diff --git a/storage/buffer.go b/storage/buffer.go
index b3c789e97..545b7ed14 100644
--- a/storage/buffer.go
+++ b/storage/buffer.go
@@ -316,35 +316,40 @@ func (r *sampleRing) iterator() *SampleRingIterator {
 // SampleRingIterator is returned by BufferedSeriesIterator.Buffer() and can be
 // used to iterate samples buffered in the lookback window.
 type SampleRingIterator struct {
-	r  *sampleRing
-	i  int
-	t  int64
-	f  float64
-	h  *histogram.Histogram
-	fh *histogram.FloatHistogram
+	r        *sampleRing
+	i        int
+	t        int64
+	f        float64
+	h        *histogram.Histogram
+	fh       *histogram.FloatHistogram
+	currType chunkenc.ValueType
 }
 
 func (it *SampleRingIterator) Next() chunkenc.ValueType {
 	it.i++
+	it.currType = chunkenc.ValNone
 	if it.i >= it.r.l {
-		return chunkenc.ValNone
+		return it.currType
 	}
 	switch it.r.bufInUse {
 	case fBuf:
 		s := it.r.atF(it.i)
 		it.t = s.t
 		it.f = s.f
-		return chunkenc.ValFloat
+		it.currType = chunkenc.ValFloat
 	case hBuf:
 		s := it.r.atH(it.i)
 		it.t = s.t
 		it.h = s.h
-		return chunkenc.ValHistogram
+		it.currType = chunkenc.ValHistogram
 	case fhBuf:
 		s := it.r.atFH(it.i)
 		it.t = s.t
 		it.fh = s.fh
-		return chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram
+		it.currType = chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram
+	}
+	if it.currType != chunkenc.ValNone {
+		return it.currType
 	}
 	s := it.r.at(it.i)
 	it.t = s.T()
@@ -352,24 +357,31 @@ func (it *SampleRingIterator) Next() chunkenc.ValueType {
 	case chunkenc.ValHistogram:
 		it.h = s.H()
 		it.fh = nil
-		return chunkenc.ValHistogram
+		it.currType = chunkenc.ValHistogram
 	case chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram:
 		it.fh = s.FH()
 		it.h = nil
-		return chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram
+		it.currType = chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram
 	default:
 		it.f = s.F()
-		return chunkenc.ValFloat
+		it.currType = chunkenc.ValFloat
 	}
+	return it.currType
 }
 
 // At returns the current float element of the iterator.
 func (it *SampleRingIterator) At() (int64, float64) {
+	if it.currType != chunkenc.ValFloat {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("SampleRingIterator: impossible to read a float, current value type is %v", it.currType))
+	}
 	return it.t, it.f
 }
 
 // AtHistogram returns the current histogram element of the iterator.
 func (it *SampleRingIterator) AtHistogram() (int64, *histogram.Histogram) {
+	if it.currType != chunkenc.ValHistogram {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("SampleRingIterator: impossible to read a histogram, current value type is %v", it.currType))
+	}
 	return it.t, it.h
 }
 
@@ -378,14 +390,17 @@ func (it *SampleRingIterator) AtHistogram() (int64, *histogram.Histogram) {
 // An optional histogram.FloatHistogram can be provided to avoid allocating a new
 // object for the conversion.
 func (it *SampleRingIterator) AtFloatHistogram(fh *histogram.FloatHistogram) (int64, *histogram.FloatHistogram) {
-	if it.fh == nil {
-		return it.t, it.h.ToFloat(fh)
+	if it.currType != chunkenc.ValHistogram && it.currType != chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("SampleRingIterator: impossible to read a float histogram, current value type is %v", it.currType))
 	}
-	if fh != nil {
-		it.fh.CopyTo(fh)
-		return it.t, fh
+	if it.currType == chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram {
+		if fh != nil {
+			it.fh.CopyTo(fh)
+			return it.t, fh
+		}
+		return it.t, it.fh.Copy()
 	}
-	return it.t, it.fh.Copy()
+	return it.t, it.h.ToFloat(fh)
 }
 
 func (it *SampleRingIterator) AtT() int64 {
diff --git a/storage/buffer_test.go b/storage/buffer_test.go
index 61074c212..1b24e5da2 100644
--- a/storage/buffer_test.go
+++ b/storage/buffer_test.go
@@ -138,6 +138,69 @@ func TestSampleRingMixed(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValNone, it.Next())
 }
 
+func TestSampleRingAtFloatHistogram(t *testing.T) {
+	fh1 := tsdbutil.GenerateTestFloatHistogram(1)
+	fh2 := tsdbutil.GenerateTestFloatHistogram(2)
+	h1 := tsdbutil.GenerateTestHistogram(3)
+	h2 := tsdbutil.GenerateTestHistogram(4)
+
+	// With ValNone as the preferred type, nothing should be initialized.
+	r := newSampleRing(10, 2, chunkenc.ValNone)
+	require.Zero(t, len(r.fBuf))
+	require.Zero(t, len(r.hBuf))
+	require.Zero(t, len(r.fhBuf))
+	require.Zero(t, len(r.iBuf))
+
+	var (
+		h  *histogram.Histogram
+		fh *histogram.FloatHistogram
+		ts int64
+	)
+
+	it := r.iterator()
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValNone, it.Next())
+
+	r.addFH(fhSample{t: 1, fh: fh1})
+	r.addFH(fhSample{t: 2, fh: fh2})
+
+	it = r.iterator()
+
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram, it.Next())
+	ts, fh = it.AtFloatHistogram(fh)
+	require.Equal(t, int64(1), ts)
+	require.Equal(t, fh1, fh)
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValFloatHistogram, it.Next())
+	ts, fh = it.AtFloatHistogram(fh)
+	require.Equal(t, int64(2), ts)
+	require.Equal(t, fh2, fh)
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValNone, it.Next())
+
+	r.reset()
+	it = r.iterator()
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValNone, it.Next())
+
+	r.addH(hSample{t: 3, h: h1})
+	r.addH(hSample{t: 4, h: h2})
+
+	it = r.iterator()
+
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValHistogram, it.Next())
+	ts, h = it.AtHistogram()
+	require.Equal(t, int64(3), ts)
+	require.Equal(t, h1, h)
+	ts, fh = it.AtFloatHistogram(fh)
+	require.Equal(t, int64(3), ts)
+	require.Equal(t, h1.ToFloat(nil), fh)
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValHistogram, it.Next())
+	ts, h = it.AtHistogram()
+	require.Equal(t, int64(4), ts)
+	require.Equal(t, h2, h)
+	ts, fh = it.AtFloatHistogram(fh)
+	require.Equal(t, int64(4), ts)
+	require.Equal(t, h2.ToFloat(nil), fh)
+	require.Equal(t, chunkenc.ValNone, it.Next())
+}
+
 func TestBufferedSeriesIterator(t *testing.T) {
 	var it *BufferedSeriesIterator