diff --git a/pkg/distributor/query.go b/pkg/distributor/query.go
index d00815e6252..73610f6e089 100644
--- a/pkg/distributor/query.go
+++ b/pkg/distributor/query.go
@@ -206,20 +206,6 @@ type ingesterQueryResult struct {
 	chunkseriesBatches [][]ingester_client.TimeSeriesChunk
 	timeseriesBatches  [][]mimirpb.TimeSeries
 	streamingSeries    seriesChunksStream
-
-	// Retain responses owning referenced gRPC buffers, until they are freed.
-	responses []*ingester_client.QueryStreamResponse
-}
-
-func (r *ingesterQueryResult) addResponse(resp *ingester_client.QueryStreamResponse) {
-	r.responses = append(r.responses, resp)
-}
-
-func (r *ingesterQueryResult) freeBuffers() {
-	for _, resp := range r.responses {
-		resp.FreeBuffer()
-	}
-	r.responses = nil
 }
 
 // queryIngesterStream queries the ingesters using the gRPC streaming API.
@@ -229,7 +215,7 @@ func (d *Distributor) queryIngesterStream(ctx context.Context, replicationSets [
 
 	// queryIngester MUST call cancelContext once processing is completed in order to release resources. It's required
 	// by ring.DoMultiUntilQuorumWithoutSuccessfulContextCancellation() to properly release resources.
-	queryIngester := func(ctx context.Context, ing *ring.InstanceDesc, cancelContext context.CancelCauseFunc) (result ingesterQueryResult, err error) {
+	queryIngester := func(ctx context.Context, ing *ring.InstanceDesc, cancelContext context.CancelCauseFunc) (ingesterQueryResult, error) {
 		log, ctx := spanlogger.NewWithLogger(ctx, d.log, "Distributor.queryIngesterStream")
 		cleanup := func() {
 			log.Span.Finish()
@@ -248,10 +234,6 @@ func (d *Distributor) queryIngesterStream(ctx context.Context, replicationSets [
 
 				cleanup()
 			}
-
-			if err != nil {
-				result.freeBuffers()
-			}
 		}()
 
 		log.Span.SetTag("ingester_address", ing.Addr)
@@ -267,6 +249,8 @@ func (d *Distributor) queryIngesterStream(ctx context.Context, replicationSets [
 			return ingesterQueryResult{}, err
 		}
 
+		result := ingesterQueryResult{}
+
 		// Why retain the batches rather than iteratively build a single slice?
 		// If we iteratively build a single slice, we'll spend a lot of time copying elements as the slice grows beyond its capacity.
 		// So instead, we build the slice in one go once we know how many series we have.
@@ -274,8 +258,6 @@ func (d *Distributor) queryIngesterStream(ctx context.Context, replicationSets [
 		streamingSeriesCount := 0
 
 		for {
-			// XXX: Note that while we free responses' gRPC buffers on error, we don't do the same in case of success,
-			// as the combined response retains references to gRPC buffers.
 			resp, err := stream.Recv()
 			if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
 				// We will never get an EOF here from an ingester that is streaming chunks, so we don't need to do anything to set up streaming here.
@@ -284,8 +266,6 @@ func (d *Distributor) queryIngesterStream(ctx context.Context, replicationSets [
 				return ingesterQueryResult{}, err
 			}
 
-			result.addResponse(resp)
-
 			if len(resp.Timeseries) > 0 {
 				for _, series := range resp.Timeseries {
 					if limitErr := queryLimiter.AddSeries(series.Labels); limitErr != nil {