diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force-inl.cuh b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force-inl.cuh
index b0697dd6c7..3c15cf3959 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force-inl.cuh
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force-inl.cuh
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ index<T> build(raft::resources const& res,
  * @param[out] neighbors a device matrix view to the indices of the neighbors in the source dataset
  * [n_queries, k]
  * @param[out] distances a device matrix view to the distances to the selected neighbors [n_queries,
+ * k]
  * @param[in] query_norms Optional device_vector_view of precomputed query norms
  */
 template <typename T, typename IdxT>
diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force_batch_k_query.cuh b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force_batch_k_query.cuh
index 5ea299c7b4..738cab9e48 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force_batch_k_query.cuh
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/brute_force_batch_k_query.cuh
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ class batch_k_query {
     iterator(const batch_k_query<T, IdxT>* query, int64_t offset = 0)
       : current(query->res, 0, 0), batches(query->res, 0, 0), query(query), offset(offset)
     {
-      load_batches();
-      slice_current_batch();
+      load_batches(query->batch_size);
+      slice_current_batch(offset, query->batch_size);
     }
 
     reference operator*() const { return current; }
@@ -155,9 +155,7 @@ class batch_k_query {
 
     iterator& operator++()
     {
-      offset = std::min(offset + query->batch_size, query->index.size());
-      if (offset + query->batch_size > current_batch_size) { load_batches(); }
-      slice_current_batch();
+      advance(query->batch_size);
       return *this;
     }
 
@@ -168,6 +166,13 @@ class batch_k_query {
       return previous;
     }
 
+    void advance(int64_t next_batch_size)
+    {
+      offset = std::min(offset + current.indices().extent(1), query->index.size());
+      if (offset + next_batch_size > current_batch_size) { load_batches(next_batch_size); }
+      slice_current_batch(offset, next_batch_size);
+    }
+
     friend bool operator==(const iterator& lhs, const iterator& rhs)
     {
       return (lhs.query == rhs.query) && (lhs.offset == rhs.offset);
@@ -175,23 +180,22 @@ class batch_k_query {
     friend bool operator!=(const iterator& lhs, const iterator& rhs) { return !(lhs == rhs); };
 
    protected:
-    void load_batches()
+    void load_batches(int64_t next_batch_size)
     {
       if (offset >= query->index.size()) { return; }
 
       // we're aiming to load multiple batches here - since we don't know the max iteration
       // grow the size we're loading exponentially
-      int64_t batch_size =
-        std::min(std::max(offset * 2, query->batch_size * 2), query->index.size());
-      batches = batch(query->res, query->query.extent(0), batch_size);
+      int64_t batch_size = std::min(std::max(offset * 2, next_batch_size * 2), query->index.size());
+      batches            = batch(query->res, query->query.extent(0), batch_size);
       query->load_batch(batches);
       current_batch_size = batch_size;
     }
 
-    void slice_current_batch()
+    void slice_current_batch(int64_t offset, int64_t batch_size)
     {
       auto num_queries = batches.indices_.extent(0);
-      auto batch_size  = std::min(query->batch_size, query->index.size() - offset);
+      batch_size       = std::min(batch_size, query->index.size() - offset);
       current          = batch(query->res, num_queries, batch_size);
 
       if (!num_queries || !batch_size) { return; }
diff --git a/cpp/test/neighbors/tiled_knn.cu b/cpp/test/neighbors/tiled_knn.cu
index c70d904229..d0d56cea3b 100644
--- a/cpp/test/neighbors/tiled_knn.cu
+++ b/cpp/test/neighbors/tiled_knn.cu
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ class TiledKNNTest : public ::testing::TestWithParam<TiledKNNInputs> {
                                                            distances.data_handle(),
                                                            batch.distances().data_handle(),
                                                            num_queries,
-                                                           batch.indices().extent(1),
+                                                           batch_size,
                                                            float(0.001),
                                                            stream_,
                                                            true));
@@ -246,6 +246,39 @@ class TiledKNNTest : public ::testing::TestWithParam<TiledKNNInputs> {
         offset += batch_size;
         if (offset + batch_size > all_size) break;
       }
+
+      // also test out with variable batch sizes
+      offset             = 0;
+      int64_t batch_size = k_;
+      batch_k_query<T, int> query(handle_, idx, query_view, batch_size);
+      for (auto it = query.begin(); it != query.end(); it.advance(batch_size)) {
+        // batch_size could be less than requested (in the case of final batch). handle.
+        ASSERT_TRUE(it->indices().extent(1) <= batch_size);
+        batch_size = it->indices().extent(1);
+
+        auto indices   = raft::make_device_matrix<int, int64_t>(handle_, num_queries, batch_size);
+        auto distances = raft::make_device_matrix<T, int64_t>(handle_, num_queries, batch_size);
+
+        matrix::slice_coordinates<int64_t> coords{0, offset, num_queries, offset + batch_size};
+        matrix::slice(handle_, raft::make_const_mdspan(all_indices.view()), indices.view(), coords);
+        matrix::slice(
+          handle_, raft::make_const_mdspan(all_distances.view()), distances.view(), coords);
+
+        ASSERT_TRUE(raft::spatial::knn::devArrMatchKnnPair(indices.data_handle(),
+                                                           it->indices().data_handle(),
+                                                           distances.data_handle(),
+                                                           it->distances().data_handle(),
+                                                           num_queries,
+                                                           batch_size,
+                                                           float(0.001),
+                                                           stream_,
+                                                           true));
+
+        offset += batch_size;
+        if (offset + batch_size > all_size) break;
+
+        batch_size += 2;
+      }
     }
   }