diff --git a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.test.ts b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.test.ts
index 4c28f2003a986..12b14bb6f1a32 100644
--- a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.test.ts
@@ -344,6 +344,33 @@ describe('find', () => {
           ),
         });
       });
+
+      it('does not perform migrations when a partial document is requested by specifying no fields should be retrieved', async () => {
+        const noNamespaceSearchResults = generateIndexPatternSearchResults();
+        client.search.mockResolvedValueOnce(
+          elasticsearchClientMock.createSuccessTransportRequestPromise(noNamespaceSearchResults)
+        );
+        migrator.migrateDocument.mockImplementationOnce((doc) => ({ ...doc, migrated: true }));
+        await expect(
+          repository.find({
+            type,
+            fields: [], // don't return any fields
+          })
+        ).resolves.not.toHaveProperty('saved_objects.0.migrated');
+        expect(migrator.migrateDocument).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
+
+      it('does not perform migrations when a partial document is requested by specifying some fields', async () => {
+        const noNamespaceSearchResults = generateIndexPatternSearchResults();
+        client.search.mockResolvedValueOnce(
+          elasticsearchClientMock.createSuccessTransportRequestPromise(noNamespaceSearchResults)
+        );
+        migrator.migrateDocument.mockImplementationOnce((doc) => ({ ...doc, migrated: true }));
+        await expect(repository.find({ type, fields: ['title'] })).resolves.not.toHaveProperty(
+          'saved_objects.0.migrated'
+        );
+        expect(migrator.migrateDocument).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
     });
 
     describe('search dsl', () => {
diff --git a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.ts b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.ts
index 1222425ac2150..40501a0d80a37 100644
--- a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.ts
+++ b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-api-server-internal/src/lib/apis/find.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   CheckAuthorizationResult,
   SavedObjectsRawDocSource,
   GetFindRedactTypeMapParams,
+  SavedObjectUnsanitizedDoc,
 } from '@kbn/core-saved-objects-server';
 import {
   DEFAULT_NAMESPACE_STRING,
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ export const performFind = async <T = unknown, A = unknown>(
     common: commonHelper,
     serializer: serializerHelper,
     migration: migrationHelper,
+    encryption: encryptionHelper,
   } = helpers;
   const { securityExtension, spacesExtension } = extensions;
   let namespaces!: string[];
@@ -266,13 +268,27 @@ export const performFind = async <T = unknown, A = unknown>(
   const migratedDocuments: Array<SavedObjectsFindResult<T>> = [];
   try {
     for (const savedObject of savedObjects) {
+      let migrated: SavedObjectUnsanitizedDoc | undefined;
       const { sort, score, ...rawObject } = savedObject;
-      const migrated = disableExtensions
-        ? migrationHelper.migrateStorageDocument(rawObject)
-        : await migrationHelper.migrateAndDecryptStorageDocument({
-            document: rawObject,
-            typeMap: redactTypeMap,
-          });
+
+      if (fields !== undefined) {
+        // If the fields argument is set, don't migrate.
+        // This document may only contains a subset of it's fields meaning the migration
+        // (transform and forwardCompatibilitySchema) is not guaranteed to succeed. We
+        // still try to decrypt/redact the fields that are present in the document.
+        migrated = await encryptionHelper.optionallyDecryptAndRedactSingleResult(
+          savedObject,
+          redactTypeMap
+        );
+      } else if (disableExtensions) {
+        migrated = migrationHelper.migrateStorageDocument(rawObject);
+      } else {
+        migrated = await migrationHelper.migrateAndDecryptStorageDocument({
+          document: rawObject,
+          typeMap: redactTypeMap,
+        });
+      }
+
       migratedDocuments.push({ ...migrated, sort, score } as SavedObjectsFindResult<T>);
     }
   } catch (error) {