diff --git a/src/cluster/shard.go b/src/cluster/shard.go
index 580fed51e11..6a535ea3fad 100644
--- a/src/cluster/shard.go
+++ b/src/cluster/shard.go
@@ -219,20 +219,26 @@ func (self *ShardData) Query(querySpec *parser.QuerySpec, response chan *p.Respo
 			maxDeleteResults := 10000
 			processor = engine.NewPassthroughEngine(response, maxDeleteResults)
 		} else {
+			query := querySpec.SelectQuery()
 			if self.ShouldAggregateLocally(querySpec) {
 				log.Debug("creating a query engine\n")
-				processor, err = engine.NewQueryEngine(querySpec.SelectQuery(), response)
+				processor, err = engine.NewQueryEngine(query, response)
 				if err != nil {
 					response <- &p.Response{Type: &endStreamResponse, ErrorMessage: p.String(err.Error())}
 					log.Error("Error while creating engine: %s", err)
 					return
 				}
 				processor.SetShardInfo(int(self.Id()), self.IsLocal)
-			} else {
+			} else if query.HasAggregates() {
 				maxPointsToBufferBeforeSending := 1000
 				log.Debug("creating a passthrough engine\n")
 				processor = engine.NewPassthroughEngine(response, maxPointsToBufferBeforeSending)
+			} else {
+				maxPointsToBufferBeforeSending := 1000
+				log.Debug("creating a passthrough engine with limit\n")
+				processor = engine.NewPassthroughEngineWithLimit(response, maxPointsToBufferBeforeSending, query.Limit)
 			}
+			processor = engine.NewFilteringEngine(query, processor)
 		}
 		shard, err := self.store.GetOrCreateShard(self.id)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/src/engine/engine.go b/src/engine/engine.go
index ba03b15be08..86a35df6808 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine.go
+++ b/src/engine/engine.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package engine
 
 import (
-	log "code.google.com/p/log4go"
 	"common"
 	"fmt"
 	"parser"
@@ -10,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	log "code.google.com/p/log4go"
 )
 
 type QueryEngine struct {
@@ -158,30 +159,9 @@ func (self *QueryEngine) YieldSeries(seriesIncoming *protocol.Series) (shouldCon
 }
 
 func (self *QueryEngine) yieldSeriesData(series *protocol.Series) bool {
-	var err error
-	if self.where != nil {
-		serieses, err := self.filter(series)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("Error while filtering points: %s\n", err)
-			return false
-		}
-		for _, series := range serieses {
-			if len(series.Points) > 0 {
-				self.limiter.calculateLimitAndSlicePoints(series)
-				if len(series.Points) > 0 {
-					if err = self.yield(series); err != nil {
-						return false
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		self.limiter.calculateLimitAndSlicePoints(series)
+	self.limiter.calculateLimitAndSlicePoints(series)
 
-		if len(series.Points) > 0 {
-			err = self.yield(series)
-		}
-	}
+	err := self.yield(series)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error(err)
 		return false
@@ -189,28 +169,6 @@ func (self *QueryEngine) yieldSeriesData(series *protocol.Series) bool {
 	return !self.limiter.hitLimit(*series.Name)
 }
 
-func (self *QueryEngine) filter(series *protocol.Series) ([]*protocol.Series, error) {
-	aliases := self.query.GetTableAliases(*series.Name)
-	result := make([]*protocol.Series, len(aliases), len(aliases))
-	for i, alias := range aliases {
-		_alias := alias
-		newSeries := &protocol.Series{Name: &_alias, Points: series.Points, Fields: series.Fields}
-
-		filteredResult := newSeries
-		var err error
-
-		// var err error
-		if self.query.GetFromClause().Type != parser.FromClauseInnerJoin {
-			filteredResult, err = Filter(self.query, newSeries)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-		result[i] = filteredResult
-	}
-	return result, nil
-}
-
 func (self *QueryEngine) Close() {
 	for _, series := range self.seriesToPoints {
 		if len(series.Points) == 0 {
diff --git a/src/engine/filtering_engine.go b/src/engine/filtering_engine.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2fa23a64311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/filtering_engine.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	"parser"
+	p "protocol"
+)
+
+type FilteringEngine struct {
+	query        *parser.SelectQuery
+	processor    QueryProcessor
+	shouldFilter bool
+}
+
+func NewFilteringEngine(query *parser.SelectQuery, processor QueryProcessor) *FilteringEngine {
+	shouldFilter := query.GetWhereCondition() != nil
+	return &FilteringEngine{query, processor, shouldFilter}
+}
+
+// optimize for yield series and use it here
+func (self *FilteringEngine) YieldPoint(seriesName *string, columnNames []string, point *p.Point) bool {
+	return self.YieldSeries(&p.Series{
+		Name:   seriesName,
+		Fields: columnNames,
+		Points: []*p.Point{point},
+	})
+}
+
+func (self *FilteringEngine) YieldSeries(seriesIncoming *p.Series) bool {
+	if !self.shouldFilter {
+		return self.processor.YieldSeries(seriesIncoming)
+	}
+
+	series, err := Filter(self.query, seriesIncoming)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	if len(series.Points) == 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+	return self.processor.YieldSeries(series)
+}
+
+func (self *FilteringEngine) Close() {
+	self.processor.Close()
+}
+
+func (self *FilteringEngine) SetShardInfo(shardId int, shardLocal bool) {
+	self.processor.SetShardInfo(shardId, shardLocal)
+}
+func (self *FilteringEngine) GetName() string {
+	return self.processor.GetName()
+}
diff --git a/src/engine/query_processor.go b/src/engine/query_processor.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a00d9e8f103
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/query_processor.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	p "protocol"
+)
+
+type QueryProcessor interface {
+	// This method returns true if the query should continue. If the query should be stopped,
+	// like maybe the limit was hit, it should return false
+	YieldPoint(seriesName *string, columnNames []string, point *p.Point) bool
+	YieldSeries(seriesIncoming *p.Series) bool
+	Close()
+
+	// Set by the shard, so EXPLAIN query can know query against which shard is being measured
+	SetShardInfo(shardId int, shardLocal bool)
+
+	// Let QueryProcessor identify itself. What if it is a spy and we can't check that?
+	GetName() string
+}