diff --git a/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnSegmentCursor.ts b/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnSegmentCursor.ts
index 2990994e..550d0773 100644
--- a/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnSegmentCursor.ts
+++ b/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnSegmentCursor.ts
@@ -120,33 +120,71 @@ export class ColumnSegmentCursor {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Find the range of positions where values fall within [lo, hi].
-   *
-   * @param lo - Lower bound (inclusive)
-   * @param hi - Upper bound (inclusive)
-   * @returns Start (inclusive) and end (exclusive) positions
+   * First index whose value is >= target (textbook lower_bound).
+   * O(log n) over the sorted column.
    */
-  binarySearchRange(lo: number | string, hi: number | string): { startIdx: number, endIdx: number } {
-    const startResult = this.binarySearchValue(lo)
-    const startIdx = startResult.index
-
-    // Find the first position AFTER hi
+  private lowerBound(target: number | string): number {
     const isString = this.header.valueType === ValueType.String
-    let endLo = startIdx
-    let endHi = this.values.length
-    while (endLo < endHi) {
-      const mid = (endLo + endHi) >>> 1
+    let lo = 0
+    let hi = this.values.length
+    while (lo < hi) {
+      const mid = (lo + hi) >>> 1
       const cmp = isString
-        ? compareCodePoints(String(this.values[mid]), String(hi))
-        : (this.values[mid] as number) - (hi as number)
-      if (cmp <= 0) {
-        endLo = mid + 1
-      } else {
-        endHi = mid
-      }
+        ? compareCodePoints(String(this.values[mid]), String(target))
+        : (this.values[mid] as number) - (target as number)
+      if (cmp < 0) lo = mid + 1
+      else hi = mid
     }
+    return lo
+  }
 
-    return { startIdx, endIdx: endLo }
+  /**
+   * First index whose value is > target (textbook upper_bound).
+   * O(log n) over the sorted column.
+   */
+  private upperBound(target: number | string): number {
+    const isString = this.header.valueType === ValueType.String
+    let lo = 0
+    let hi = this.values.length
+    while (lo < hi) {
+      const mid = (lo + hi) >>> 1
+      const cmp = isString
+        ? compareCodePoints(String(this.values[mid]), String(target))
+        : (this.values[mid] as number) - (target as number)
+      if (cmp <= 0) lo = mid + 1
+      else hi = mid
+    }
+    return lo
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Find the range of positions where values fall within the bounds.
+   *
+   * @param lo - Lower bound
+   * @param hi - Upper bound
+   * @param includeMin - Include values equal to `lo` (default: true)
+   * @param includeMax - Include values equal to `hi` (default: true)
+   * @returns Start (inclusive) and end (exclusive) positions. When the bounds
+   *   collapse to empty (e.g. exclusive bounds on adjacent values, or lo > hi),
+   *   startIdx >= endIdx and the caller's loop yields nothing.
+   *
+   * The default (inclusive/inclusive) path is byte-identical to the previous
+   * implementation: lowerBound(lo) equals the old binarySearchValue(lo).index,
+   * and upperBound(hi) equals the old "first position after hi" scan.
+   */
+  binarySearchRange(
+    lo: number | string,
+    hi: number | string,
+    includeMin: boolean = true,
+    includeMax: boolean = true
+  ): { startIdx: number, endIdx: number } {
+    // startIdx: skip values strictly below the lower bound. Exclusive lower also
+    // skips values equal to `lo`, so it advances past the last == lo.
+    const startIdx = includeMin ? this.lowerBound(lo) : this.upperBound(lo)
+    // endIdx: first position to exclude. Inclusive upper keeps values == hi
+    // (stop after the last == hi); exclusive upper drops them (stop at first == hi).
+    const endIdx = includeMax ? this.upperBound(hi) : this.lowerBound(hi)
+    return { startIdx, endIdx }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -171,12 +209,19 @@ export class ColumnSegmentCursor {
   /**
    * Get all non-tombstoned entity IDs in a value range.
    *
-   * @param lo - Lower bound (inclusive)
-   * @param hi - Upper bound (inclusive)
+   * @param lo - Lower bound
+   * @param hi - Upper bound
+   * @param includeMin - Include values equal to `lo` (default: true)
+   * @param includeMax - Include values equal to `hi` (default: true)
    * @returns Array of matching entity int IDs
    */
-  getEntityIdsInRange(lo: number | string, hi: number | string): number[] {
-    const { startIdx, endIdx } = this.binarySearchRange(lo, hi)
+  getEntityIdsInRange(
+    lo: number | string,
+    hi: number | string,
+    includeMin: boolean = true,
+    includeMax: boolean = true
+  ): number[] {
+    const { startIdx, endIdx } = this.binarySearchRange(lo, hi, includeMin, includeMax)
     const result: number[] = []
     for (let i = startIdx; i < endIdx; i++) {
       if (!this.tombstones.has(i)) {
diff --git a/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnStore.ts b/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnStore.ts
index 0ef955f7..6c8a7d8b 100644
--- a/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnStore.ts
+++ b/src/indexes/columnStore/ColumnStore.ts
@@ -264,17 +264,42 @@ export class ColumnStore implements ColumnStoreProvider {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Range filter: find entities where field is within [min, max].
+   * Range filter: find entities where field is within the bounds.
+   *
+   * @param field - Field name to filter on
+   * @param min - Lower bound (undefined/null = unbounded below)
+   * @param max - Upper bound (undefined/null = unbounded above)
+   * @param includeMin - Include values equal to `min` (default: true). Lets
+   *   callers express strict `greaterThan` (exclusive lower) vs `gte`.
+   * @param includeMax - Include values equal to `max` (default: true). Lets
+   *   callers express strict `lessThan` (exclusive upper) vs `lte`.
    */
-  async rangeQuery(field: string, min?: unknown, max?: unknown): Promise<RoaringBitmap32> {
+  async rangeQuery(
+    field: string,
+    min?: unknown,
+    max?: unknown,
+    includeMin: boolean = true,
+    includeMax: boolean = true
+  ): Promise<RoaringBitmap32> {
     const result = new RoaringBitmap32()
     const cursors = await this.getSegmentCursors(field)
 
+    const hasMin = min !== undefined && min !== null
+    const hasMax = max !== undefined && max !== null
+
     for (const cursor of cursors) {
-      const lo = (min !== undefined && min !== null) ? min as number | string : cursor.minValue
-      const hi = (max !== undefined && max !== null) ? max as number | string : cursor.maxValue
+      const lo = hasMin ? min as number | string : cursor.minValue
+      const hi = hasMax ? max as number | string : cursor.maxValue
       if (lo === undefined || hi === undefined) continue
-      const ids = cursor.getEntityIdsInRange(lo, hi)
+      // Exclusivity applies only to an explicitly provided bound. A bound taken
+      // from the segment's own min/max is a real stored value and must stay
+      // inclusive, or the segment's boundary entities would be wrongly dropped.
+      const ids = cursor.getEntityIdsInRange(
+        lo,
+        hi,
+        hasMin ? includeMin : true,
+        hasMax ? includeMax : true
+      )
       for (const id of ids) result.add(id)
     }
 
@@ -282,9 +307,10 @@ export class ColumnStore implements ColumnStoreProvider {
     const tailCursor = this.getTailBufferCursor(field)
     if (tailCursor) {
       for (const entry of tailCursor.iterateForward()) {
-        const v = entry.value
-        const inRange = (min == null || v >= min) && (max == null || v <= max)
-        if (inRange) result.add(entry.entityIntId)
+        const v = entry.value as any
+        const loOk = !hasMin || (includeMin ? v >= (min as any) : v > (min as any))
+        const hiOk = !hasMax || (includeMax ? v <= (max as any) : v < (max as any))
+        if (loOk && hiOk) result.add(entry.entityIntId)
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/indexes/columnStore/types.ts b/src/indexes/columnStore/types.ts
index 58e1c4d6..a9f79059 100644
--- a/src/indexes/columnStore/types.ts
+++ b/src/indexes/columnStore/types.ts
@@ -212,14 +212,16 @@ export interface ColumnStoreProvider {
   filter(field: string, value: unknown): Promise<RoaringBitmap32>
 
   /**
-   * Range filter: find all entities where field is within [min, max].
+   * Range filter: find all entities where field is within the bounds.
    *
    * @param field - Field name to filter on
    * @param min - Lower bound (undefined = no lower bound)
    * @param max - Upper bound (undefined = no upper bound)
+   * @param includeMin - Include values equal to `min` (default: true; false = strict `greaterThan`)
+   * @param includeMax - Include values equal to `max` (default: true; false = strict `lessThan`)
    * @returns Roaring bitmap of matching entity int IDs
    */
-  rangeQuery(field: string, min?: unknown, max?: unknown): Promise<RoaringBitmap32>
+  rangeQuery(field: string, min?: unknown, max?: unknown, includeMin?: boolean, includeMax?: boolean): Promise<RoaringBitmap32>
 
   /**
    * Sort top-K: return the K entity int IDs with the highest or lowest
diff --git a/src/utils/metadataIndex.ts b/src/utils/metadataIndex.ts
index e66ad772..b246f8b5 100644
--- a/src/utils/metadataIndex.ts
+++ b/src/utils/metadataIndex.ts
@@ -1023,8 +1023,10 @@ export class MetadataIndexManager implements MetadataIndexProvider {
 
     // Column store path: O(log n) binary search on sorted column.
     // Use raw values (no normalization) — column store stores exact values.
+    // Thread includeMin/includeMax so strict lessThan/greaterThan stay strict
+    // (the column store is no longer inclusive-only).
     if (this.columnStore && this.columnStore.hasField(field)) {
-      const bitmap = await this.columnStore.rangeQuery(field, min, max)
+      const bitmap = await this.columnStore.rangeQuery(field, min, max, includeMin, includeMax)
       return this.idMapper.intsIterableToUuids(bitmap)
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/indexes/columnStore/column-store.test.ts b/tests/unit/indexes/columnStore/column-store.test.ts
index b9404fa6..c08198be 100644
--- a/tests/unit/indexes/columnStore/column-store.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/indexes/columnStore/column-store.test.ts
@@ -162,6 +162,79 @@ describe('ColumnStore', () => {
       expect(bitmap.has(ids[2])).toBe(false)
       expect(bitmap.has(ids[8])).toBe(false)
     })
+
+    // Exclusive-bound coverage — regression guard for the column-store bug where
+    // includeMin/includeMax were dropped, so strict greaterThan/lessThan silently
+    // behaved as gte/lte whenever the column store served the query.
+    const seedPrices = async (): Promise<number[]> => {
+      const ids: number[] = []
+      for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+        ids.push(idMapper.getOrAssign(`x${i}`))
+        store.addEntity(BigInt(ids[i]), { price: i * 10 }) // 0,10,...,90
+      }
+      await store.flush()
+      return ids
+    }
+
+    it('honors exclusive lower bound — greaterThan (30, 70]', async () => {
+      const ids = await seedPrices()
+      const bm = await store.rangeQuery('price', 30, 70, false, true)
+      // 40,50,60,70 → e4..e7 (30 excluded)
+      expect(bm.size).toBe(4)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[3])).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[4])).toBe(true)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[7])).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('honors exclusive upper bound — lessThan [30, 70)', async () => {
+      const ids = await seedPrices()
+      const bm = await store.rangeQuery('price', 30, 70, true, false)
+      // 30,40,50,60 → e3..e6 (70 excluded)
+      expect(bm.size).toBe(4)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[7])).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[3])).toBe(true)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[6])).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('honors both exclusive bounds — (30, 70)', async () => {
+      const ids = await seedPrices()
+      const bm = await store.rangeQuery('price', 30, 70, false, false)
+      // 40,50,60 → e4..e6
+      expect(bm.size).toBe(3)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[3])).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[7])).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[4])).toBe(true)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[6])).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('exclusive lower excludes ALL duplicates of the boundary value', async () => {
+      const a = idMapper.getOrAssign('dup_a'); store.addEntity(BigInt(a), { price: 30 })
+      const b = idMapper.getOrAssign('dup_b'); store.addEntity(BigInt(b), { price: 30 })
+      const c = idMapper.getOrAssign('dup_c'); store.addEntity(BigInt(c), { price: 30 })
+      const d = idMapper.getOrAssign('dup_d'); store.addEntity(BigInt(d), { price: 40 })
+      await store.flush()
+      const bm = await store.rangeQuery('price', 30, 100, false, true) // (30, 100]
+      expect(bm.has(a)).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(b)).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(c)).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(d)).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('honors exclusive bounds in the unflushed tail buffer', async () => {
+      // No flush → values live only in the tail buffer (separate code path from
+      // the persisted segment cursor).
+      const ids: number[] = []
+      for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+        ids.push(idMapper.getOrAssign(`tail${i}`))
+        store.addEntity(BigInt(ids[i]), { score: i * 10 }) // 0,10,20,30,40
+      }
+      const bm = await store.rangeQuery('score', 0, 40, false, false) // (0, 40)
+      expect(bm.size).toBe(3) // 10,20,30
+      expect(bm.has(ids[0])).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[4])).toBe(false)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[1])).toBe(true)
+      expect(bm.has(ids[3])).toBe(true)
+    })
   })
 
   // -----------------------------------------------------------------------