The present invention generally relates to data processing, and more specifically to executing queries against a partitioned database. One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method of managing execution of a query against a partitioned database having a plurality of data partitions. The method comprises receiving a query having conditional filtering logic to restrict the data records in the partitioned database to a result set satisfying the conditional filtering logic. On the basis of an indication that only a subset of the result set is to be returned, a subset of data partitions is determined from the plurality of data partitions from which the subset of the result set can be retrieved. Then, the query is executed only against the subset of data partitions.