diff --git a/engine_test.go b/engine_test.go
index 1ba6ef32a..536e02074 100644
--- a/engine_test.go
+++ b/engine_test.go
@@ -1570,6 +1570,20 @@ var queries = []struct {
 		`SELECT (SELECT i FROM mytable ORDER BY i ASC LIMIT 1) AS x`,
 		[]sql.Row{{int64(1)}},
 	},
+	{
+		`SELECT DISTINCT n FROM bigtable ORDER BY t`,
+		[]sql.Row{
+			{int64(1)},
+			{int64(9)},
+			{int64(7)},
+			{int64(3)},
+			{int64(2)},
+			{int64(8)},
+			{int64(6)},
+			{int64(5)},
+			{int64(4)},
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func TestQueries(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules.go b/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules.go
index 0037d9b0d..88283cf9f 100644
--- a/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules.go
+++ b/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules.go
@@ -34,17 +34,19 @@ func optimizeDistinct(ctx *sql.Context, a *Analyzer, node sql.Node) (sql.Node, e
 
 	a.Log("optimize distinct, node of type: %T", node)
 	if n, ok := node.(*plan.Distinct); ok {
-		var isSorted bool
+		var sortField *expression.GetField
 		plan.Inspect(n, func(node sql.Node) bool {
 			a.Log("checking for optimization in node of type: %T", node)
-			if _, ok := node.(*plan.Sort); ok {
-				isSorted = true
+			if sort, ok := node.(*plan.Sort); ok && sortField == nil {
+				if col, ok := sort.SortFields[0].Column.(*expression.GetField); ok {
+					sortField = col
+				}
 				return false
 			}
 			return true
 		})
 
-		if isSorted {
+		if sortField != nil && n.Schema().Contains(sortField.Name(), sortField.Table()) {
 			a.Log("distinct optimized for ordered output")
 			return plan.NewOrderedDistinct(n.Child), nil
 		}
diff --git a/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules_test.go b/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules_test.go
index 285117251..60dee3b0f 100644
--- a/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules_test.go
+++ b/sql/analyzer/optimization_rules_test.go
@@ -186,24 +186,54 @@ func TestEraseProjection(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestOptimizeDistinct(t *testing.T) {
-	require := require.New(t)
-
-	t1 := memory.NewTable("foo", nil)
-	t2 := memory.NewTable("foo", nil)
+	t1 := memory.NewTable("foo", sql.Schema{
+		{Name: "a", Source: "foo"},
+		{Name: "b", Source: "foo"},
+	})
 
-	notSorted := plan.NewDistinct(plan.NewResolvedTable(t1))
-	sorted := plan.NewDistinct(plan.NewSort(nil, plan.NewResolvedTable(t2)))
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name      string
+		child     sql.Node
+		optimized bool
+	}{
+		{
+			"without sort",
+			plan.NewResolvedTable(t1),
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"sort but column not projected",
+			plan.NewSort(
+				[]plan.SortField{
+					{Column: gf(0, "foo", "c")},
+				},
+				plan.NewResolvedTable(t1),
+			),
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"sort and column projected",
+			plan.NewSort(
+				[]plan.SortField{
+					{Column: gf(0, "foo", "a")},
+				},
+				plan.NewResolvedTable(t1),
+			),
+			true,
+		},
+	}
 
 	rule := getRule("optimize_distinct")
 
-	analyzedNotSorted, err := rule.Apply(sql.NewEmptyContext(), nil, notSorted)
-	require.NoError(err)
-
-	analyzedSorted, err := rule.Apply(sql.NewEmptyContext(), nil, sorted)
-	require.NoError(err)
+	for _, tt := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			node, err := rule.Apply(sql.NewEmptyContext(), nil, plan.NewDistinct(tt.child))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	require.Equal(notSorted, analyzedNotSorted)
-	require.Equal(plan.NewOrderedDistinct(sorted.Child), analyzedSorted)
+			_, ok := node.(*plan.OrderedDistinct)
+			require.Equal(t, tt.optimized, ok)
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 func TestMoveJoinConditionsToFilter(t *testing.T) {