diff --git a/frontend/src/queries/schema.json b/frontend/src/queries/schema.json
index fb40ba56fdea5..fe899331ffbcc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/queries/schema.json
+++ b/frontend/src/queries/schema.json
@@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@
             "description": "HogQL Query Options are automatically set per team. However, they can be overriden in the query.",
             "properties": {
                 "personsArgMaxVersion": {
-                    "enum": ["v1", "v2"],
+                    "enum": ["auto", "v1", "v2"],
                     "type": "string"
                 },
                 "personsOnEventsMode": {
diff --git a/frontend/src/queries/schema.ts b/frontend/src/queries/schema.ts
index 6d0168d21f1fd..228233e9fba45 100644
--- a/frontend/src/queries/schema.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/queries/schema.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export interface DataNode extends Node {
 /** HogQL Query Options are automatically set per team. However, they can be overriden in the query. */
 export interface HogQLQueryModifiers {
     personsOnEventsMode?: 'disabled' | 'v1_enabled' | 'v2_enabled'
-    personsArgMaxVersion?: 'v1' | 'v2'
+    personsArgMaxVersion?: 'auto' | 'v1' | 'v2'
 }
 
 export interface HogQLQueryResponse {
diff --git a/posthog/api/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr b/posthog/api/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr
index ff86c6ab812ad..05501e8c5ac45 100644
--- a/posthog/api/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr
+++ b/posthog/api/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr
@@ -354,12 +354,15 @@
      GROUP BY person_distinct_id2.distinct_id
      HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person_distinct_id2.is_deleted, person_distinct_id2.version), 0), 0)) AS events__pdi ON equals(events.distinct_id, events__pdi.distinct_id)
   INNER JOIN
-    (SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, 'email'), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___email,
-            person.id AS id
+    (SELECT person.id,
+            replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, 'email'), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___email
      FROM person
-     WHERE equals(person.team_id, 2)
-     GROUP BY person.id
-     HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS events__pdi__person ON equals(events__pdi.person_id, events__pdi__person.id)
+     WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 2), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version),
+                                                      (SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version
+                                                       FROM person
+                                                       WHERE equals(person.team_id, 2)
+                                                       GROUP BY person.id
+                                                       HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS events__pdi__person ON equals(events__pdi.person_id, events__pdi__person.id)
   WHERE and(equals(events.team_id, 2), ifNull(equals(events__pdi__person.properties___email, 'tom@posthog.com'), 0), less(toTimeZone(events.timestamp, 'UTC'), toDateTime64('2020-01-10 12:14:05.000000', 6, 'UTC')), greater(toTimeZone(events.timestamp, 'UTC'), toDateTime64('2020-01-09 12:14:00.000000', 6, 'UTC')))
   ORDER BY events.event ASC
   LIMIT 101
@@ -385,12 +388,15 @@
      GROUP BY person_distinct_id2.distinct_id
      HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person_distinct_id2.is_deleted, person_distinct_id2.version), 0), 0)) AS events__pdi ON equals(events.distinct_id, events__pdi.distinct_id)
   INNER JOIN
-    (SELECT argMax(nullIf(nullIf(person.pmat_email, ''), 'null'), person.version) AS properties___email,
-            person.id AS id
+    (SELECT person.id,
+            nullIf(nullIf(person.pmat_email, ''), 'null') AS properties___email
      FROM person
-     WHERE equals(person.team_id, 2)
-     GROUP BY person.id
-     HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS events__pdi__person ON equals(events__pdi.person_id, events__pdi__person.id)
+     WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 2), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version),
+                                                      (SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version
+                                                       FROM person
+                                                       WHERE equals(person.team_id, 2)
+                                                       GROUP BY person.id
+                                                       HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS events__pdi__person ON equals(events__pdi.person_id, events__pdi__person.id)
   WHERE and(equals(events.team_id, 2), ifNull(equals(events__pdi__person.properties___email, 'tom@posthog.com'), 0), less(toTimeZone(events.timestamp, 'UTC'), toDateTime64('2020-01-10 12:14:05.000000', 6, 'UTC')), greater(toTimeZone(events.timestamp, 'UTC'), toDateTime64('2020-01-09 12:14:00.000000', 6, 'UTC')))
   ORDER BY events.event ASC
   LIMIT 101
diff --git a/posthog/hogql/database/schema/persons.py b/posthog/hogql/database/schema/persons.py
index 4e853a55ef5b5..6df5513f316cf 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/database/schema/persons.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql/database/schema/persons.py
@@ -32,7 +32,16 @@
 
 
 def select_from_persons_table(requested_fields: Dict[str, List[str]], modifiers: HogQLQueryModifiers):
-    if modifiers.personsArgMaxVersion == PersonsArgMaxVersion.v2:
+    version = modifiers.personsArgMaxVersion
+    if version == PersonsArgMaxVersion.auto:
+        version = PersonsArgMaxVersion.v1
+        # If selecting properties, use the faster v2 query. Otherwise v1 is faster.
+        for field_chain in requested_fields.values():
+            if field_chain[0] == "properties":
+                version = PersonsArgMaxVersion.v2
+                break
+
+    if version == PersonsArgMaxVersion.v2:
         from posthog.hogql.parser import parse_select
         from posthog.hogql import ast
 
diff --git a/posthog/hogql/modifiers.py b/posthog/hogql/modifiers.py
index 36ad867fe49d2..3f3cd86b5f8f0 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/modifiers.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql/modifiers.py
@@ -17,6 +17,6 @@ def create_default_modifiers_for_team(
         modifiers.personsOnEventsMode = team.person_on_events_mode or PersonOnEventsMode.DISABLED
 
     if modifiers.personsArgMaxVersion is None:
-        modifiers.personsArgMaxVersion = "v1"
+        modifiers.personsArgMaxVersion = "auto"
 
     return modifiers
diff --git a/posthog/hogql/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr b/posthog/hogql/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr
index 41f301150f147..2f2faaf5bb33a 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr
+++ b/posthog/hogql/test/__snapshots__/test_query.ambr
@@ -54,11 +54,14 @@
   
   SELECT DISTINCT persons.properties___sneaky_mail 
   FROM (
-  SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___sneaky_mail, argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_1)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___random_uuid, person.id AS id 
+  SELECT person.id, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___sneaky_mail, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_1)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___random_uuid 
+  FROM person 
+  WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 420), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version), (
+  SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version 
   FROM person 
   WHERE equals(person.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person.id 
-  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) 
+  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) 
   SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS persons 
   WHERE ifNull(equals(persons.properties___random_uuid, %(hogql_val_2)s), 0) 
   LIMIT 100 
@@ -105,11 +108,14 @@
   WHERE equals(person_distinct_id2.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person_distinct_id2.distinct_id 
   HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person_distinct_id2.is_deleted, person_distinct_id2.version), 0), 0)) AS e__pdi ON equals(e.distinct_id, e__pdi.distinct_id) INNER JOIN (
-  SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___sneaky_mail, person.id AS id 
+  SELECT person.id, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___sneaky_mail 
+  FROM person 
+  WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 420), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version), (
+  SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version 
   FROM person 
   WHERE equals(person.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person.id 
-  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) 
+  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) 
   SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS e__pdi__person ON equals(e__pdi.person_id, e__pdi__person.id) 
   WHERE equals(e.team_id, 420) 
   LIMIT 10 
@@ -147,11 +153,14 @@
   WHERE equals(person_distinct_id2.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person_distinct_id2.distinct_id 
   HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person_distinct_id2.is_deleted, person_distinct_id2.version), 0), 0)) AS events__pdi ON equals(events.distinct_id, events__pdi.distinct_id) INNER JOIN (
-  SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___sneaky_mail, person.id AS id 
+  SELECT person.id, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___sneaky_mail 
+  FROM person 
+  WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 420), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version), (
+  SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version 
   FROM person 
   WHERE equals(person.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person.id 
-  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) 
+  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) 
   SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS events__pdi__person ON equals(events__pdi.person_id, events__pdi__person.id) 
   WHERE equals(events.team_id, 420) 
   LIMIT 10 
@@ -168,11 +177,14 @@
   WHERE equals(person_distinct_id2.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person_distinct_id2.distinct_id 
   HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person_distinct_id2.is_deleted, person_distinct_id2.version), 0), 0)) AS e__pdi ON equals(e.distinct_id, e__pdi.distinct_id) INNER JOIN (
-  SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___sneaky_mail, person.id AS id 
+  SELECT person.id, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___sneaky_mail 
+  FROM person 
+  WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 420), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version), (
+  SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version 
   FROM person 
   WHERE equals(person.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person.id 
-  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) 
+  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) 
   SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS e__pdi__person ON equals(e__pdi.person_id, e__pdi__person.id) 
   WHERE equals(e.team_id, 420) 
   LIMIT 10 
@@ -189,11 +201,14 @@
   WHERE equals(person_distinct_id2.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person_distinct_id2.distinct_id 
   HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person_distinct_id2.is_deleted, person_distinct_id2.version), 0), 0)) AS s__pdi ON equals(s.distinct_id, s__pdi.distinct_id) INNER JOIN (
-  SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___sneaky_mail, person.id AS id 
+  SELECT person.id, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___sneaky_mail 
+  FROM person 
+  WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 420), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version), (
+  SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version 
   FROM person 
   WHERE equals(person.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person.id 
-  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) 
+  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) 
   SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS s__pdi__person ON equals(s__pdi.person_id, s__pdi__person.id) 
   WHERE equals(s.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY s__pdi__person.properties___sneaky_mail 
@@ -221,11 +236,14 @@
   
   SELECT pdi.distinct_id, pdi__person.properties___sneaky_mail 
   FROM person_distinct_id2 AS pdi INNER JOIN (
-  SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___sneaky_mail, person.id AS id 
+  SELECT person.id, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___sneaky_mail 
+  FROM person 
+  WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 420), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version), (
+  SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version 
   FROM person 
   WHERE equals(person.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person.id 
-  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) 
+  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) 
   SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS pdi__person ON equals(pdi.person_id, pdi__person.id) 
   WHERE equals(pdi.team_id, 420) 
   LIMIT 10 
@@ -282,11 +300,14 @@
   WHERE equals(person_distinct_id2.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person_distinct_id2.distinct_id 
   HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person_distinct_id2.is_deleted, person_distinct_id2.version), 0), 0)) AS events__pdi ON equals(events.distinct_id, events__pdi.distinct_id) INNER JOIN (
-  SELECT argMax(replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', ''), person.version) AS properties___sneaky_mail, person.id AS id 
+  SELECT person.id, replaceRegexpAll(nullIf(nullIf(JSONExtractRaw(person.properties, %(hogql_val_0)s), ''), 'null'), '^"|"$', '') AS properties___sneaky_mail 
+  FROM person 
+  WHERE and(equals(person.team_id, 420), ifNull(in(tuple(person.id, person.version), (
+  SELECT person.id, max(person.version) AS version 
   FROM person 
   WHERE equals(person.team_id, 420) 
   GROUP BY person.id 
-  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0) 
+  HAVING ifNull(equals(argMax(person.is_deleted, person.version), 0), 0))), 0)) 
   SETTINGS optimize_aggregation_in_order=1) AS events__pdi__person ON equals(events__pdi.person_id, events__pdi__person.id) 
   WHERE equals(events.team_id, 420) 
   LIMIT 10 
diff --git a/posthog/hogql/test/test_modifiers.py b/posthog/hogql/test/test_modifiers.py
index b49a5da32cdfa..d6d0f0e64d101 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/test/test_modifiers.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql/test/test_modifiers.py
@@ -46,3 +46,28 @@ def test_modifiers_persons_argmax_version_v2(self):
         # Test (v2)
         response = execute_hogql_query(query, team=self.team, modifiers=HogQLQueryModifiers(personsArgMaxVersion="v2"))
         assert "in(tuple(person.id, person.version)" in response.clickhouse
+
+    def test_modifiers_persons_argmax_version_auto(self):
+        # Use the v2 query when selecting properties.x
+        response = execute_hogql_query(
+            "SELECT id, properties.$browser, is_identified FROM persons",
+            team=self.team,
+            modifiers=HogQLQueryModifiers(personsArgMaxVersion="auto"),
+        )
+        assert "in(tuple(person.id, person.version)" in response.clickhouse
+
+        # Use the v2 query when selecting properties
+        response = execute_hogql_query(
+            "SELECT id, properties FROM persons",
+            team=self.team,
+            modifiers=HogQLQueryModifiers(personsArgMaxVersion="auto"),
+        )
+        assert "in(tuple(person.id, person.version)" in response.clickhouse
+
+        # Use the v1 query when not selecting any properties
+        response = execute_hogql_query(
+            "SELECT id, is_identified FROM persons",
+            team=self.team,
+            modifiers=HogQLQueryModifiers(personsArgMaxVersion="auto"),
+        )
+        assert "in(tuple(person.id, person.version)" not in response.clickhouse
diff --git a/posthog/schema.py b/posthog/schema.py
index c9ff94a78654a..451a281d51a2b 100644
--- a/posthog/schema.py
+++ b/posthog/schema.py
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ class HogQLNotice(BaseModel):
 
 
 class PersonsArgMaxVersion(str, Enum):
+    auto = "auto"
     v1 = "v1"
     v2 = "v2"