diff --git a/database.cc b/database.cc
index 31231d23ce..4ea9e32d10 100644
--- a/database.cc
+++ b/database.cc
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ column_family::query(const query::read_command& cmd, const std::vector<query::pa
                 return qs.reader().then([this, &qs](mutation_opt mo) {
                     if (mo) {
                         auto p_builder = qs.builder.add_partition(mo->key());
-                        mo->partition().query(*_schema, qs.cmd.slice, qs.limit, p_builder);
+                        mo->partition().query(p_builder, *_schema, qs.cmd.slice, qs.limit);
                         p_builder.finish();
                         qs.limit -= p_builder.row_count();
                     } else {
diff --git a/mutation_partition.cc b/mutation_partition.cc
index ea7b693007..6fe0b5856a 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.cc
+++ b/mutation_partition.cc
@@ -270,10 +270,10 @@ bool has_any_live_data(const row& cells, tombstone tomb, ColumnDefResolver&& id_
 }
 
 void
-mutation_partition::query(const schema& s,
+mutation_partition::query(query::result::partition_writer& pw,
+    const schema& s,
     const query::partition_slice& slice,
-    uint32_t limit,
-    query::result::partition_writer& pw) const
+    uint32_t limit) const
 {
     auto regular_column_resolver = [&s] (column_id id) -> const column_definition& {
         return s.regular_column_at(id);
diff --git a/mutation_partition.hh b/mutation_partition.hh
index 651f123c69..7b50f601f0 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.hh
+++ b/mutation_partition.hh
@@ -273,5 +273,5 @@ public:
     tombstone tombstone_for_row(const schema& schema, const rows_entry& e) const;
     boost::iterator_range<rows_type::const_iterator> range(const schema& schema, const query::range<clustering_key_prefix>& r) const;
     // Returns at most "limit" rows. The limit must be greater than 0.
-    void query(const schema& s, const query::partition_slice& slice, uint32_t limit, query::result::partition_writer& pw) const;
+    void query(query::result::partition_writer& pw, const schema& s, const query::partition_slice& slice, uint32_t limit = query::max_rows) const;
 };