diff --git a/columnar/src/column/mod.rs b/columnar/src/column/mod.rs
index d64543bd0..8232c0dbc 100644
--- a/columnar/src/column/mod.rs
+++ b/columnar/src/column/mod.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ pub use serialize::{
 use crate::column_index::ColumnIndex;
 use crate::column_values::monotonic_mapping::StrictlyMonotonicMappingToInternal;
 use crate::column_values::{monotonic_map_column, ColumnValues};
-use crate::{Cardinality, DocId, MonotonicallyMappableToU64, RowId};
+use crate::{Cardinality, DocId, EmptyColumnValues, MonotonicallyMappableToU64, RowId};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Column<T = u64> {
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ pub struct Column<T = u64> {
     pub values: Arc<dyn ColumnValues<T>>,
 }
 
+impl<T: PartialOrd + Default> Column<T> {
+    pub fn build_empty_column(num_docs: u32) -> Column<T> {
+        Column {
+            idx: ColumnIndex::Empty { num_docs },
+            values: Arc::new(EmptyColumnValues),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T: MonotonicallyMappableToU64> Column<T> {
     pub fn to_u64_monotonic(self) -> Column<u64> {
         let values = Arc::new(monotonic_map_column(
diff --git a/columnar/src/column_values/mod.rs b/columnar/src/column_values/mod.rs
index f409805b5..923ba15ef 100644
--- a/columnar/src/column_values/mod.rs
+++ b/columnar/src/column_values/mod.rs
@@ -110,20 +110,26 @@ pub trait ColumnValues<T: PartialOrd = u64>: Send + Sync {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Returns the minimum value for this fast field.
+    /// Returns a lower bound for this column of values.
     ///
-    /// This min_value may not be exact.
-    /// For instance, the min value does not take in account of possible
-    /// deleted document. All values are however guaranteed to be higher than
-    /// `.min_value()`.
+    /// All values are guaranteed to be higher than `.min_value()`
+    /// but this value is not necessary the best boundary value.
+    ///
+    /// We have
+    /// ∀i < self.num_vals(), self.get_val(i) >= self.min_value()
+    /// But we don't have necessarily
+    /// ∃i < self.num_vals(), self.get_val(i) == self.min_value()
     fn min_value(&self) -> T;
 
-    /// Returns the maximum value for this fast field.
+    /// Returns an upper bound for this column of values.
     ///
-    /// This max_value may not be exact.
-    /// For instance, the max value does not take in account of possible
-    /// deleted document. All values are however guaranteed to be higher than
-    /// `.max_value()`.
+    /// All values are guaranteed to be lower than `.max_value()`
+    /// but this value is not necessary the best boundary value.
+    ///
+    /// We have
+    /// ∀i < self.num_vals(), self.get_val(i) <= self.max_value()
+    /// But we don't have necessarily
+    /// ∃i < self.num_vals(), self.get_val(i) == self.max_value()
     fn max_value(&self) -> T;
 
     /// The number of values in the column.
@@ -135,6 +141,27 @@ pub trait ColumnValues<T: PartialOrd = u64>: Send + Sync {
     }
 }
 
+/// Empty column of values.
+pub struct EmptyColumnValues;
+
+impl<T: PartialOrd + Default> ColumnValues<T> for EmptyColumnValues {
+    fn get_val(&self, _idx: u32) -> T {
+        panic!("Internal Error: Called get_val of empty column.")
+    }
+
+    fn min_value(&self) -> T {
+        T::default()
+    }
+
+    fn max_value(&self) -> T {
+        T::default()
+    }
+
+    fn num_vals(&self) -> u32 {
+        0
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T: Copy + PartialOrd + Debug> ColumnValues<T> for Arc<dyn ColumnValues<T>> {
     #[inline(always)]
     fn get_val(&self, idx: u32) -> T {
diff --git a/columnar/src/lib.rs b/columnar/src/lib.rs
index 59d1558ed..147ff67cb 100644
--- a/columnar/src/lib.rs
+++ b/columnar/src/lib.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ mod value;
 pub use block_accessor::ColumnBlockAccessor;
 pub use column::{BytesColumn, Column, StrColumn};
 pub use column_index::ColumnIndex;
-pub use column_values::{ColumnValues, MonotonicallyMappableToU128, MonotonicallyMappableToU64};
+pub use column_values::{
+    ColumnValues, EmptyColumnValues, MonotonicallyMappableToU128, MonotonicallyMappableToU64,
+};
 pub use columnar::{
     merge_columnar, ColumnType, ColumnarReader, ColumnarWriter, HasAssociatedColumnType,
     MergeRowOrder, ShuffleMergeOrder, StackMergeOrder,
diff --git a/src/aggregation/agg_req_with_accessor.rs b/src/aggregation/agg_req_with_accessor.rs
index 27a10ca88..430441e5b 100644
--- a/src/aggregation/agg_req_with_accessor.rs
+++ b/src/aggregation/agg_req_with_accessor.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 //! This will enhance the request tree with access to the fastfield and metadata.
 
-use std::sync::Arc;
-
-use columnar::{Column, ColumnBlockAccessor, ColumnType, ColumnValues, StrColumn};
+use columnar::{Column, ColumnBlockAccessor, ColumnType, StrColumn};
 
 use super::agg_req::{Aggregation, Aggregations, BucketAggregationType, MetricAggregation};
 use super::bucket::{
@@ -163,31 +161,11 @@ fn get_ff_reader_and_validate(
     let ff_fields = reader.fast_fields();
     let ff_field_with_type = ff_fields
         .u64_lenient_with_type(field_name)?
-        .unwrap_or_else(|| (build_empty_column(reader.num_docs()), ColumnType::U64));
-
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            (
+                Column::build_empty_column(reader.num_docs()),
+                ColumnType::U64,
+            )
+        });
     Ok(ff_field_with_type)
 }
-
-// Empty Column
-fn build_empty_column(num_docs: u32) -> Column {
-    struct EmptyValues;
-    impl ColumnValues for EmptyValues {
-        fn get_val(&self, _idx: u32) -> u64 {
-            unimplemented!("Internal Error: Called get_val of empty column.")
-        }
-        fn min_value(&self) -> u64 {
-            unimplemented!("Internal Error: Called min_value of empty column.")
-        }
-        fn max_value(&self) -> u64 {
-            unimplemented!("Internal Error: Called max_value of empty column.")
-        }
-        fn num_vals(&self) -> u32 {
-            0
-        }
-    }
-
-    Column {
-        idx: columnar::ColumnIndex::Empty { num_docs },
-        values: Arc::new(EmptyValues),
-    }
-}