diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQuery.java b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQuery.java
index decf8fb4d80..091dada6a93 100644
--- a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQuery.java
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQuery.java
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ public class GroupByQuery extends BaseQuery<ResultRow>
   @Nullable
   private final List<List<String>> subtotalsSpec;
 
-  private final boolean applyLimitPushDown;
   private final Function<Sequence<ResultRow>, Sequence<ResultRow>> postProcessingFn;
   private final RowSignature resultRowSignature;
 
@@ -121,6 +120,15 @@ public class GroupByQuery extends BaseQuery<ResultRow>
   @Nullable
   private final DateTime universalTimestamp;
 
+  private final boolean canDoLimitPushDown;
+
+  /**
+   * A flag to force limit pushdown to historicals.
+   * Lazily initialized when calling {@link #validateAndGetForceLimitPushDown()}.
+   */
+  @Nullable
+  private Boolean forceLimitPushDown;
+
   @JsonCreator
   public GroupByQuery(
       @JsonProperty("dataSource") DataSource dataSource,
@@ -218,7 +226,11 @@ public class GroupByQuery extends BaseQuery<ResultRow>
     this.postProcessingFn = postProcessingFn != null ? postProcessingFn : makePostProcessingFn();
 
     // Check if limit push down configuration is valid and check if limit push down will be applied
-    this.applyLimitPushDown = determineApplyLimitPushDown();
+    this.canDoLimitPushDown = canDoLimitPushDown(
+        this.limitSpec,
+        this.havingSpec,
+        this.subtotalsSpec
+    );
   }
 
   @Nullable
@@ -409,7 +421,10 @@ public class GroupByQuery extends BaseQuery<ResultRow>
   @JsonIgnore
   public boolean isApplyLimitPushDown()
   {
-    return applyLimitPushDown;
+    if (forceLimitPushDown == null) {
+      forceLimitPushDown = validateAndGetForceLimitPushDown();
+    }
+    return forceLimitPushDown || canDoLimitPushDown;
   }
 
   @JsonIgnore
@@ -474,14 +489,16 @@ public class GroupByQuery extends BaseQuery<ResultRow>
                   .build();
   }
 
-  private boolean determineApplyLimitPushDown()
+  private boolean canDoLimitPushDown(
+      @Nullable LimitSpec limitSpec,
+      @Nullable HavingSpec havingSpec,
+      @Nullable List<List<String>> subtotalsSpec
+  )
   {
-    if (subtotalsSpec != null) {
+    if (subtotalsSpec != null && !subtotalsSpec.isEmpty()) {
       return false;
     }
 
-    final boolean forceLimitPushDown = validateAndGetForceLimitPushDown();
-
     if (limitSpec instanceof DefaultLimitSpec) {
       DefaultLimitSpec limitSpecWithoutOffset = ((DefaultLimitSpec) limitSpec).withOffsetToLimit();
 
@@ -490,10 +507,6 @@ public class GroupByQuery extends BaseQuery<ResultRow>
         return false;
       }
 
-      if (forceLimitPushDown) {
-        return true;
-      }
-
       if (!getApplyLimitPushDownFromContext()) {
         return false;
       }
@@ -612,7 +625,7 @@ public class GroupByQuery extends BaseQuery<ResultRow>
 
   public Ordering<ResultRow> getRowOrdering(final boolean granular)
   {
-    if (applyLimitPushDown) {
+    if (isApplyLimitPushDown()) {
       if (!DefaultLimitSpec.sortingOrderHasNonGroupingFields((DefaultLimitSpec) limitSpec, dimensions)) {
         return getRowOrderingForPushDown(granular, (DefaultLimitSpec) limitSpec);
       }
diff --git a/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryRunnerTest.java b/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryRunnerTest.java
index 8dfac83d5fd..c89e35b4413 100644
--- a/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryRunnerTest.java
+++ b/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryRunnerTest.java
@@ -10417,6 +10417,9 @@ public class GroupByQueryRunnerTest extends InitializedNullHandlingTest
   @Test
   public void testGroupByLimitPushDownPostAggNotSupported()
   {
+    if (!config.getDefaultStrategy().equals(GroupByStrategySelector.STRATEGY_V2)) {
+      return;
+    }
     expectedException.expect(UnsupportedOperationException.class);
     expectedException.expectMessage("Limit push down when sorting by a post aggregator is not supported.");
 
@@ -10560,7 +10563,7 @@ public class GroupByQueryRunnerTest extends InitializedNullHandlingTest
     expectedException.expect(IAE.class);
     expectedException.expectMessage("Cannot force limit push down when a having spec is present.");
 
-    makeQueryBuilder()
+    final GroupByQuery query = makeQueryBuilder()
         .setDataSource(QueryRunnerTestHelper.DATA_SOURCE)
         .setGranularity(QueryRunnerTestHelper.ALL_GRAN)
         .setDimensions(new DefaultDimensionSpec(QueryRunnerTestHelper.MARKET_DIMENSION, "marketalias"))
@@ -10575,6 +10578,7 @@ public class GroupByQueryRunnerTest extends InitializedNullHandlingTest
         .overrideContext(ImmutableMap.of(GroupByQueryConfig.CTX_KEY_FORCE_LIMIT_PUSH_DOWN, true))
         .setHavingSpec(new GreaterThanHavingSpec("rows", 10))
         .build();
+    query.isApplyLimitPushDown();
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryTest.java b/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryTest.java
index bd6938ec0b8..b6f76b4be16 100644
--- a/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryTest.java
+++ b/processing/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/query/groupby/GroupByQueryTest.java
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ public class GroupByQueryTest
                   .suppress(Warning.NULL_FIELDS, Warning.NONFINAL_FIELDS)
                   // Fields derived from other fields are not included in equals/hashCode
                   .withIgnoredFields(
-                      "applyLimitPushDown",
+                      "canDoLimitPushDown",
+                      "forceLimitPushDown",
                       "postProcessingFn",
                       "resultRowSignature",
                       "universalTimestamp"
diff --git a/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/CalciteQueryTest.java b/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/CalciteQueryTest.java
index 9409f818693..e7b537edc97 100644
--- a/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/CalciteQueryTest.java
+++ b/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/CalciteQueryTest.java
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ import org.apache.druid.query.filter.NotDimFilter;
 import org.apache.druid.query.filter.RegexDimFilter;
 import org.apache.druid.query.filter.SelectorDimFilter;
 import org.apache.druid.query.groupby.GroupByQuery;
+import org.apache.druid.query.groupby.GroupByQueryConfig;
 import org.apache.druid.query.groupby.ResultRow;
 import org.apache.druid.query.groupby.orderby.DefaultLimitSpec;
 import org.apache.druid.query.groupby.orderby.OrderByColumnSpec;
@@ -1540,6 +1541,38 @@ public class CalciteQueryTest extends BaseCalciteQueryTest
     );
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testGroupByWithForceLimitPushDown() throws Exception
+  {
+    final Map<String, Object> context = new HashMap<>(QUERY_CONTEXT_DEFAULT);
+    context.put(GroupByQueryConfig.CTX_KEY_FORCE_LIMIT_PUSH_DOWN, true);
+
+    testQuery(
+        "SELECT dim1, dim2, COUNT(*) FROM druid.foo GROUP BY dim1, dim2 limit 1",
+        context,
+        ImmutableList.of(
+            new GroupByQuery.Builder()
+                .setDataSource(CalciteTests.DATASOURCE1)
+                .setInterval(querySegmentSpec(Filtration.eternity()))
+                .setGranularity(Granularities.ALL)
+                .setDimensions(
+                    new DefaultDimensionSpec("dim1", "d0", ValueType.STRING),
+                    new DefaultDimensionSpec("dim2", "d1", ValueType.STRING)
+                )
+                .setLimitSpec(
+                    new DefaultLimitSpec(
+                        ImmutableList.of(),
+                        1
+                    )
+                )
+                .setAggregatorSpecs(aggregators(new CountAggregatorFactory("a0")))
+                .setContext(context)
+                .build()
+        ),
+        ImmutableList.of(new Object[]{"", "a", 1L})
+    );
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testGroupByLimitWrappingOrderByAgg() throws Exception
   {