diff --git a/storage/remote/read.go b/storage/remote/read.go
index 8474a4236e..c25169391d 100644
--- a/storage/remote/read.go
+++ b/storage/remote/read.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (q *querier) Select(matchers ...*labels.Matcher) storage.SeriesSet {
 	series := make([]storage.Series, 0, len(res))
 	for _, ts := range res {
 		labels := labelPairsToLabels(ts.Labels)
-		removeLabels(labels, added)
+		removeLabels(&labels, added)
 		series = append(series, &concreteSeries{
 			labels:  labels,
 			samples: ts.Samples,
@@ -254,10 +254,10 @@ func (q *querier) addExternalLabels(matchers []*labels.Matcher) ([]*labels.Match
 	return matchers, el
 }
 
-func removeLabels(l labels.Labels, toDelete model.LabelSet) {
-	for i := 0; i < len(l); {
-		if _, ok := toDelete[model.LabelName(l[i].Name)]; ok {
-			l = l[:i+copy(l[i:], l[i+1:])]
+func removeLabels(l *labels.Labels, toDelete model.LabelSet) {
+	for i := 0; i < len(*l); {
+		if _, ok := toDelete[model.LabelName((*l)[i].Name)]; ok {
+			*l = (*l)[:i+copy((*l)[i:], (*l)[i+1:])]
 		} else {
 			i++
 		}
diff --git a/storage/remote/read_test.go b/storage/remote/read_test.go
index cf50a0c5d3..1d4cc974e1 100644
--- a/storage/remote/read_test.go
+++ b/storage/remote/read_test.go
@@ -97,6 +97,29 @@ func TestAddExternalLabels(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRemoveLabels(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		in       labels.Labels
+		out      labels.Labels
+		toRemove model.LabelSet
+	}{
+		{
+			toRemove: model.LabelSet{"foo": "bar"},
+			in:       labels.FromStrings("foo", "bar", "a", "b"),
+			out:      labels.FromStrings("a", "b"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		in := test.in.Copy()
+		removeLabels(&in, test.toRemove)
+
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(in, test.out) {
+			t.Fatalf("%d. unexpected labels; want %v, got %v", i, test.out, in)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestConcreteSeriesSet(t *testing.T) {
 	series1 := &concreteSeries{
 		labels:  labels.FromStrings("foo", "bar"),