diff --git a/cmd/mockbackend/testcases/consolidateBy/consolidateBy.yaml b/cmd/mockbackend/testcases/consolidateBy/consolidateBy.yaml
index 654bfadec..997b89a61 100644
--- a/cmd/mockbackend/testcases/consolidateBy/consolidateBy.yaml
+++ b/cmd/mockbackend/testcases/consolidateBy/consolidateBy.yaml
@@ -66,7 +66,19 @@ test:
               URL: "/render?format=json&target=consolidateBy(metric*, 'somefunc')&maxDataPoints=2"
               expectedResponse:
                   httpCode: 400
-                  contentType: "text/plain; charset=utf-8"  
+                  contentType: "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
+            - endpoint: "http://127.0.0.1:8081"
+              type: "GET"
+              URL: "/render?format=json&target=limit(metric*, 2)&maxDataPoints=2"
+              expectedResponse:
+                  httpCode: 200
+                  contentType: "application/json"
+            - endpoint: "http://127.0.0.1:8081"
+              type: "GET"
+              URL: "/render?format=json&target=consolidateBy(seriesByTag('name=rps', 'env=prod'), 'sum')&maxDataPoints=2"
+              expectedResponse:
+                  httpCode: 200
+                  contentType: "application/json"    
                
 
 listeners:
diff --git a/expr/expr.go b/expr/expr.go
index 77ef43625..1fba2faec 100644
--- a/expr/expr.go
+++ b/expr/expr.go
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ func (eval Evaluator) Fetch(ctx context.Context, exprs []parser.Expr, from, unti
 				Until:  fetchRequest.StopTime,
 			}
 
-			if eval.passFunctionsToBackend {
+			if eval.passFunctionsToBackend && m.ConsolidationFunc != "" {
 				if _, ok := consolidateBy.ValidAggregateFunctions[m.ConsolidationFunc]; !ok {
-					return nil, merry.WithMessagef(parser.ErrInvalidArg, "invalid consolidateBy argument: %s", m.ConsolidationFunc)
+					return nil, merry.WithMessagef(parser.ErrInvalidArg, "invalid consolidateBy argument: '%s'", m.ConsolidationFunc)
 				}
 				fetchRequest.FilterFunctions = append(fetchRequest.FilterFunctions, &pb.FilteringFunction{
 					Name:      "consolidateBy",