diff --git a/packages/system/src/query-manager.ts b/packages/system/src/query-manager.ts
index f9021fa0..cc629401 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/query-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/query-manager.ts
@@ -133,35 +133,25 @@ export class QueryManager extends EventEmitter<QueryManagerEvents> {
     if (this.#system.requestRouter) {
       filters = this.#system.requestRouter.forAllRequest(filters);
     }
-    const expanded = filters.flatMap(a => this.#system.optimizer.expandFilter(a));
-    const qSend = this.#groupFlatByRelay(expanded);
-    qSend.forEach(a => (a.syncFrom = syncFrom));
-    await Promise.all(qSend.map(a => this.#sendToRelays(q, a)));
-  }
 
-  #groupFlatByRelay(filters: Array<FlatReqFilter>) {
-    const relayMerged = filters.reduce((acc, v) => {
-      const relay = v.relay ?? "";
-      // delete relay from filter
-      delete v.relay;
-      const existing = acc.get(relay);
-      if (existing) {
-        existing.push(v);
-      } else {
-        acc.set(relay, [v]);
-      }
-      return acc;
-    }, new Map<string, Array<FlatReqFilter>>());
-
-    const ret = [];
-    for (const [k, v] of relayMerged.entries()) {
-      const filters = this.#system.optimizer.flatMerge(v);
-      ret.push({
+    const compressed = this.#system.optimizer.compress(filters).reduce(
+      (acc, v) => {
+        for (const r of v.relays ?? [""]) {
+          acc[r] ??= [];
+          acc[r].push(v);
+        }
+        return acc;
+      },
+      {} as Record<string, Array<ReqFilter>>,
+    );
+    const qSend = Object.entries(compressed).map(([k, v]) => {
+      return {
         relay: k,
-        filters,
-      } as BuiltRawReqFilter);
-    }
-    return ret;
+        filters: v,
+        syncFrom,
+      } as BuiltRawReqFilter;
+    });
+    await Promise.all(qSend.map(a => this.#sendToRelays(q, a)));
   }
 
   async #sendToRelays(q: Query, qSend: BuiltRawReqFilter) {
diff --git a/packages/system/src/query.ts b/packages/system/src/query.ts
index ce9004af..9ab506ea 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/query.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/query.ts
@@ -424,7 +424,10 @@ export class Query extends EventEmitter<QueryEvents> {
       : this.#setupNewTrace(c, q);
 
     //always replace filters array
-    qt.filters = [...q.filters];
+    qt.filters = q.filters.map(a => {
+      delete a["relays"];
+      return a;
+    });
 
     if (q.syncFrom !== undefined) {
       c.request(["SYNC", qt.id, q.syncFrom, ...qt.filters], () => qt.sentToRelay());