diff --git a/lib/logstorage/block_search.go b/lib/logstorage/block_search.go
index bb3af749c..ba0b2c4f6 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/block_search.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/block_search.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package logstorage
 
 import (
-	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -118,11 +117,10 @@ func (bs *blockSearch) search(bsw *blockSearchWork) {
 	}
 
 	// fetch the requested columns to bs.br.
-	columnNames := bs.bsw.so.resultColumnNames
-	if slices.Contains(columnNames, "*") {
+	if bs.bsw.so.needAllColumns {
 		bs.br.fetchAllColumns(bs, bm)
 	} else {
-		bs.br.fetchRequestedColumns(bs, bm, columnNames)
+		bs.br.fetchRequestedColumns(bs, bm)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -362,8 +360,8 @@ func (br *blockResult) fetchAllColumns(bs *blockSearch, bm *filterBitmap) {
 	br.columnNames = br.columnNamesBuf
 }
 
-func (br *blockResult) fetchRequestedColumns(bs *blockSearch, bm *filterBitmap, columnNames []string) {
-	for _, columnName := range columnNames {
+func (br *blockResult) fetchRequestedColumns(bs *blockSearch, bm *filterBitmap) {
+	for _, columnName := range bs.bsw.so.resultColumnNames {
 		switch columnName {
 		case "_stream":
 			if !br.addStreamColumn(bs) {
@@ -387,7 +385,7 @@ func (br *blockResult) fetchRequestedColumns(bs *blockSearch, bm *filterBitmap,
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	br.columnNames = columnNames
+	br.columnNames = bs.bsw.so.resultColumnNames
 }
 
 func (br *blockResult) RowsCount() int {
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/pipes.go b/lib/logstorage/pipes.go
index 0f2e6b35c..043e205bf 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/pipes.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/pipes.go
@@ -353,12 +353,7 @@ func (spp *statsPipeProcessor) writeBlock(workerID uint, timestamps []int64, col
 	}
 	if len(byFields) == 1 {
 		// Special case for grouping by a single column.
-		idx := getBlockColumnIndex(columns, byFields[0])
-		if idx < 0 {
-			logger.Panicf("BUG: columnIdx must be positive")
-		}
-		values := columns[idx].Values
-
+		values := getValuesForBlockColumn(columns, byFields[0], len(timestamps))
 		if isConstValue(values) {
 			// Fast path for column with constant value.
 			shard.keyBuf = encoding.MarshalBytes(shard.keyBuf[:0], bytesutil.ToUnsafeBytes(values[0]))
@@ -385,7 +380,7 @@ func (spp *statsPipeProcessor) writeBlock(workerID uint, timestamps []int64, col
 	}
 
 	// Pre-calculate column values for byFields in order to speed up building group key in the loop below.
-	shard.columnValues = appendBlockColumnValues(shard.columnValues[:0], columns, spp.sp.byFields)
+	shard.columnValues = appendBlockColumnValues(shard.columnValues[:0], columns, spp.sp.byFields, len(timestamps))
 	columnValues := shard.columnValues
 
 	if areConstValues(columnValues) {
@@ -407,9 +402,6 @@ func (spp *statsPipeProcessor) writeBlock(workerID uint, timestamps []int64, col
 		// verify whether the key for 'by (...)' fields equals the previous key
 		sameValue := sfps != nil
 		for _, values := range columnValues {
-			if values == nil {
-				logger.Panicf("BUG: values cannot be nil here!")
-			}
 			if i <= 0 || values[i-1] != values[i] {
 				sameValue = false
 				break
@@ -441,6 +433,7 @@ func areConstValues(valuess [][]string) bool {
 
 func isConstValue(values []string) bool {
 	if len(values) == 0 {
+		// Return false, since it is impossible to get values[0] value from empty values.
 		return false
 	}
 	vFirst := values[0]
@@ -759,7 +752,7 @@ func (sfup *statsFuncUniqProcessor) updateStatsForAllRows(timestamps []int64, co
 	// Slow path for multiple columns.
 
 	// Pre-calculate column values for byFields in order to speed up building group key in the loop below.
-	sfup.columnValues = appendBlockColumnValues(sfup.columnValues[:0], columns, fields)
+	sfup.columnValues = appendBlockColumnValues(sfup.columnValues[:0], columns, fields, len(timestamps))
 	columnValues := sfup.columnValues
 
 	keyBuf := sfup.keyBuf
@@ -767,10 +760,7 @@ func (sfup *statsFuncUniqProcessor) updateStatsForAllRows(timestamps []int64, co
 		allEmptyValues := true
 		keyBuf = keyBuf[:0]
 		for _, values := range columnValues {
-			v := ""
-			if values != nil {
-				v = values[i]
-			}
+			v := values[i]
 			if v != "" {
 				allEmptyValues = false
 			}
@@ -1104,13 +1094,9 @@ func getFieldsIgnoreStar(fields []string) []string {
 	return result
 }
 
-func appendBlockColumnValues(dst [][]string, columns []BlockColumn, fields []string) [][]string {
+func appendBlockColumnValues(dst [][]string, columns []BlockColumn, fields []string, rowsCount int) [][]string {
 	for _, f := range fields {
-		idx := getBlockColumnIndex(columns, f)
-		var values []string
-		if idx >= 0 {
-			values = columns[idx].Values
-		}
+		values := getValuesForBlockColumn(columns, f, rowsCount)
 		dst = append(dst, values)
 	}
 	return dst
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/storage_search.go b/lib/logstorage/storage_search.go
index f96bb64ec..804064ecc 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/storage_search.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/storage_search.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package logstorage
 import (
 	"context"
 	"math"
+	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -18,8 +19,11 @@ type genericSearchOptions struct {
 	// filter is the filter to use for the search
 	filter filter
 
-	// resultColumnNames is names of columns to return in the result.
+	// resultColumnNames is names of columns to return in the result
 	resultColumnNames []string
+
+	// needAllColumns is set to true when all the columns must be returned in the result
+	needAllColumns bool
 }
 
 type searchOptions struct {
@@ -42,6 +46,9 @@ type searchOptions struct {
 
 	// resultColumnNames is names of columns to return in the result
 	resultColumnNames []string
+
+	// needAllColumns is set to true when all the columns must be returned in the result
+	needAllColumns bool
 }
 
 // RunQuery runs the given q and calls writeBlock for results.
@@ -51,6 +58,7 @@ func (s *Storage) RunQuery(ctx context.Context, tenantIDs []TenantID, q *Query,
 		tenantIDs:         tenantIDs,
 		filter:            q.f,
 		resultColumnNames: resultColumnNames,
+		needAllColumns:    slices.Contains(resultColumnNames, "*"),
 	}
 
 	workersCount := cgroup.AvailableCPUs()
@@ -316,6 +324,7 @@ func (pt *partition) search(tf *timeFilter, sf *StreamFilter, f filter, so *gene
 		maxTimestamp:      tf.maxTimestamp,
 		filter:            f,
 		resultColumnNames: so.resultColumnNames,
+		needAllColumns:    so.needAllColumns,
 	}
 	return pt.ddb.search(soInternal, workCh, stopCh)
 }