diff --git a/app/vmselect/graphite/metrics_api.go b/app/vmselect/graphite/metrics_api.go
index 916c7114d1..6b7ff10871 100644
--- a/app/vmselect/graphite/metrics_api.go
+++ b/app/vmselect/graphite/metrics_api.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func MetricsFindHandler(startTime time.Time, at *auth.Token, w http.ResponseWrit
 		MaxTimestamp: until,
 	}
 	denyPartialResponse := searchutils.GetDenyPartialResponse(r)
-	paths, isPartial, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, query, delimiter[0], false, deadline)
+	paths, isPartial, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, "", query, delimiter[0], false, deadline)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func MetricsExpandHandler(startTime time.Time, at *auth.Token, w http.ResponseWr
 	isPartialResponse := false
 	denyPartialResponse := searchutils.GetDenyPartialResponse(r)
 	for _, query := range queries {
-		paths, isPartial, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, query, delimiter[0], true, deadline)
+		paths, isPartial, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, "", query, delimiter[0], true, deadline)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -230,45 +230,51 @@ func MetricsIndexHandler(startTime time.Time, at *auth.Token, w http.ResponseWri
 	return nil
 }
 
-// metricsFind searches for label values that match the given query.
-func metricsFind(at *auth.Token, denyPartialResponse bool, tr storage.TimeRange, label, query string, delimiter byte,
+// metricsFind searches for label values that match the given head and tail.
+func metricsFind(at *auth.Token, denyPartialResponse bool, tr storage.TimeRange, label, head, tail string, delimiter byte,
 	isExpand bool, deadline searchutils.Deadline) ([]string, bool, error) {
-	n := strings.IndexAny(query, "*{[")
-	if n < 0 || n == len(query)-1 && strings.HasSuffix(query, "*") {
-		expandTail := n >= 0
-		if expandTail {
-			query = query[:len(query)-1]
+	n := strings.IndexAny(tail, "*{[")
+	// fast path.
+	if n < 0 {
+		res, isPartial, err := netstorage.GetTagValueSuffixes(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, head+tail, delimiter, deadline)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, false, err
 		}
-		suffixes, isPartial, err := netstorage.GetTagValueSuffixes(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, query, delimiter, deadline)
+		if len(res) == 0 {
+			return nil, false, nil
+		}
+		return []string{head + tail}, isPartial, nil
+	}
+	if strings.HasSuffix(head, "*") {
+		head = head[:len(head)-1]
+		suffixes, isPartial, err := netstorage.GetTagValueSuffixes(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, head, delimiter, deadline)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, false, err
 		}
 		if len(suffixes) == 0 {
 			return nil, false, nil
 		}
-		if !expandTail && len(query) > 0 && query[len(query)-1] == delimiter {
-			return []string{query}, false, nil
-		}
 		results := make([]string, 0, len(suffixes))
 		for _, suffix := range suffixes {
-			if expandTail || len(suffix) == 0 || len(suffix) == 1 && suffix[0] == delimiter {
-				results = append(results, query+suffix)
-			}
+			results = append(results, head+suffix)
 		}
 		return results, isPartial, nil
 	}
-	subquery := query[:n] + "*"
-	paths, isPartial, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, subquery, delimiter, isExpand, deadline)
+
+	head += tail[:n]
+	subquery := head + "*"
+	// execute subquery with the given head.
+	paths, isPartial, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, subquery, "*", delimiter, isExpand, deadline)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, false, err
 	}
-	tail := ""
-	suffix := query[n:]
+	tailNew := ""
+	suffix := tail[n:]
 	if m := strings.IndexByte(suffix, delimiter); m >= 0 {
-		tail = suffix[m+1:]
+		tailNew = suffix[m+1:]
 		suffix = suffix[:m+1]
 	}
-	qPrefix := query[:n] + suffix
+	qPrefix := head + suffix
 	rePrefix, err := getRegexpForQuery(qPrefix, delimiter)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("cannot convert query %q to regexp: %w", qPrefix, err)
@@ -278,12 +284,11 @@ func metricsFind(at *auth.Token, denyPartialResponse bool, tr storage.TimeRange,
 		if !rePrefix.MatchString(path) {
 			continue
 		}
-		if tail == "" {
+		if tailNew == "" {
 			results = append(results, path)
 			continue
 		}
-		subquery := path + tail
-		fullPaths, isPartialLocal, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, subquery, delimiter, isExpand, deadline)
+		fullPaths, isPartialLocal, err := metricsFind(at, denyPartialResponse, tr, label, path, tailNew, delimiter, isExpand, deadline)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, false, err
 		}