diff --git a/tsdb/querier.go b/tsdb/querier.go
index 05221127c5..9b6219b2c6 100644
--- a/tsdb/querier.go
+++ b/tsdb/querier.go
@@ -207,6 +207,13 @@ func (q *blockQuerier) Select(sortSeries bool, hints *storage.SelectHints, ms ..
 	if hints != nil {
 		mint = hints.Start
 		maxt = hints.End
+		if hints.Func == "series" { // The series API does not need any chunks loaded.
+			return &blockSeriesSet{
+				set:  base,
+				mint: mint,
+				maxt: maxt,
+			}, nil, nil
+		}
 	}
 	return &blockSeriesSet{
 		set: &populatedChunkSeries{
diff --git a/web/api/v1/api.go b/web/api/v1/api.go
index 7188e08ff4..5c2dac2eb2 100644
--- a/web/api/v1/api.go
+++ b/web/api/v1/api.go
@@ -528,10 +528,16 @@ func (api *API) series(r *http.Request) apiFuncResult {
 	}
 	defer q.Close()
 
+	hints := &storage.SelectHints{
+		Start: timestamp.FromTime(start),
+		End:   timestamp.FromTime(end),
+		Func:  "series", // There is no series function.
+	}
+
 	var sets []storage.SeriesSet
 	var warnings storage.Warnings
 	for _, mset := range matcherSets {
-		s, wrn, err := q.Select(false, nil, mset...)
+		s, wrn, err := q.Select(false, hints, mset...)
 		warnings = append(warnings, wrn...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return apiFuncResult{nil, &apiError{errorExec, err}, warnings, nil}