diff --git a/pkg/traceql/ast_execute.go b/pkg/traceql/ast_execute.go
index de434e3cd55..0ee6ad0c87c 100644
--- a/pkg/traceql/ast_execute.go
+++ b/pkg/traceql/ast_execute.go
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ func (o *BinaryOperation) execute(span Span) (Static, error) {
 	}
 
 	if recording {
-		o.b.Finish(0)
+		o.b.Finish(leftBranch)
 	}
 
 	// Look for cases where we don't even need to evalulate the RHS
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ func (o *BinaryOperation) execute(span Span) (Static, error) {
 	}
 
 	if recording {
-		o.b.Finish(1)
+		o.b.Finish(rightBranch)
 	}
 
 	// Ensure the resolved types are still valid
@@ -449,39 +449,40 @@ func (o *BinaryOperation) execute(span Span) (Static, error) {
 		rhsB, _ := rhs.Bool()
 
 		if recording {
-			if done := o.b.Sampled(); done {
-				if o.b.OptimalBranch() == 1 {
-					// RHS is the optimal starting branch,
-					// so swap the elements now.
-					o.LHS, o.RHS = o.RHS, o.LHS
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		switch o.Op {
-		case OpAnd:
-			if recording {
+			switch o.Op {
+			case OpAnd:
 				if !lhsB {
 					// Record cost of wasted rhs execution
-					o.b.Penalize(1)
+					o.b.Penalize(rightBranch)
 				}
 				if !rhsB {
 					// Record cost of wasted lhs execution
-					o.b.Penalize(0)
+					o.b.Penalize(leftBranch)
 				}
-			}
-			return NewStaticBool(lhsB && rhsB), nil
-		case OpOr:
-			if recording {
+			case OpOr:
 				if rhsB {
 					// Record cost of wasted lhs execution
-					o.b.Penalize(0)
+					o.b.Penalize(rightBranch)
 				}
 				if lhsB {
 					// Record cost of wasated rhs execution
-					o.b.Penalize(1)
+					o.b.Penalize(leftBranch)
 				}
 			}
+
+			if done := o.b.Sampled(); done {
+				if o.b.OptimalBranch() == rightBranch {
+					// RHS is the optimal starting branch,
+					// so swap the elements now.
+					o.LHS, o.RHS = o.RHS, o.LHS
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		switch o.Op {
+		case OpAnd:
+			return NewStaticBool(lhsB && rhsB), nil
+		case OpOr:
 			return NewStaticBool(lhsB || rhsB), nil
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/traceql/util.go b/pkg/traceql/util.go
index cd4890a5dea..90a982d2cd2 100644
--- a/pkg/traceql/util.go
+++ b/pkg/traceql/util.go
@@ -84,6 +84,11 @@ func (b *bucketSet) addAndTest(i int) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+const (
+	leftBranch  = 0
+	rightBranch = 1
+)
+
 type branchOptimizer struct {
 	start            time.Time
 	last             []time.Duration