diff --git a/columnar/src/columnar/reader/mod.rs b/columnar/src/columnar/reader/mod.rs
index 7816a57330..f1936f846c 100644
--- a/columnar/src/columnar/reader/mod.rs
+++ b/columnar/src/columnar/reader/mod.rs
@@ -77,6 +77,19 @@ fn read_all_columns_in_stream(
     Ok(results)
 }
 
+fn column_dictionary_prefix_for_column_name(column_name: &str) -> String {
+    // Each column is a associated to a given `column_key`,
+    // that starts by `column_name\0column_header`.
+    //
+    // Listing the columns associated to the given column name is therefore equivalent to
+    // listing `column_key` with the prefix `column_name\0`.
+    format!("{}{}", column_name, '\0')
+}
+
+fn column_dictionary_prefix_for_subpath(root_path: &str) -> String {
+    format!("{}{}", root_path, JSON_PATH_SEGMENT_SEP as char)
+}
+
 impl ColumnarReader {
     /// Opens a new Columnar file.
     pub fn open<F>(file_slice: F) -> io::Result<ColumnarReader>
@@ -145,26 +158,14 @@ impl ColumnarReader {
         Ok(self.iter_columns()?.collect())
     }
 
-    fn stream_for_column_range(&self, column_name: &str) -> sstable::StreamerBuilder<RangeSSTable> {
-        // Each column is a associated to a given `column_key`,
-        // that starts by `column_name\0column_header`.
-        //
-        // Listing the columns associated to the given column name is therefore equivalent to
-        // listing `column_key` with the prefix `column_name\0`.
-        //
-        // This is in turn equivalent to searching for the range
-        // `[column_name,\0`..column_name\1)`.
-        let mut prefix = column_name.to_string();
-        prefix.push('\0');
-        self.column_dictionary.prefix_range(prefix.as_bytes())
-    }
-
     pub async fn read_columns_async(
         &self,
         column_name: &str,
     ) -> io::Result<Vec<DynamicColumnHandle>> {
+        let prefix = column_dictionary_prefix_for_column_name(column_name);
         let stream = self
-            .stream_for_column_range(column_name)
+            .column_dictionary
+            .prefix_range(prefix)
             .into_stream_async()
             .await?;
         read_all_columns_in_stream(stream, &self.column_data, self.format_version)
@@ -175,7 +176,21 @@ impl ColumnarReader {
     /// There can be more than one column associated to a given column name, provided they have
     /// different types.
     pub fn read_columns(&self, column_name: &str) -> io::Result<Vec<DynamicColumnHandle>> {
-        let stream = self.stream_for_column_range(column_name).into_stream()?;
+        let prefix = column_dictionary_prefix_for_column_name(column_name);
+        let stream = self.column_dictionary.prefix_range(prefix).into_stream()?;
+        read_all_columns_in_stream(stream, &self.column_data, self.format_version)
+    }
+
+    pub async fn read_subpath_columns_async(
+        &self,
+        root_path: &str,
+    ) -> io::Result<Vec<DynamicColumnHandle>> {
+        let prefix = column_dictionary_prefix_for_subpath(root_path);
+        let stream = self
+            .column_dictionary
+            .prefix_range(prefix)
+            .into_stream_async()
+            .await?;
         read_all_columns_in_stream(stream, &self.column_data, self.format_version)
     }
 
@@ -185,8 +200,7 @@ impl ColumnarReader {
     /// There can be more than one column associated to each path within the JSON structure,
     /// provided they have different types.
     pub fn read_subpath_columns(&self, root_path: &str) -> io::Result<Vec<DynamicColumnHandle>> {
-        let mut prefix = root_path.to_string();
-        prefix.push(JSON_PATH_SEGMENT_SEP as char);
+        let prefix = column_dictionary_prefix_for_subpath(root_path);
         let stream = self
             .column_dictionary
             .prefix_range(prefix.as_bytes())
diff --git a/src/fastfield/readers.rs b/src/fastfield/readers.rs
index f73f21e0d8..56bc87778c 100644
--- a/src/fastfield/readers.rs
+++ b/src/fastfield/readers.rs
@@ -281,6 +281,21 @@ impl FastFieldReaders {
         Ok(columns)
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub async fn list_subpath_dynamic_column_handles(
+        &self,
+        root_path: &str,
+    ) -> crate::Result<Vec<DynamicColumnHandle>> {
+        let Some(resolved_field_name) = self.resolve_field(root_path)? else {
+            return Ok(Vec::new());
+        };
+        let columns = self
+            .columnar
+            .read_subpath_columns_async(&resolved_field_name)
+            .await?;
+        Ok(columns)
+    }
+
     /// Returns the `u64` column used to represent any `u64`-mapped typed (String/Bytes term ids,
     /// i64, u64, f64, DateTime).
     ///
@@ -492,6 +507,15 @@ mod tests {
             .iter()
             .any(|column| column.column_type() == ColumnType::Str));
 
-        println!("*** {:?}", fast_fields.columnar().list_columns());
+        let json_columns = fast_fields.dynamic_column_handles("json").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(json_columns.len(), 0);
+
+        let json_subcolumns = fast_fields.dynamic_subpath_column_handles("json").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(json_subcolumns.len(), 3);
+
+        let foo_subcolumns = fast_fields
+            .dynamic_subpath_column_handles("json.foo")
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(foo_subcolumns.len(), 0);
     }
 }