diff --git a/src/PostgREST/Query.hs b/src/PostgREST/Query.hs
index edb98f636..022a3af3d 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/Query.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/Query.hs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ readQuery req conf@AppConfig{..} apiReq@ApiRequest{..} = do
   resultSet <-
      lift . SQL.statement mempty $
       Statements.prepareRead
-        (QueryBuilder.readPlanToQuery True req)
+        (QueryBuilder.readPlanToQuery req)
         (if iPreferCount == Just EstimatedCount then
            -- LIMIT maxRows + 1 so we can determine below that maxRows was surpassed
            QueryBuilder.limitedQuery countQuery ((+ 1) <$> configDbMaxRows)
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ invokeQuery proc CallReadPlan{crReadPlan, crCallPlan} apiReq@ApiRequest{..} conf
         (Proc.procReturnsScalar proc)
         (Proc.procReturnsSingle proc)
         (QueryBuilder.callPlanToQuery crCallPlan)
-        (QueryBuilder.readPlanToQuery True crReadPlan)
+        (QueryBuilder.readPlanToQuery crReadPlan)
         (QueryBuilder.readPlanToCountQuery crReadPlan)
         (shouldCount iPreferCount)
         iAcceptMediaType
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ writeQuery MutateReadPlan{mrReadPlan, mrMutatePlan} apiReq conf =
   in
   lift . SQL.statement mempty $
     Statements.prepareWrite
-      (QueryBuilder.readPlanToQuery True mrReadPlan)
+      (QueryBuilder.readPlanToQuery mrReadPlan)
       (QueryBuilder.mutatePlanToQuery mrMutatePlan)
       isInsert
       (iAcceptMediaType apiReq)
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/Query/QueryBuilder.hs b/src/PostgREST/Query/QueryBuilder.hs
index 4fb689de6..71c591de6 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/Query/QueryBuilder.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/Query/QueryBuilder.hs
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ import PostgREST.RangeQuery        (allRange)
 
 import Protolude
 
-readPlanToQuery :: Bool -> ReadPlanTree -> SQL.Snippet
-readPlanToQuery isRoot (Node ReadPlan{select,from=mainQi,fromAlias,where_=logicForest,order, range_=readRange, relToParent, relJoinConds} forest) =
+readPlanToQuery :: ReadPlanTree -> SQL.Snippet
+readPlanToQuery (Node ReadPlan{select,from=mainQi,fromAlias,where_=logicForest,order, range_=readRange, relToParent, relJoinConds} forest) =
   "SELECT " <>
-  intercalateSnippet ", " ((pgFmtSelectItem qi <$> (if isRoot && null select && null forest then defRootSelect else select)) ++ selects) <> " " <>
+  intercalateSnippet ", " ((pgFmtSelectItem qi <$> (if null select && null forest then defSelect else select)) ++ selects) <> " " <>
   fromFrag <> " " <>
   intercalateSnippet " " joins <> " " <>
   (if null logicForest && null relJoinConds
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@ readPlanToQuery isRoot (Node ReadPlan{select,from=mainQi,fromAlias,where_=logicF
   where
     fromFrag = fromF relToParent mainQi fromAlias
     qi = getQualifiedIdentifier relToParent mainQi fromAlias
-    defRootSelect = [(("*", []), Nothing, Nothing)] -- gets all columns in case an empty select, e.g. `/tbl?select=`, is done.
+    defSelect = [(("*", []), Nothing, Nothing)] -- gets all the columns in case of an empty select, ignoring/obtaining these columns is done at the aggregation stage
     (selects, joins) = foldr getSelectsJoins ([],[]) forest
 
 getSelectsJoins :: ReadPlanTree -> ([SQL.Snippet], [SQL.Snippet]) -> ([SQL.Snippet], [SQL.Snippet])
 getSelectsJoins (Node ReadPlan{relToParent=Nothing} _) _ = ([], [])
 getSelectsJoins rr@(Node ReadPlan{select, relName, relToParent=Just rel, relAggAlias, relAlias, relJoinType, relIsSpread} forest) (selects,joins) =
   let
-    subquery = readPlanToQuery False rr
+    subquery = readPlanToQuery rr
     aliasOrName = pgFmtIdent $ fromMaybe relName relAlias
     aggAlias = pgFmtIdent relAggAlias
     correlatedSubquery sub al cond =