diff --git a/python/valis/db/queries.py b/python/valis/db/queries.py
index 0590682..2275d06 100644
--- a/python/valis/db/queries.py
+++ b/python/valis/db/queries.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import astropy.units as u
 import deepmerge
 import peewee
+from peewee import Case
 from astropy.coordinates import SkyCoord
 from sdssdb.peewee.sdss5db import apogee_drpdb as apo
 from sdssdb.peewee.sdss5db import boss_drp as boss
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@
 
 
 def append_pipes(query: peewee.ModelSelect, table: str = 'stacked',
-                 observed: bool = True) -> peewee.ModelSelect:
+                 observed: bool = True, release: str = None) -> peewee.ModelSelect:
     """ Joins a query to the SDSSidToPipes table
 
     Joines an existing query to the SDSSidToPipes table and returns
@@ -77,6 +78,27 @@ def append_pipes(query: peewee.ModelSelect, table: str = 'stacked',
     if observed:
         qq = qq.where(vizdb.SDSSidToPipes.has_been_observed == observed)
 
+    if release:
+        # get the release
+        rel = vizdb.Releases.select().where(vizdb.Releases.release==release).first()
+
+        # if a release has no cutoff info, then force the cutoff to 0, query will return nothing
+        # to fix this we want mjd cutoffs by survey for all older releases
+        if not rel.mjd_cutoff_apo and not rel.mjd_cutoff_lco:
+            rel.mjd_cutoff_apo = 0
+            rel.mjd_cutoff_lco = 0
+
+        # create the mjd cutoff condition
+        qq = qq.where(vizdb.SDSSidToPipes.mjd <= Case(
+            vizdb.SDSSidToPipes.obs,
+            (
+                ('apo', rel.mjd_cutoff_apo),
+                ('lco', rel.mjd_cutoff_lco)
+            ),
+            None
+            )
+        )
+
     return qq
 
 
diff --git a/python/valis/routes/query.py b/python/valis/routes/query.py
index 866430c..cdb5171 100644
--- a/python/valis/routes/query.py
+++ b/python/valis/routes/query.py
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ async def main_search(self, body: SearchModel):
 
         # append query to pipes
         if query:
-            query = append_pipes(query, observed=body.observed)
+            query = append_pipes(query, observed=body.observed, release=self.release)
 
         # query iterator
         res = query.dicts().iterator() if query else []
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ async def cone_search(self,
         """ Perform a cone search """
 
         res = cone_search(ra, dec, radius, units=units)
-        r = append_pipes(res, observed=observed)
+        r = append_pipes(res, observed=observed, release=self.release)
         # return sorted by distance
         # doing this here due to the append_pipes distinct
         return sorted(r.dicts().iterator(), key=lambda x: x['distance'])