diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-proto/protos/quickwit/search.proto b/quickwit/quickwit-proto/protos/quickwit/search.proto
index 04fa0cedf2e..12443855239 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-proto/protos/quickwit/search.proto
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-proto/protos/quickwit/search.proto
@@ -247,6 +247,10 @@ message SearchRequest {
   // When an exact index ID is provided (not a pattern), the query fails only if
   // that index is not found and this parameter is set to `false`.
   bool ignore_missing_indexes = 18;
+
+  // When true, skip finalization of aggregation results and return
+  // the raw IntermediateAggregationResults bytes instead.
+  bool skip_aggregation_finalization = 19;
 }
 
 enum CountHits {
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-proto/src/codegen/quickwit/quickwit.search.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-proto/src/codegen/quickwit/quickwit.search.rs
index e1201ce7a0e..191110365f5 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-proto/src/codegen/quickwit/quickwit.search.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-proto/src/codegen/quickwit/quickwit.search.rs
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ pub struct SearchRequest {
     /// that index is not found and this parameter is set to `false`.
     #[prost(bool, tag = "18")]
     pub ignore_missing_indexes: bool,
+    /// When true, skip finalization of aggregation results and return
+    /// the raw IntermediateAggregationResults bytes instead.
+    #[prost(bool, tag = "19")]
+    pub skip_aggregation_finalization: bool,
 }
 #[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize, utoipa::ToSchema)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, ::prost::Message)]
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/root.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/root.rs
index 581665fa14f..b5b03882ec0 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/root.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/root.rs
@@ -372,6 +372,7 @@ fn simplify_search_request_for_scroll_api(req: &SearchRequest) -> crate::Result<
         // to recompute it afterward.
         count_hits: quickwit_proto::search::CountHits::Underestimate as i32,
         ignore_missing_indexes: req.ignore_missing_indexes,
+        skip_aggregation_finalization: false,
     })
 }
 
@@ -1062,6 +1063,9 @@ fn finalize_aggregation_if_any(
     let Some(aggregations_json) = search_request.aggregation_request.as_ref() else {
         return Ok(None);
     };
+    if search_request.skip_aggregation_finalization {
+        return Ok(intermediate_aggregation_result_bytes_opt);
+    }
     let aggregations: QuickwitAggregations = serde_json::from_str(aggregations_json)?;
     let aggregation_result_postcard = finalize_aggregation(
         intermediate_aggregation_result_bytes_opt,
@@ -5301,4 +5305,93 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(matches!(search_error, SearchError::InvalidArgument { .. }));
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_finalize_aggregation_if_any_no_aggregation_request() {
+        let search_request = SearchRequest {
+            aggregation_request: None,
+            skip_aggregation_finalization: false,
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let searcher_context = SearcherContext::for_test();
+        let result =
+            finalize_aggregation_if_any(&search_request, Some(vec![1, 2, 3]), &searcher_context)
+                .unwrap();
+        assert!(result.is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_finalize_aggregation_if_any_skip_finalization_returns_intermediate_bytes() {
+        let agg_req = r#"{"avg_price": {"avg": {"field": "price"}}}"#;
+        let intermediate_bytes = vec![42, 43, 44];
+        let search_request = SearchRequest {
+            aggregation_request: Some(agg_req.to_string()),
+            skip_aggregation_finalization: true,
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let searcher_context = SearcherContext::for_test();
+        let result = finalize_aggregation_if_any(
+            &search_request,
+            Some(intermediate_bytes.clone()),
+            &searcher_context,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(result, Some(intermediate_bytes));
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_finalize_aggregation_if_any_skip_finalization_none_bytes() {
+        let agg_req = r#"{"avg_price": {"avg": {"field": "price"}}}"#;
+        let search_request = SearchRequest {
+            aggregation_request: Some(agg_req.to_string()),
+            skip_aggregation_finalization: true,
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let searcher_context = SearcherContext::for_test();
+        let result = finalize_aggregation_if_any(&search_request, None, &searcher_context).unwrap();
+        assert!(result.is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_finalize_aggregation_if_any_default_finalizes() {
+        let agg_req = r#"{"avg_price": {"avg": {"field": "price"}}}"#;
+        let intermediate_results = IntermediateAggregationResults::default();
+        let intermediate_bytes = postcard::to_stdvec(&intermediate_results).unwrap();
+        let search_request = SearchRequest {
+            aggregation_request: Some(agg_req.to_string()),
+            skip_aggregation_finalization: false,
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let searcher_context = SearcherContext::for_test();
+        let result = finalize_aggregation_if_any(
+            &search_request,
+            Some(intermediate_bytes.clone()),
+            &searcher_context,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        // Result should be Some (finalized), but different from intermediate bytes
+        assert!(result.is_some());
+        assert_ne!(result.unwrap(), intermediate_bytes);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_finalize_aggregation_if_any_false_flag_finalizes() {
+        let agg_req = r#"{"avg_price": {"avg": {"field": "price"}}}"#;
+        let intermediate_results = IntermediateAggregationResults::default();
+        let intermediate_bytes = postcard::to_stdvec(&intermediate_results).unwrap();
+        let search_request = SearchRequest {
+            aggregation_request: Some(agg_req.to_string()),
+            skip_aggregation_finalization: false,
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let searcher_context = SearcherContext::for_test();
+        let result = finalize_aggregation_if_any(
+            &search_request,
+            Some(intermediate_bytes.clone()),
+            &searcher_context,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert!(result.is_some());
+        assert_ne!(result.unwrap(), intermediate_bytes);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/elasticsearch_api/rest_handler.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/elasticsearch_api/rest_handler.rs
index db14c37700a..15663a35cee 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/elasticsearch_api/rest_handler.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/elasticsearch_api/rest_handler.rs
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ fn build_request_for_es_api(
             search_after,
             count_hits,
             ignore_missing_indexes,
+            skip_aggregation_finalization: false,
         },
         has_doc_id_field,
     ))
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/search_api/rest_handler.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/search_api/rest_handler.rs
index cfdf46c61ef..b1400fa12c0 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/search_api/rest_handler.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/search_api/rest_handler.rs
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ pub fn search_request_from_api_request(
         search_after: None,
         count_hits: search_request.count_all.into(),
         ignore_missing_indexes: false,
+        skip_aggregation_finalization: false,
     };
     Ok(search_request)
 }