diff --git a/src/client/src/tscSubquery.c b/src/client/src/tscSubquery.c
index cc4eb751ff..3cb2b60ce2 100644
--- a/src/client/src/tscSubquery.c
+++ b/src/client/src/tscSubquery.c
@@ -2865,7 +2865,7 @@ static void tscRetrieveFromDnodeCallBack(void *param, TAOS_RES *tres, int numOfR
     tscDebug("0x%"PRIx64" sub:%p retrieve numOfRows:%d totalNumOfRows:%" PRIu64 " from ep:%s, orderOfSub:%d",
         pParentSql->self, pSql, pRes->numOfRows, pState->numOfRetrievedRows, pSql->epSet.fqdn[pSql->epSet.inUse], idx);
 
-    if (num > tsMaxNumOfOrderedResults && tscIsProjectionQueryOnSTable(pQueryInfo, 0)) {
+    if (num > tsMaxNumOfOrderedResults && tscIsProjectionQueryOnSTable(pQueryInfo, 0) && !(tscGetQueryInfoDetail(&pParentSql->cmd, 0)->distinctTag)) {
       tscError("0x%"PRIx64" sub:0x%"PRIx64" num of OrderedRes is too many, max allowed:%" PRId32 " , current:%" PRId64,
                pParentSql->self, pSql->self, tsMaxNumOfOrderedResults, num);
       tscAbortFurtherRetryRetrieval(trsupport, tres, TSDB_CODE_TSC_SORTED_RES_TOO_MANY);