diff --git a/components/core/src/Grep.cpp b/components/core/src/Grep.cpp
index b786796c9..1b68cac14 100644
--- a/components/core/src/Grep.cpp
+++ b/components/core/src/Grep.cpp
@@ -487,17 +487,17 @@ SubQueryMatchabilityResult generate_logtypes_and_vars_for_subquery(
     return SubQueryMatchabilityResult::MayMatch;
 }
 
-bool Grep::process_raw_query(
+std::optional<Query> Grep::process_raw_query(
         Archive const& archive,
         string const& search_string,
         epochtime_t search_begin_ts,
         epochtime_t search_end_ts,
         bool ignore_case,
-        Query& query,
         log_surgeon::lexers::ByteLexer& forward_lexer,
         log_surgeon::lexers::ByteLexer& reverse_lexer,
         bool use_heuristic
 ) {
+    Query query;
     // Set properties which require no processing
     query.set_search_begin_timestamp(search_begin_ts);
     query.set_search_end_timestamp(search_end_ts);
@@ -558,11 +558,11 @@ bool Grep::process_raw_query(
     // - (token1 as logtype) (token2 as var)
     // - (token1 as var) (token2 as logtype)
     // - (token1 as var) (token2 as var)
-    SubQuery sub_query;
+    vector<SubQuery> sub_queries;
     string logtype;
     bool type_of_one_token_changed = true;
     while (type_of_one_token_changed) {
-        sub_query.clear();
+        SubQuery sub_query;
 
         // Compute logtypes and variables for query
         auto matchability = generate_logtypes_and_vars_for_subquery(
@@ -579,9 +579,9 @@ bool Grep::process_raw_query(
 
                 // Since other sub-queries will be superceded by this one, we can stop processing
                 // now
-                return true;
+                return query;
             case SubQueryMatchabilityResult::MayMatch:
-                query.add_sub_query(sub_query);
+                sub_queries.push_back(std::move(sub_query));
                 break;
             case SubQueryMatchabilityResult::WontMatch:
             default:
@@ -599,7 +599,12 @@ bool Grep::process_raw_query(
         }
     }
 
-    return query.contains_sub_queries();
+    if (sub_queries.empty()) {
+        return std::nullopt;
+    }
+
+    query.set_sub_queries(std::move(sub_queries));
+    return query;
 }
 
 bool Grep::get_bounds_of_next_potential_var(
diff --git a/components/core/src/Grep.hpp b/components/core/src/Grep.hpp
index ea032623f..170a090f6 100644
--- a/components/core/src/Grep.hpp
+++ b/components/core/src/Grep.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef GREP_HPP
 #define GREP_HPP
 
+#include <optional>
 #include <string>
 
 #include <log_surgeon/Lexer.hpp>
@@ -35,19 +36,17 @@ class Grep {
      * @param search_begin_ts
      * @param search_end_ts
      * @param ignore_case
-     * @param query
      * @param forward_lexer DFA for determining if input is in the schema
      * @param reverse_lexer DFA for determining if reverse of input is in the schema
      * @param use_heuristic
-     * @return true if query may match messages, false otherwise
+     * @return Query if it may match a message, std::nullopt otherwise
      */
-    static bool process_raw_query(
+    static std::optional<Query> process_raw_query(
             streaming_archive::reader::Archive const& archive,
             std::string const& search_string,
             epochtime_t search_begin_ts,
             epochtime_t search_end_ts,
             bool ignore_case,
-            Query& query,
             log_surgeon::lexers::ByteLexer& forward_lexer,
             log_surgeon::lexers::ByteLexer& reverse_lexer,
             bool use_heuristic
diff --git a/components/core/src/Query.cpp b/components/core/src/Query.cpp
index 12faded99..4611d6ebf 100644
--- a/components/core/src/Query.cpp
+++ b/components/core/src/Query.cpp
@@ -176,12 +176,14 @@ void Query::set_search_string(string const& search_string) {
     m_search_string_matches_all = (m_search_string.empty() || "*" == m_search_string);
 }
 
-void Query::add_sub_query(SubQuery const& sub_query) {
-    m_sub_queries.push_back(sub_query);
+void Query::set_sub_queries(std::vector<SubQuery> sub_queries) {
+    m_sub_queries = std::move(sub_queries);
 
-    // Add to relevant sub-queries if necessary
-    if (sub_query.get_ids_of_matching_segments().count(m_prev_segment_id)) {
-        m_relevant_sub_queries.push_back(&m_sub_queries.back());
+    for (auto& sub_query : m_sub_queries) {
+        // Add to relevant sub-queries if necessary
+        if (sub_query.get_ids_of_matching_segments().count(m_prev_segment_id)) {
+            m_relevant_sub_queries.push_back(&sub_query);
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/components/core/src/Query.hpp b/components/core/src/Query.hpp
index 398ad3f53..c2b8d76b1 100644
--- a/components/core/src/Query.hpp
+++ b/components/core/src/Query.hpp
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class Query {
     void set_ignore_case(bool ignore_case) { m_ignore_case = ignore_case; }
 
     void set_search_string(std::string const& search_string);
-    void add_sub_query(SubQuery const& sub_query);
+    void set_sub_queries(std::vector<SubQuery> sub_queries);
     void clear_sub_queries();
     /**
      * Populates the set of relevant sub-queries with only those that match the given segment
diff --git a/components/core/src/clg/clg.cpp b/components/core/src/clg/clg.cpp
index e53ead9a3..0aed740b8 100644
--- a/components/core/src/clg/clg.cpp
+++ b/components/core/src/clg/clg.cpp
@@ -206,22 +206,21 @@ static bool search(
         std::set<segment_id_t> ids_of_segments_to_search;
         bool is_superseding_query = false;
         for (auto const& search_string : search_strings) {
-            Query query;
-            if (Grep::process_raw_query(
-                        archive,
-                        search_string,
-                        search_begin_ts,
-                        search_end_ts,
-                        command_line_args.ignore_case(),
-                        query,
-                        forward_lexer,
-                        reverse_lexer,
-                        use_heuristic
-                ))
-            {
+            auto query_processing_result = Grep::process_raw_query(
+                    archive,
+                    search_string,
+                    search_begin_ts,
+                    search_end_ts,
+                    command_line_args.ignore_case(),
+                    forward_lexer,
+                    reverse_lexer,
+                    use_heuristic
+            );
+            if (query_processing_result.has_value()) {
+                auto& query = query_processing_result.value();
                 no_queries_match = false;
 
-                if (query.contains_sub_queries() == false) {
+                if (false == query.contains_sub_queries()) {
                     // Search string supersedes all other possible search strings
                     is_superseding_query = true;
                     // Remove existing queries since they are superseded by this one
diff --git a/components/core/src/clo/clo.cpp b/components/core/src/clo/clo.cpp
index 02dd1c2b1..7ddb6a893 100644
--- a/components/core/src/clo/clo.cpp
+++ b/components/core/src/clo/clo.cpp
@@ -260,23 +260,21 @@ static bool search_archive(
     auto search_begin_ts = command_line_args.get_search_begin_ts();
     auto search_end_ts = command_line_args.get_search_end_ts();
 
-    Query query;
-    if (false
-        == Grep::process_raw_query(
-                archive_reader,
-                command_line_args.get_search_string(),
-                search_begin_ts,
-                search_end_ts,
-                command_line_args.ignore_case(),
-                query,
-                *forward_lexer,
-                *reverse_lexer,
-                use_heuristic
-        ))
-    {
+    auto query_processing_result = Grep::process_raw_query(
+            archive_reader,
+            command_line_args.get_search_string(),
+            search_begin_ts,
+            search_end_ts,
+            command_line_args.ignore_case(),
+            *forward_lexer,
+            *reverse_lexer,
+            use_heuristic
+    );
+    if (false == query_processing_result.has_value()) {
         return true;
     }
 
+    auto& query = query_processing_result.value();
     // Get all segments potentially containing query results
     std::set<segment_id_t> ids_of_segments_to_search;
     for (auto& sub_query : query.get_sub_queries()) {