testing.T) {
 	f(`* | rm f1, f2 | stats by(f3) count(f4) r1`, `f3,f4`, ``)
 
 	// Verify that fields are correctly tracked before count(*)
-	f(`* | copy a b, c d | count() r1`, `a`, ``)
-	f(`* | delete a, b | count() r1`, `*`, `a`)
-	f(`* | extract "<f1>bar" from x | count() r1`, `x`, ``)
-	f(`* | extract if (q:w p:a) "<f1>bar" from x | count() r1`, `p,q,x`, ``)
-	f(`* | extract_regexp "(?P<f1>.*)bar" from x | count() r1`, `x`, ``)
-	f(`* | extract_regexp if (q:w p:a) "(?P<f1>.*)bar" from x | count() r1`, `p,q,x`, ``)
+	f(`* | copy a b, c d | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | delete a, b | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | extract "<f1>bar" from x | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | extract if (q:w p:a) "<f1>bar" from x | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | extract_regexp "(?P<f1>.*)bar" from x | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | extract_regexp if (q:w p:a) "(?P<f1>.*)bar" from x | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
 	f(`* | field_names | count() r1`, `*`, `_time`)
 	f(`* | limit 10 | field_names as abc | count() r1`, `*`, ``)
-	f(`* | fields a, b | count() r1`, `a`, ``)
+	f(`* | fields a, b | count() r1`, ``, ``)
 	f(`* | field_values a | count() r1`, `a`, ``)
 	f(`* | limit 10 | filter a:b c:d | count() r1`, `a,c`, ``)
-	f(`* | format "<a><b>" as c | count() r1`, `a,b`, ``)
-	f(`* | format if (q:w p:a) "<a><b>" as c | count() r1`, `a,b,p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | limit 10 | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | format "<a><b>" as c | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | format if (q:w p:a) "<a><b>" as c | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | math (a + b) as c, d * 2 as x | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | offset 10 | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | pack_json | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | pack_json fields(a,b) | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | rename a b, c d | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | replace ("a", "b") at x | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | replace if (q:w p:a) ("a", "b") at x | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | replace_regexp ("a", "b") at x | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | replace_regexp if (q:w p:a) ("a", "b") at x | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | sort by (a,b) | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | stats count_uniq(a, b) as c | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | stats count_uniq(a, b) if (q:w p:a) as c | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | stats by (a1,a2) count_uniq(a, b) as c | count() r1`, `a1,a2`, ``)
+	f(`* | stats by (a1,a2) count_uniq(a, b) if (q:w p:a) as c | count() r1`, `a1,a2`, ``)
+	f(`* | uniq by (a, b) | count() r1`, `a,b`, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_json from x | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_json from x fields (a,b) | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_json if (q:w p:a) from x | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_json if (q:w p:a) from x fields(a,b) | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_logfmt from x | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_logfmt from x fields (a,b) | count() r1`, ``, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_logfmt if (q:w p:a) from x | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
+	f(`* | unpack_logfmt if (q:w p:a) from x fields(a,b) | count() r1`, `p,q`, ``)
 }
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_copy.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_copy.go
index c3d4ffdf1..00d91edca 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_copy.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_copy.go
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@ func (pc *pipeCopy) String() string {
 }
 
 func (pc *pipeCopy) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
-	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
-		neededFields.add(pc.srcFields[0])
-		return
-	}
-
 	for i := len(pc.srcFields) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		srcField := pc.srcFields[i]
 		dstField := pc.dstFields[i]
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_delete.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_delete.go
index 2530fb39e..9f6b22e1e 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_delete.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_delete.go
@@ -23,12 +23,6 @@ func (pd *pipeDelete) String() string {
 }
 
 func (pd *pipeDelete) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
-	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
-		neededFields.add("*")
-		unneededFields.add(pd.fields[0])
-		return
-	}
-
 	if neededFields.contains("*") {
 		unneededFields.addFields(pd.fields)
 	} else {
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract.go
index 4591fa20f..99d21fad5 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract.go
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ func (pe *pipeExtract) initFilterInValues(cache map[string][]string, getFieldVal
 
 func (pe *pipeExtract) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
 	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
-		neededFields.add(pe.fromField)
 		if pe.iff != nil {
 			neededFields.addFields(pe.iff.neededFields)
 		}
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract_regexp.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract_regexp.go
index 6f1a4b935..0df49dd7d 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract_regexp.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_extract_regexp.go
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ func (pe *pipeExtractRegexp) initFilterInValues(cache map[string][]string, getFi
 
 func (pe *pipeExtractRegexp) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
 	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
-		neededFields.add(pe.fromField)
 		if pe.iff != nil {
 			neededFields.addFields(pe.iff.neededFields)
 		}
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_fields.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_fields.go
index f9944432a..0c08d57a9 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_fields.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_fields.go
@@ -29,10 +29,6 @@ func (pf *pipeFields) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet)
 	if pf.containsStar {
 		return
 	}
-	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
-		neededFields.add(pf.fields[0])
-		return
-	}
 
 	if neededFields.contains("*") {
 		// subtract unneeded fields from pf.fields
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_format.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_format.go
index fd85ff21e..aa91a0677 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_format.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_format.go
@@ -44,11 +44,6 @@ func (pf *pipeFormat) String() string {
 
 func (pf *pipeFormat) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
 	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
-		for _, step := range pf.steps {
-			if step.field != "" {
-				neededFields.add(step.field)
-			}
-		}
 		if pf.iff != nil {
 			neededFields.addFields(pf.iff.neededFields)
 		}
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_math.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_math.go
index 47f7ed73a..07b66f446 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_math.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_math.go
@@ -175,26 +175,19 @@ func (pm *pipeMath) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
 			if !unneededFields.contains(e.resultField) {
 				unneededFields.add(e.resultField)
 
-				entryFields := e.getNeededFields()
-				unneededFields.removeFields(entryFields)
+				fs := newFieldsSet()
+				e.expr.updateNeededFields(fs)
+				unneededFields.removeFields(fs.getAll())
 			}
 		} else {
 			if neededFields.contains(e.resultField) {
 				neededFields.remove(e.resultField)
-
-				entryFields := e.getNeededFields()
-				neededFields.addFields(entryFields)
+				e.expr.updateNeededFields(neededFields)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (me *mathEntry) getNeededFields() []string {
-	neededFields := newFieldsSet()
-	me.expr.updateNeededFields(neededFields)
-	return neededFields.getAll()
-}
-
 func (me *mathExpr) updateNeededFields(neededFields fieldsSet) {
 	if me.isConst {
 		return
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_sort.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_sort.go
index 0b6d3cbbd..1bcee3670 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_sort.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_sort.go
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ func (ps *pipeSort) String() string {
 }
 
 func (ps *pipeSort) updateNeededFields(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
+	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
+		return
+	}
+
 	if len(ps.byFields) == 0 {
 		neededFields.add("*")
 		unneededFields.reset()
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_unpack.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_unpack.go
index fde04b369..fe2e36d78 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_unpack.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_unpack.go
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 func updateNeededFieldsForUnpackPipe(fromField string, outFields []string, keepOriginalFields, skipEmptyResults bool, iff *ifFilter, neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet) {
+	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
+		if iff != nil {
+			neededFields.addFields(iff.neededFields)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
 	if neededFields.contains("*") {
 		unneededFieldsOrig := unneededFields.clone()
 		unneededFieldsCount := 0
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipe_update.go b/lib/logstorage/pipe_update.go
index 718c2e37b..2684bd9a5 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipe_update.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipe_update.go
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 func updateNeededFieldsForUpdatePipe(neededFields, unneededFields fieldsSet, field string, iff *ifFilter) {
+	if neededFields.isEmpty() {
+		if iff != nil {
+			neededFields.addFields(iff.neededFields)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
 	if neededFields.contains("*") {
 		if !unneededFields.contains(field) && iff != nil {
 			unneededFields.removeFields(iff.neededFields)