diff --git a/lamindb/core/_django.py b/lamindb/core/_django.py
index 0e174e120..4c72dfa02 100644
--- a/lamindb/core/_django.py
+++ b/lamindb/core/_django.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from functools import reduce
+
 from django.contrib.postgres.aggregates import ArrayAgg
 from django.db import connection
 from django.db.models import F, OuterRef, Q, Subquery
@@ -81,15 +83,6 @@ def get_artifact_with_related(
                 id=F(f"{fk}__id"), name=F(f"{fk}__{name_field}")
             )
 
-    for name in m2m_relations:
-        related_model = get_related_model(model, name)
-        name_field = get_name_field(related_model)
-        annotations[f"m2mfield_{name}"] = ArrayAgg(
-            JSONObject(id=F(f"{name}__id"), name=F(f"{name}__{name_field}")),
-            filter=Q(**{f"{name}__isnull": False}),
-            distinct=True,
-        )
-
     for link in link_tables:
         link_model = getattr(model, link).rel.related_model
         if not hasattr(link_model, "feature"):
@@ -137,9 +130,7 @@ def get_artifact_with_related(
 
     related_data: dict = {"m2m": {}, "fk": {}, "link": {}, "featuresets": {}}
     for k, v in artifact_meta.items():
-        if k.startswith("m2mfield_"):
-            related_data["m2m"][k[9:]] = v
-        elif k.startswith("fkfield_"):
+        if k.startswith("fkfield_"):
             related_data["fk"][k[8:]] = v
         elif k.startswith("linkfield_"):
             related_data["link"][k[10:]] = v
@@ -149,11 +140,33 @@ def get_artifact_with_related(
                     artifact, {i["featureset"]: i["slot"] for i in v}
                 )
 
-    related_data["m2m"] = {
-        k: {item["id"]: item["name"] for item in v}
-        for k, v in related_data["m2m"].items()
-        if v
-    }
+    if len(m2m_relations) == 0:
+        m2m_any = False
+    else:
+        m2m_any_expr = reduce(
+            lambda a, b: a | b,
+            (Q(**{f"{m2m_name}__isnull": False}) for m2m_name in m2m_relations),
+        )
+        # this is needed to avoid querying all m2m relations even if they are all empty
+        # this checks if non-empty m2m relations are present in the record
+        m2m_any = (
+            model.objects.using(artifact._state.db)
+            .filter(uid=artifact.uid)
+            .filter(m2m_any_expr)
+            .exists()
+        )
+    if m2m_any:
+        m2m_data = related_data["m2m"]
+        for m2m_name in m2m_relations:
+            related_model = get_related_model(model, m2m_name)
+            name_field = get_name_field(related_model)
+            m2m_records = (
+                getattr(artifact, m2m_name).values_list("id", name_field).distinct()
+            )
+            for rec_id, rec_name in m2m_records:
+                if m2m_name not in m2m_data:
+                    m2m_data[m2m_name] = {}
+                m2m_data[m2m_name][rec_id] = rec_name
 
     return {
         **{name: artifact_meta[name] for name in ["id", "uid"]},
diff --git a/lamindb/core/_feature_manager.py b/lamindb/core/_feature_manager.py
index f07a3bb2a..43968e1e7 100644
--- a/lamindb/core/_feature_manager.py
+++ b/lamindb/core/_feature_manager.py
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ def describe_features(
             fs_data = _get_featuresets_postgres(self, related_data=related_data)
             for fs_id, (slot, data) in fs_data.items():
                 for registry_str, feature_names in data.items():
-                    feature_set = FeatureSet.get(id=fs_id)
+                    feature_set = FeatureSet.objects.using(self._state.db).get(id=fs_id)
                     feature_set_data[slot] = (feature_set, feature_names)
                     for feature_name in feature_names:
                         feature_data[feature_name] = (slot, registry_str)
@@ -492,7 +492,9 @@ def describe_features(
         for child in ext_features_tree_children:
             ext_features_tree.add(child)
     if with_labels:
-        labels_tree = describe_labels(self, as_subtree=True)
+        # avoid querying the db if the labels were queried already
+        labels_data = related_data.get("m2m") if related_data is not None else None
+        labels_tree = describe_labels(self, labels_data=labels_data, as_subtree=True)
         if labels_tree:
             tree.add(labels_tree)