diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index 652e241be..b79338cb9 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -17,6 +17,55 @@ import (
 	"github.com/redis/go-redis/v9/internal/util"
 )
 
+// keylessCommands contains Redis commands that have empty key specifications (9th slot empty)
+// Only includes core Redis commands, excludes FT.*, ts.*, timeseries.*, search.* and subcommands
+var keylessCommands = map[string]struct{}{
+	"acl":          {},
+	"asking":       {},
+	"auth":         {},
+	"bgrewriteaof": {},
+	"bgsave":       {},
+	"client":       {},
+	"cluster":      {},
+	"config":       {},
+	"debug":        {},
+	"discard":      {},
+	"echo":         {},
+	"exec":         {},
+	"failover":     {},
+	"function":     {},
+	"hello":        {},
+	"latency":      {},
+	"lolwut":       {},
+	"module":       {},
+	"monitor":      {},
+	"multi":        {},
+	"pfselftest":   {},
+	"ping":         {},
+	"psubscribe":   {},
+	"psync":        {},
+	"publish":      {},
+	"pubsub":       {},
+	"punsubscribe": {},
+	"quit":         {},
+	"readonly":     {},
+	"readwrite":    {},
+	"replconf":     {},
+	"replicaof":    {},
+	"role":         {},
+	"save":         {},
+	"script":       {},
+	"select":       {},
+	"shutdown":     {},
+	"slaveof":      {},
+	"slowlog":      {},
+	"subscribe":    {},
+	"swapdb":       {},
+	"sync":         {},
+	"unsubscribe":  {},
+	"unwatch":      {},
+}
+
 type Cmder interface {
 	// command name.
 	// e.g. "set k v ex 10" -> "set", "cluster info" -> "cluster".
@@ -75,12 +124,22 @@ func writeCmd(wr *proto.Writer, cmd Cmder) error {
 	return wr.WriteArgs(cmd.Args())
 }
 
+// cmdFirstKeyPos returns the position of the first key in the command's arguments.
+// If the command does not have a key, it returns 0.
+// TODO: Use the data in CommandInfo to determine the first key position.
 func cmdFirstKeyPos(cmd Cmder) int {
 	if pos := cmd.firstKeyPos(); pos != 0 {
 		return int(pos)
 	}
 
-	switch cmd.Name() {
+	name := cmd.Name()
+
+	// first check if the command is keyless
+	if _, ok := keylessCommands[name]; ok {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	switch name {
 	case "eval", "evalsha", "eval_ro", "evalsha_ro":
 		if cmd.stringArg(2) != "0" {
 			return 3
diff --git a/internal_test.go b/internal_test.go
index 8f1f1f312..4a655cff0 100644
--- a/internal_test.go
+++ b/internal_test.go
@@ -364,15 +364,22 @@ var _ = Describe("ClusterClient", func() {
 		It("select slot from args for GETKEYSINSLOT command", func() {
 			cmd := NewStringSliceCmd(ctx, "cluster", "getkeysinslot", 100, 200)
 
-			slot := client.cmdSlot(cmd)
+			slot := client.cmdSlot(cmd, -1)
 			Expect(slot).To(Equal(100))
 		})
 
 		It("select slot from args for COUNTKEYSINSLOT command", func() {
 			cmd := NewStringSliceCmd(ctx, "cluster", "countkeysinslot", 100)
 
-			slot := client.cmdSlot(cmd)
+			slot := client.cmdSlot(cmd, -1)
 			Expect(slot).To(Equal(100))
 		})
+
+		It("follows preferred random slot", func() {
+			cmd := NewStatusCmd(ctx, "ping")
+
+			slot := client.cmdSlot(cmd, 101)
+			Expect(slot).To(Equal(101))
+		})
 	})
 })
diff --git a/osscluster.go b/osscluster.go
index 55017d8ba..0526022ba 100644
--- a/osscluster.go
+++ b/osscluster.go
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ func (c *ClusterClient) Process(ctx context.Context, cmd Cmder) error {
 }
 
 func (c *ClusterClient) process(ctx context.Context, cmd Cmder) error {
-	slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd)
+	slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd, -1)
 	var node *clusterNode
 	var moved bool
 	var ask bool
@@ -1344,9 +1344,13 @@ func (c *ClusterClient) mapCmdsByNode(ctx context.Context, cmdsMap *cmdsMap, cmd
 		return err
 	}
 
+	preferredRandomSlot := -1
 	if c.opt.ReadOnly && c.cmdsAreReadOnly(ctx, cmds) {
 		for _, cmd := range cmds {
-			slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd)
+			slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd, preferredRandomSlot)
+			if preferredRandomSlot == -1 {
+				preferredRandomSlot = slot
+			}
 			node, err := c.slotReadOnlyNode(state, slot)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -1357,7 +1361,10 @@ func (c *ClusterClient) mapCmdsByNode(ctx context.Context, cmdsMap *cmdsMap, cmd
 	}
 
 	for _, cmd := range cmds {
-		slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd)
+		slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd, preferredRandomSlot)
+		if preferredRandomSlot == -1 {
+			preferredRandomSlot = slot
+		}
 		node, err := state.slotMasterNode(slot)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -1519,58 +1526,78 @@ func (c *ClusterClient) processTxPipeline(ctx context.Context, cmds []Cmder) err
 		return err
 	}
 
-	cmdsMap := c.mapCmdsBySlot(cmds)
-	// TxPipeline does not support cross slot transaction.
-	if len(cmdsMap) > 1 {
+	keyedCmdsBySlot := c.slottedKeyedCommands(cmds)
+	slot := -1
+	switch len(keyedCmdsBySlot) {
+	case 0:
+		slot = hashtag.RandomSlot()
+	case 1:
+		for sl := range keyedCmdsBySlot {
+			slot = sl
+			break
+		}
+	default:
+		// TxPipeline does not support cross slot transaction.
 		setCmdsErr(cmds, ErrCrossSlot)
 		return ErrCrossSlot
 	}
 
-	for slot, cmds := range cmdsMap {
-		node, err := state.slotMasterNode(slot)
-		if err != nil {
-			setCmdsErr(cmds, err)
-			continue
-		}
+	node, err := state.slotMasterNode(slot)
+	if err != nil {
+		setCmdsErr(cmds, err)
+		return err
+	}
 
-		cmdsMap := map[*clusterNode][]Cmder{node: cmds}
-		for attempt := 0; attempt <= c.opt.MaxRedirects; attempt++ {
-			if attempt > 0 {
-				if err := internal.Sleep(ctx, c.retryBackoff(attempt)); err != nil {
-					setCmdsErr(cmds, err)
-					return err
-				}
+	cmdsMap := map[*clusterNode][]Cmder{node: cmds}
+	for attempt := 0; attempt <= c.opt.MaxRedirects; attempt++ {
+		if attempt > 0 {
+			if err := internal.Sleep(ctx, c.retryBackoff(attempt)); err != nil {
+				setCmdsErr(cmds, err)
+				return err
 			}
+		}
 
-			failedCmds := newCmdsMap()
-			var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		failedCmds := newCmdsMap()
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
 
-			for node, cmds := range cmdsMap {
-				wg.Add(1)
-				go func(node *clusterNode, cmds []Cmder) {
-					defer wg.Done()
-					c.processTxPipelineNode(ctx, node, cmds, failedCmds)
-				}(node, cmds)
-			}
+		for node, cmds := range cmdsMap {
+			wg.Add(1)
+			go func(node *clusterNode, cmds []Cmder) {
+				defer wg.Done()
+				c.processTxPipelineNode(ctx, node, cmds, failedCmds)
+			}(node, cmds)
+		}
 
-			wg.Wait()
-			if len(failedCmds.m) == 0 {
-				break
-			}
-			cmdsMap = failedCmds.m
+		wg.Wait()
+		if len(failedCmds.m) == 0 {
+			break
 		}
+		cmdsMap = failedCmds.m
 	}
 
 	return cmdsFirstErr(cmds)
 }
 
-func (c *ClusterClient) mapCmdsBySlot(cmds []Cmder) map[int][]Cmder {
-	cmdsMap := make(map[int][]Cmder)
+// slottedKeyedCommands returns a map of slot to commands taking into account
+// only commands that have keys.
+func (c *ClusterClient) slottedKeyedCommands(cmds []Cmder) map[int][]Cmder {
+	cmdsSlots := map[int][]Cmder{}
+
+	preferredRandomSlot := -1
 	for _, cmd := range cmds {
-		slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd)
-		cmdsMap[slot] = append(cmdsMap[slot], cmd)
+		if cmdFirstKeyPos(cmd) == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		slot := c.cmdSlot(cmd, preferredRandomSlot)
+		if preferredRandomSlot == -1 {
+			preferredRandomSlot = slot
+		}
+
+		cmdsSlots[slot] = append(cmdsSlots[slot], cmd)
 	}
-	return cmdsMap
+
+	return cmdsSlots
 }
 
 func (c *ClusterClient) processTxPipelineNode(
@@ -1885,17 +1912,20 @@ func (c *ClusterClient) cmdInfo(ctx context.Context, name string) *CommandInfo {
 	return info
 }
 
-func (c *ClusterClient) cmdSlot(cmd Cmder) int {
+func (c *ClusterClient) cmdSlot(cmd Cmder, preferredRandomSlot int) int {
 	args := cmd.Args()
 	if args[0] == "cluster" && (args[1] == "getkeysinslot" || args[1] == "countkeysinslot") {
 		return args[2].(int)
 	}
 
-	return cmdSlot(cmd, cmdFirstKeyPos(cmd))
+	return cmdSlot(cmd, cmdFirstKeyPos(cmd), preferredRandomSlot)
 }
 
-func cmdSlot(cmd Cmder, pos int) int {
+func cmdSlot(cmd Cmder, pos int, preferredRandomSlot int) int {
 	if pos == 0 {
+		if preferredRandomSlot != -1 {
+			return preferredRandomSlot
+		}
 		return hashtag.RandomSlot()
 	}
 	firstKey := cmd.stringArg(pos)
diff --git a/osscluster_test.go b/osscluster_test.go
index 10023218d..2c7f40a5f 100644
--- a/osscluster_test.go
+++ b/osscluster_test.go
@@ -603,6 +603,15 @@ var _ = Describe("ClusterClient", func() {
 					Expect(err).To(MatchError(redis.ErrCrossSlot))
 				})
 
+				It("works normally with keyless commands and no CrossSlot error", func() {
+					pipe.Set(ctx, "A{s}", "A_value", 0)
+					pipe.Ping(ctx)
+					pipe.Set(ctx, "B{s}", "B_value", 0)
+					pipe.Ping(ctx)
+					_, err := pipe.Exec(ctx)
+					Expect(err).To(Not(HaveOccurred()))
+				})
+
 				// doesn't fail when no commands are queued
 				It("returns no error when there are no commands", func() {
 					_, err := pipe.Exec(ctx)
diff --git a/ring_test.go b/ring_test.go
index ef95e9805..5fd7d9823 100644
--- a/ring_test.go
+++ b/ring_test.go
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 			ring = redis.NewRing(opt)
 		})
 		It("supports Process hook", func() {
-			err := ring.Ping(ctx).Err()
+			err := ring.Set(ctx, "key", "test", 0).Err()
 			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
 			var stack []string
@@ -312,12 +312,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 			ring.AddHook(&hook{
 				processHook: func(hook redis.ProcessHook) redis.ProcessHook {
 					return func(ctx context.Context, cmd redis.Cmder) error {
-						Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("ping: "))
+						Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("get key: "))
 						stack = append(stack, "ring.BeforeProcess")
 
 						err := hook(ctx, cmd)
 
-						Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("ping: PONG"))
+						Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("get key: test"))
 						stack = append(stack, "ring.AfterProcess")
 
 						return err
@@ -329,12 +329,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 				shard.AddHook(&hook{
 					processHook: func(hook redis.ProcessHook) redis.ProcessHook {
 						return func(ctx context.Context, cmd redis.Cmder) error {
-							Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("ping: "))
+							Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("get key: "))
 							stack = append(stack, "shard.BeforeProcess")
 
 							err := hook(ctx, cmd)
 
-							Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("ping: PONG"))
+							Expect(cmd.String()).To(Equal("get key: test"))
 							stack = append(stack, "shard.AfterProcess")
 
 							return err
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 				return nil
 			})
 
-			err = ring.Ping(ctx).Err()
+			err = ring.Get(ctx, "key").Err()
 			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			Expect(stack).To(Equal([]string{
 				"ring.BeforeProcess",