diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/http_api/log_sources/log_source_configuration.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/http_api/log_sources/log_source_configuration.ts
index ca640fb8f6cd0..ea723e12256eb 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/http_api/log_sources/log_source_configuration.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/http_api/log_sources/log_source_configuration.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ const logSourceMessageColumnConfigurationRT = rt.strict({
   messageColumn: logSourceCommonColumnConfigurationRT,
 });
 
-const logSourceFieldColumnConfigurationRT = rt.strict({
+export const logSourceFieldColumnConfigurationRT = rt.strict({
   fieldColumn: rt.intersection([
     logSourceCommonColumnConfigurationRT,
     rt.strict({
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/log_entries_search_strategy.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/log_entries_search_strategy.ts
index d8fb409f4eef3..bf7e497385f9a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/log_entries_search_strategy.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/log_entries_search_strategy.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ import type {
   ISearchStrategy,
   PluginStart as DataPluginStart,
 } from '../../../../../../src/plugins/data/server';
-import { LogSourceColumnConfiguration } from '../../../common/http_api/log_sources';
+import {
+  LogSourceColumnConfiguration,
+  LogSourceConfigurationProperties,
+  logSourceFieldColumnConfigurationRT,
+} from '../../../common/http_api/log_sources';
 import {
   getLogEntryCursorFromHit,
   LogColumn,
@@ -103,7 +107,7 @@ export const logEntriesSearchStrategyProvider = ({
                       params.size + 1,
                       configuration.fields.timestamp,
                       configuration.fields.tiebreaker,
-                      messageFormattingRules.requiredFields,
+                      getRequiredFields(configuration, messageFormattingRules, params.columns),
                       params.query,
                       params.highlightPhrase
                     ),
@@ -125,7 +129,12 @@ export const logEntriesSearchStrategyProvider = ({
 
             const entries = rawResponse.hits.hits
               .slice(0, request.params.size)
-              .map(getLogEntryFromHit(configuration.logColumns, messageFormattingRules));
+              .map(
+                getLogEntryFromHit(
+                  request.params.columns ? request.params.columns : configuration.logColumns,
+                  messageFormattingRules
+                )
+              );
 
             const sortDirection = getSortDirection(pickRequestCursor(request.params));
 
@@ -244,3 +253,26 @@ function getResponseCursors(entries: LogEntry[]) {
 
   return { topCursor, bottomCursor };
 }
+
+const VIEW_IN_CONTEXT_FIELDS = ['log.file.path', 'host.name', 'container.id'];
+
+const getRequiredFields = (
+  configuration: LogSourceConfigurationProperties,
+  messageFormattingRules: CompiledLogMessageFormattingRule,
+  columnOverrides?: LogSourceColumnConfiguration[]
+): string[] => {
+  const columns = columnOverrides ? columnOverrides : configuration.logColumns;
+
+  const fieldsFromColumns = columns.reduce<string[]>((accumulatedFields, logColumn) => {
+    if (logSourceFieldColumnConfigurationRT.is(logColumn)) {
+      return [...accumulatedFields, logColumn.fieldColumn.field];
+    }
+    return accumulatedFields;
+  }, []);
+
+  const fieldsFromFormattingRules = messageFormattingRules.requiredFields;
+
+  return Array.from(
+    new Set([...fieldsFromColumns, ...fieldsFromFormattingRules, ...VIEW_IN_CONTEXT_FIELDS])
+  );
+};
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/queries/log_entries.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/queries/log_entries.ts
index 613469fe75816..460703b22766f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/queries/log_entries.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/server/services/log_entries/queries/log_entries.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ import {
 } from '../../../utils/elasticsearch_runtime_types';
 import { createSortClause, createTimeRangeFilterClauses } from './common';
 
-const CONTEXT_FIELDS = ['log.file.path', 'host.name', 'container.id'];
-
 export const createGetLogEntriesQuery = (
   logEntriesIndex: string,
   startTimestamp: number,
@@ -36,7 +34,6 @@ export const createGetLogEntriesQuery = (
 ): RequestParams.AsyncSearchSubmit<Record<string, any>> => {
   const sortDirection = getSortDirection(cursor);
   const highlightQuery = createHighlightQuery(highlightTerm, fields);
-  const fieldsWithContext = createFieldsWithContext(fields);
 
   return {
     index: logEntriesIndex,
@@ -54,7 +51,7 @@ export const createGetLogEntriesQuery = (
           ],
         },
       },
-      fields: fieldsWithContext,
+      fields,
       _source: false,
       ...createSortClause(sortDirection, timestampField, tiebreakerField),
       ...createSearchAfterClause(cursor),
@@ -120,9 +117,6 @@ const createHighlightQuery = (
   }
 };
 
-const createFieldsWithContext = (fields: string[]): string[] =>
-  Array.from(new Set([...fields, ...CONTEXT_FIELDS]));
-
 export const logEntryHitRT = rt.intersection([
   commonHitFieldsRT,
   rt.type({