The table should have been analyzed, but to make sure I ran analyze on the table before executing the explain analyze queries. Well - problem solved. This time the inner join query runs quickly. I still don't understand why the inner join would be so different from the left join prior to the analyze. It looks like the amount of rows expected in the original query plan for inner join was 1 (not correct since it was really 8728) The left join query had the exact same subqueries but expected 77214 rows to be returned from them, which was still not correct but resulted in a better query plan. After the recent analyze, here's the new inner join query plan. I won't bother pasting the left join plan, since it is almost identical now (including row counts) FYI -the result of the queries is (and always was) identical for inner join and left join. QUERY PLAN (inner join) Merge Join (cost=279457.86..279479.83 rows=43 width=120) (actual time=626.771..670.275 rows=8728 loops=1) Merge Cond: ((a.dcms_dim_id = b.dcms_dim_id) AND (a.merchant_dim_id = b.merchant_dim_id)) -> Sort (cost=139717.30..139722.38 rows=2029 width=64) (actual time=265.669..269.878 rows=8728 loops=1) Sort Key: a.dcms_dim_id, a.merchant_dim_id -> HashAggregate (cost=139519.61..139585.56 rows=2029 width=16) (actual time=211.368..247.429 rows=8728 loops=1) -> Bitmap Heap Scan on transaction_facts (cost=4427.62..138316.05 rows=68775 width=16) (actual time=21.858..100.998 rows=65789 loops=1) Recheck Cond: ((transaction_date >= '2007-01-09 00:00:00'::timestamp without time zone) AND (transaction_date < '2007-01-09 09:30:00'::timestamp without time zone)) -> Bitmap Index Scan on transaction_facts_transaction_date_idx (cost=0.00..4410.42 rows=68775 width=0) (actual time=21.430..21.430 rows=65789 loops=1) Index Cond: ((transaction_date >= '2007-01-09 00:00:00'::timestamp without time zone) AND (transaction_date < '2007-01-09 09:30:00'::timestamp without time zone)) -> Sort (cost=139740.56..139742.67 rows=843 width=64) (actual time=361.083..365.418 rows=8728 loops=1) Sort Key: b.dcms_dim_id, b.merchant_dim_id -> Subquery Scan b (cost=139663.76..139699.59 rows=843 width=64) (actual time=308.567..346.135 rows=8728 loops=1) -> HashAggregate (cost=139663.76..139691.16 rows=843 width=16) (actual time=308.563..337.677 rows=8728 loops=1) -> HashAggregate (cost=139347.68..139431.97 rows=8429 width=55) (actual time=198.093..246.591 rows=48942 loops=1) -> Bitmap Heap Scan on transaction_facts (cost=4427.62..138316.05 rows=68775 width=55) (actual time=24.080..83.988 rows=65789 loops=1) Recheck Cond: ((transaction_date >= '2007-01-09 00:00:00'::timestamp without time zone) AND (transaction_date < '2007-01-09 09:30:00'::timestamp without time zone)) -> Bitmap Index Scan on transaction_facts_transaction_date_idx (cost=0.00..4410.42 rows=68775 width=0) (actual time=23.596..23.596 rows=65789 loops=1) Index Cond: ((transaction_date >= '2007-01-09 00:00:00'::timestamp without time zone) AND (transaction_date < '2007-01-09 09:30:00'::timestamp without time zone)) Total runtime: 675.638 ms On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:15:44 -0500, "Tom Lane" <tgl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> said: > "Jeremy Haile" <jhaile@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > > I have a query made by joining two subqueries where the outer query > > performing the join takes significantly longer to run than the two > > subqueries. > > Please show EXPLAIN ANALYZE results, not just EXPLAIN. > Also, have you analyzed your tables recently? > > regards, tom lane