diff --git a/rerun_py/src/dataframe.rs b/rerun_py/src/dataframe.rs
index 1e62658efb62..4a6e9650a3ab 100644
--- a/rerun_py/src/dataframe.rs
+++ b/rerun_py/src/dataframe.rs
@@ -523,17 +523,35 @@ impl PyRecordingView {
 
         let query_handle = engine.query(query_expression);
 
+        // If the only contents found are static, we might need to warn the user since
+        // this means we won't naturally have any rows in the result.
         let available_data_columns = query_handle
             .view_contents()
             .iter()
             .filter(|c| matches!(c, ColumnDescriptor::Component(_)))
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
+        // We only consider all contents static if there at least some columns
+        let all_contents_are_static = !available_data_columns.is_empty()
+            && available_data_columns.iter().all(|c| c.is_static());
+
+        // Additionally, we only want to warn if the user actually tried to select some
+        // of the static columns. Otherwise the fact that there are no results shouldn't
+        // be surprising.
+        let selected_data_columns = query_handle
+            .selected_contents()
+            .iter()
+            .map(|(_, col)| col)
+            .filter(|c| matches!(c, ColumnDescriptor::Component(_)))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+        let any_selected_data_is_static = selected_data_columns.iter().any(|c| c.is_static());
+
         if self.query_expression.using_index_values.is_none()
-            && !available_data_columns.is_empty()
-            && available_data_columns.iter().all(|c| c.is_static())
+            && all_contents_are_static
+            && any_selected_data_is_static
         {
-            py_rerun_warn("RecordingView::select: contents only include static columns. No results will be returned. Either include non-static data or consider using `select_static()` instead.")?;
+            py_rerun_warn("RecordingView::select: tried to select static data, but no non-static contents generated an index value on this timeline. No results will be returned. Either include non-static data or consider using `select_static()` instead.")?;
         }
 
         let schema = query_handle.schema();