diff --git a/weed/query/engine/broker_client.go b/weed/query/engine/broker_client.go
index daac30794..1e52becb3 100644
--- a/weed/query/engine/broker_client.go
+++ b/weed/query/engine/broker_client.go
@@ -518,7 +518,13 @@ func (c *BrokerClient) GetUnflushedMessages(ctx context.Context, namespace, topi
 }
 
 // getEarliestBufferStart finds the earliest buffer_start index from disk files in the partition
-// This checks both live log files and Parquet files for the most precise deduplication
+//
+// This method handles three scenarios for seamless broker querying:
+// 1. Live log files exist: Uses their buffer_start metadata (most recent boundaries)
+// 2. Only Parquet files exist: Uses Parquet buffer_start metadata (preserved from archived sources)
+// 3. Mixed files: Uses earliest buffer_start from all sources for comprehensive coverage
+//
+// This ensures continuous real-time querying capability even after log file compaction/archival
 func (c *BrokerClient) getEarliestBufferStart(ctx context.Context, partitionPath string) (int64, error) {
 	filerClient, err := c.GetFilerClient()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -526,6 +532,8 @@ func (c *BrokerClient) getEarliestBufferStart(ctx context.Context, partitionPath
 	}
 
 	var earliestBufferIndex int64 = -1 // -1 means no buffer_start found
+	var logFileCount, parquetFileCount int
+	var bufferStartSources []string // Track which files provide buffer_start
 
 	err = filer_pb.ReadDirAllEntries(ctx, filerClient, util.FullPath(partitionPath), "", func(entry *filer_pb.Entry, isLast bool) error {
 		// Skip directories
@@ -533,17 +541,38 @@ func (c *BrokerClient) getEarliestBufferStart(ctx context.Context, partitionPath
 			return nil
 		}
 
+		// Count file types for scenario detection
+		if strings.HasSuffix(entry.Name, ".parquet") {
+			parquetFileCount++
+		} else {
+			logFileCount++
+		}
+
 		// Extract buffer_start from file extended attributes (both log files and parquet files)
 		bufferStart := c.getBufferStartFromEntry(entry)
 		if bufferStart != nil && bufferStart.StartIndex > 0 {
 			if earliestBufferIndex == -1 || bufferStart.StartIndex < earliestBufferIndex {
 				earliestBufferIndex = bufferStart.StartIndex
 			}
+			bufferStartSources = append(bufferStartSources, entry.Name)
 		}
 
 		return nil
 	})
 
+	// Debug: Show buffer_start determination logic in EXPLAIN mode
+	if isDebugMode(ctx) && len(bufferStartSources) > 0 {
+		if logFileCount == 0 && parquetFileCount > 0 {
+			fmt.Printf("Debug: Using Parquet buffer_start metadata (no log files) - sources: %v\n", bufferStartSources)
+		} else if logFileCount > 0 && parquetFileCount > 0 {
+			fmt.Printf("Debug: Using mixed sources for buffer_start - log files: %d, Parquet files: %d, sources: %v\n",
+				logFileCount, parquetFileCount, bufferStartSources)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("Debug: Using log file buffer_start metadata - sources: %v\n", bufferStartSources)
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("Debug: Earliest buffer_start index: %d\n", earliestBufferIndex)
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to scan partition directory: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/weed/query/engine/engine_test.go b/weed/query/engine/engine_test.go
index 1f0f844d3..505d53699 100644
--- a/weed/query/engine/engine_test.go
+++ b/weed/query/engine/engine_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package engine
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"testing"
@@ -1254,3 +1255,50 @@ func TestSQLEngine_LogBufferDeduplication_ServerRestartScenario(t *testing.T) {
 	// This demonstrates that buffer start indexes initialized with process start time
 	// prevent false positive duplicates across server restarts
 }
+
+func TestBrokerClient_ParquetBufferStartForBrokerQuery(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test scenario: getBufferStartFromEntry should handle both JSON and binary formats
+	// This tests the dual format support for buffer_start metadata
+	realBrokerClient := &BrokerClient{}
+
+	// Test binary format (Parquet files)
+	parquetEntry := &filer_pb.Entry{
+		Name:        "2025-01-07-14-30.parquet",
+		IsDirectory: false,
+		Extended: map[string][]byte{
+			"buffer_start": func() []byte {
+				// Binary format: 8-byte BigEndian
+				buf := make([]byte, 8)
+				binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(buf, uint64(2000001))
+				return buf
+			}(),
+		},
+	}
+
+	bufferStart := realBrokerClient.getBufferStartFromEntry(parquetEntry)
+	assert.NotNil(t, bufferStart)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(2000001), bufferStart.StartIndex, "Should parse binary buffer_start from Parquet file")
+
+	// Test JSON format (log files)
+	logEntry := &filer_pb.Entry{
+		Name:        "2025-01-07-14-30-45",
+		IsDirectory: false,
+		Extended: map[string][]byte{
+			"buffer_start": []byte(`{"start_index": 1500001}`),
+		},
+	}
+
+	bufferStart = realBrokerClient.getBufferStartFromEntry(logEntry)
+	assert.NotNil(t, bufferStart)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(1500001), bufferStart.StartIndex, "Should parse JSON buffer_start from log file")
+
+	// Test missing metadata
+	emptyEntry := &filer_pb.Entry{
+		Name:        "no-metadata",
+		IsDirectory: false,
+		Extended:    nil,
+	}
+
+	bufferStart = realBrokerClient.getBufferStartFromEntry(emptyEntry)
+	assert.Nil(t, bufferStart, "Should return nil for entry without buffer_start metadata")
+}