diff --git a/plugin/plugin.go b/plugin/plugin.go
index a0e09989..7c942eaa 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -367,14 +367,13 @@ func (p *Plugin) executeForConnection(ctx context.Context, req *proto.ExecuteReq
 		executeSpan.End()
 	}()
 
-	log.Printf("[TRACE] GetMatrixItem")
-
-	// get the matrix item
 	queryData, err := newQueryData(connectionCallId, p, queryContext, table, connectionData, executeData, outputChan)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// get the matrix item
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] GetMatrixItem")
 	var matrixItem []map[string]interface{}
 	if table.GetMatrixItem != nil {
 		matrixItem = table.GetMatrixItem(ctx, connectionData.Connection)
@@ -389,7 +388,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) executeForConnection(ctx context.Context, req *proto.ExecuteReq
 	limit := queryContext.GetLimit()
 
 	// convert qual map to type used by cache
-	cacheQualMap := queryData.Quals.ToProtoQualMap()
+	cacheQualMap := queryData.getCacheQualMap()
 	// build cache request
 	cacheRequest := &query_cache.CacheRequest{
 		Table:          table.Name,
diff --git a/plugin/query_data.go b/plugin/query_data.go
index d7d2abe7..0f30e7e4 100644
--- a/plugin/query_data.go
+++ b/plugin/query_data.go
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ type QueryData struct {
 	// when executing parent child list calls, we cache the parent list result in the query data passed to the child list call
 	parentItem     interface{}
 	filteredMatrix []map[string]interface{}
+	// column quals which were used to filter the matrix
+	filteredMatrixColumns []string
 
 	// ttl for the execute call
 	cacheTtl int64
@@ -313,6 +315,10 @@ func (d *QueryData) filterMatrixItems() {
 				// if there IS a single equals qual which DOES NOT match this matrix item, exclude the matrix item
 				if matrixQuals.SingleEqualsQual() {
 					includeMatrixItem = d.shouldIncludeMatrixItem(matrixQuals, val)
+					// store this column - we will need this when building a cache key
+					if !includeMatrixItem {
+						d.filteredMatrixColumns = append(d.filteredMatrixColumns, col)
+					}
 				}
 			} else {
 				log.Printf("[TRACE] quals found for matrix column: %s", col)
@@ -676,3 +682,17 @@ func (d *QueryData) waitForRowsToComplete(rowWg *sync.WaitGroup, rowChan chan *p
 	logging.DisplayProfileData(10 * time.Millisecond)
 	close(rowChan)
 }
+
+// build a map of all quals to include in the cache key
+// this will include all key column quals, and also any quals which were used to filter the matrix items
+func (d *QueryData) getCacheQualMap() map[string]*proto.Quals {
+	res := d.Quals.ToProtoQualMap()
+	// now add in any additional (non-keycolumn) quals which were used to folter the matrix
+	for _, col := range d.filteredMatrixColumns {
+		if _, ok := res[col]; !ok {
+			log.Printf("[TRACE] getCacheQualMap - adding non-key column qual %s as it was used to filter the matrix items", col)
+			res[col] = d.QueryContext.UnsafeQuals[col]
+		}
+	}
+	return res
+}
diff --git a/plugin/table_fetch.go b/plugin/table_fetch.go
index 49daf560..8a85f76e 100644
--- a/plugin/table_fetch.go
+++ b/plugin/table_fetch.go
@@ -473,7 +473,11 @@ func (t *Table) doList(ctx context.Context, queryData *QueryData, listCall Hydra
 
 	rd := newRowData(queryData, nil)
 
-	if len(queryData.Matrix) == 0 {
+	// if a matrix is defined, run listForEach
+	if len(queryData.Matrix) > 0 {
+		log.Printf("[TRACE] doList: matrix len %d - calling  listForEach", len(queryData.Matrix))
+		t.listForEach(ctx, queryData, listCall)
+	} else {
 		log.Printf("[TRACE] doList: no matrix item")
 
 		// we cannot retry errors in the list hydrate function after streaming has started
@@ -483,8 +487,6 @@ func (t *Table) doList(ctx context.Context, queryData *QueryData, listCall Hydra
 			log.Printf("[WARN] doList callHydrateWithRetries (%s) returned err %s", queryData.connectionCallId, err.Error())
 			queryData.streamError(err)
 		}
-	} else {
-		t.listForEach(ctx, queryData, listCall)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -500,14 +502,6 @@ func (t *Table) listForEach(ctx context.Context, queryData *QueryData, listCall
 	// NOTE - we use the filtered matrix - which means we may not actually run any hydrate calls
 	// if the quals have filtered out all matrix items (e.g. select where region = 'invalid')
 	for _, matrixItem := range queryData.filteredMatrix {
-
-		// check whether there is a single equals qual for each matrix item property and if so, check whether
-		// the matrix item property values satisfy the conditions
-		if !t.matrixItemMeetsQuals(matrixItem, queryData) {
-			log.Printf("[INFO] listForEach: matrix item item does not meet quals, %v\n", matrixItem)
-			continue
-		}
-
 		// create a context with the matrixItem
 		fetchContext := context.WithValue(ctx, context_key.MatrixItem, matrixItem)
 		wg.Add(1)
@@ -538,21 +532,3 @@ func (t *Table) listForEach(ctx context.Context, queryData *QueryData, listCall
 	}
 	wg.Wait()
 }
-
-func (t *Table) matrixItemMeetsQuals(matrixItem map[string]interface{}, queryData *QueryData) bool {
-	// for the purposes of optimisation , assume matrix item properties correspond to column names
-	// if this is NOT the case, it will not fail, but this optimisation will not do anything
-	for columnName, metadataValue := range matrixItem {
-		// is there a single equals qual for this column
-		if qualValue, ok := queryData.Quals[columnName]; ok {
-			if qualValue.SingleEqualsQual() {
-				// get the underlying qual value
-				requiredValue := grpc.GetQualValue(qualValue.Quals[0].Value)
-				if requiredValue != metadataValue {
-					return false
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return true
-}