diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarDoubleColumn.java b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarDoubleColumn.java
index e116a70d28d..527819cb47d 100644
--- a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarDoubleColumn.java
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarDoubleColumn.java
@@ -55,21 +55,21 @@ public class ScalarDoubleColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
   private final FixedIndexed<Double> doubleDictionary;
   private final Supplier<ColumnarInts> encodedValuesSupplier;
   private final ColumnarDoubles valueColumn;
-  private final ImmutableBitmap nullValueBitmap;
+  private final ImmutableBitmap nullValueIndex;
   private final BitmapFactory bitmapFactory;
 
   public ScalarDoubleColumn(
       FixedIndexed<Double> doubleDictionary,
       Supplier<ColumnarInts> encodedValuesSupplier,
       ColumnarDoubles valueColumn,
-      ImmutableBitmap nullValueBitmap,
+      ImmutableBitmap nullValueIndex,
       BitmapFactory bitmapFactory
   )
   {
     this.doubleDictionary = doubleDictionary;
     this.encodedValuesSupplier = encodedValuesSupplier;
     this.valueColumn = valueColumn;
-    this.nullValueBitmap = nullValueBitmap;
+    this.nullValueIndex = nullValueIndex;
     this.bitmapFactory = bitmapFactory;
   }
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public class ScalarDoubleColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
   {
     return new DoubleColumnSelector()
     {
-      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
       private int nullMark = -1;
       private int offsetMark = -1;
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class ScalarDoubleColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
       public void inspectRuntimeShape(RuntimeShapeInspector inspector)
       {
         inspector.visit("doubleColumn", valueColumn);
-        inspector.visit("nullBitmap", nullValueBitmap);
+        inspector.visit("nullBitmap", nullValueIndex);
       }
 
       @Override
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public class ScalarDoubleColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
         if (i < offsetMark) {
           // offset was reset, reset iterator state
           nullMark = -1;
-          nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+          nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
         }
         offsetMark = i;
         if (nullMark < i) {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public class ScalarDoubleColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
       private int id = ReadableVectorInspector.NULL_ID;
 
       @Nullable
-      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueBitmap != null ? nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator() : null;
+      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueIndex != null ? nullValueIndex.peekableIterator() : null;
       private int offsetMark = -1;
 
       @Override
@@ -171,14 +171,14 @@ public class ScalarDoubleColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
 
         if (offset.isContiguous()) {
           if (offset.getStartOffset() < offsetMark) {
-            nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+            nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
           }
           offsetMark = offset.getStartOffset() + offset.getCurrentVectorSize();
           valueColumn.get(valueVector, offset.getStartOffset(), offset.getCurrentVectorSize());
         } else {
           final int[] offsets = offset.getOffsets();
           if (offsets[offsets.length - 1] < offsetMark) {
-            nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+            nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
           }
           offsetMark = offsets[offsets.length - 1];
           valueColumn.get(valueVector, offsets, offset.getCurrentVectorSize());
diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarLongColumn.java b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarLongColumn.java
index 4d5db6a45f4..54a7812da76 100644
--- a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarLongColumn.java
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/ScalarLongColumn.java
@@ -55,21 +55,21 @@ public class ScalarLongColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
   private final FixedIndexed<Long> longDictionary;
   private final Supplier<ColumnarInts> encodedValuesSupplier;
   private final ColumnarLongs valueColumn;
-  private final ImmutableBitmap nullValueBitmap;
+  private final ImmutableBitmap nullValueIndex;
   private final BitmapFactory bitmapFactory;
 
   public ScalarLongColumn(
       FixedIndexed<Long> longDictionary,
       Supplier<ColumnarInts> encodedValuesSupplier,
       ColumnarLongs valueColumn,
-      ImmutableBitmap nullValueBitmap,
+      ImmutableBitmap nullValueIndex,
       BitmapFactory bitmapFactory
   )
   {
     this.longDictionary = longDictionary;
     this.encodedValuesSupplier = encodedValuesSupplier;
     this.valueColumn = valueColumn;
-    this.nullValueBitmap = nullValueBitmap;
+    this.nullValueIndex = nullValueIndex;
     this.bitmapFactory = bitmapFactory;
   }
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ public class ScalarLongColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
   {
     return new LongColumnSelector()
     {
-      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
       private int nullMark = -1;
       private int offsetMark = -1;
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public class ScalarLongColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
       public void inspectRuntimeShape(RuntimeShapeInspector inspector)
       {
         inspector.visit("longColumn", valueColumn);
-        inspector.visit("nullBitmap", nullValueBitmap);
+        inspector.visit("nullBitmap", nullValueIndex);
       }
 
       @Override
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class ScalarLongColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
         if (i < offsetMark) {
           // offset was reset, reset iterator state
           nullMark = -1;
-          nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+          nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
         }
         offsetMark = i;
         if (nullMark < i) {
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public class ScalarLongColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
       private int id = ReadableVectorInspector.NULL_ID;
 
       @Nullable
-      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+      private PeekableIntIterator nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
       private int offsetMark = -1;
 
       @Override
@@ -172,14 +172,14 @@ public class ScalarLongColumn implements NestedCommonFormatColumn
 
         if (offset.isContiguous()) {
           if (offset.getStartOffset() < offsetMark) {
-            nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+            nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
           }
           offsetMark = offset.getStartOffset() + offset.getCurrentVectorSize();
           valueColumn.get(valueVector, offset.getStartOffset(), offset.getCurrentVectorSize());
         } else {
           final int[] offsets = offset.getOffsets();
           if (offsets[offsets.length - 1] < offsetMark) {
-            nullIterator = nullValueBitmap.peekableIterator();
+            nullIterator = nullValueIndex.peekableIterator();
           }
           offsetMark = offsets[offsets.length - 1];
           valueColumn.get(valueVector, offsets, offset.getCurrentVectorSize());
diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/VariantColumnSerializer.java b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/VariantColumnSerializer.java
index 5b706b44b7f..6724c69b73a 100644
--- a/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/VariantColumnSerializer.java
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/segment/nested/VariantColumnSerializer.java
@@ -423,8 +423,9 @@ public class VariantColumnSerializer extends NestedCommonFormatColumnSerializer
   }
 
   /**
-   * Internal serializer used to serailize a {@link VariantColumn}. Contains the logic to write out the column to a
-   * {@link FileSmoosher}. Created by {@link VariantColumnSerializer} once it is closed for writes.
+   * Internal serializer used to serialize a {@link VariantColumn}. Encapsulates just the logic to write out the column
+   * to a {@link FileSmoosher} without the parts to update the dictionaries themselves, so that it can be reused.
+   * Created by {@link VariantColumnSerializer} once it is closed for writes.
    */
   public static class InternalSerializer implements Serializer
   {
@@ -475,18 +476,20 @@ public class VariantColumnSerializer extends NestedCommonFormatColumnSerializer
       this.writeDictionary = writeDictionary;
       this.dictionaryIdLookup = dictionaryIdLookup;
 
-      boolean[] dictionariesSorted = new boolean[]{
-          dictionaryWriter.isSorted(),
-          longDictionaryWriter.isSorted(),
-          doubleDictionaryWriter.isSorted(),
-          arrayDictionaryWriter.isSorted()
-      };
-      for (boolean sorted : dictionariesSorted) {
-        if (writeDictionary && !sorted) {
-          throw DruidException.defensive(
-              "Dictionary is not sorted? [%s]  Should always be sorted",
-              Arrays.toString(dictionariesSorted)
-          );
+      if (writeDictionary) {
+        boolean[] dictionariesSorted = new boolean[]{
+            dictionaryWriter.isSorted(),
+            longDictionaryWriter.isSorted(),
+            doubleDictionaryWriter.isSorted(),
+            arrayDictionaryWriter.isSorted()
+        };
+        for (boolean sorted : dictionariesSorted) {
+          if (!sorted) {
+            throw DruidException.defensive(
+                "Dictionary is not sorted? [%s]  Should always be sorted",
+                Arrays.toString(dictionariesSorted)
+            );
+          }
         }
       }
     }