diff --git a/docs/ENGINE_REFACTORING.md b/docs/ENGINE_REFACTORING.md
index c175e1fb..368aa207 100644
--- a/docs/ENGINE_REFACTORING.md
+++ b/docs/ENGINE_REFACTORING.md
@@ -631,10 +631,14 @@ feature work**, and so we can tell the difference between "this is awkward" and
     twin yet (slice 5). `LIKE` has a regex cache in `EvaluationContext` that the
     value evaluator's matcher does not use. `AND` / `OR` / `NOT` / `CASE` stay
     recursive until their children can be WHERE-only method calls no longer.
-  - *Noticed, not done:* `WHERE price > quantity` (WHERE's own path) still runs
-    ~1 s over load where the delegated shapes do not — likely more per-row
-    logging in or around the WHERE loop; and window evaluation logs `info!`
-    timings per row (out of R13's scope).
+  - *The same finding, once more (2026-09-16).* `WHERE price > quantity` still
+    carried ~1 s over load after the above. Same cause, one level down:
+    `ExecutionContext::resolve_column_index` logged every successful
+    resolution, and WHERE resolves each column operand of each row through it —
+    ~470 ms per column operand over 100k rows. Removed; col-col 3.34 → 2.42 s,
+    `price > 100` 2.83 → 2.42 s, `LIKE` 2.87 → 2.43 s, all now at load time.
+    Still outstanding: window evaluation logs `info!` timings per row (out of
+    R13's scope).
 - **Slices, in the R10 pattern — no-op slices kept apart from the one that
   changes answers:**
   1. ✅ **Pin the divergences, no engine change.** *(Done 2026-09-13.)* A per-operator matrix run through
diff --git a/src/data/query_engine.rs b/src/data/query_engine.rs
index f389d2d0..5eeb34ab 100644
--- a/src/data/query_engine.rs
+++ b/src/data/query_engine.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ impl ExecutionContext {
     /// 2. If column_ref has no prefix:
     ///    a. Try simple column name lookup: "amount"
     ///    b. Try as qualified name if it contains a dot: "table.column"
+    ///
+    /// No logging on the success paths: WHERE resolves every column operand of
+    /// every row through here, and non-interactive mode records TRACE to a
+    /// file, so a `debug!` per resolution cost ~470 ms per column operand over
+    /// 100k rows -- more than the comparison it was resolving for.
     pub fn resolve_column_index(&self, table: &DataTable, column_ref: &ColumnRef) -> Result<usize> {
         if let Some(table_prefix) = &column_ref.table_prefix {
             // Qualified column reference: resolve the alias first
@@ -110,19 +115,11 @@ impl ExecutionContext {
             // Try qualified lookup: "actual_table.column"
             let qualified_name = format!("{}.{}", actual_table, column_ref.name);
             if let Some(idx) = table.find_column_by_qualified_name(&qualified_name) {
-                debug!(
-                    "Resolved {}.{} -> qualified column '{}' at index {}",
-                    table_prefix, column_ref.name, qualified_name, idx
-                );
                 return Ok(idx);
             }
 
             // Fall back to unqualified lookup
             if let Some(idx) = table.get_column_index(&column_ref.name) {
-                debug!(
-                    "Resolved {}.{} -> unqualified column '{}' at index {}",
-                    table_prefix, column_ref.name, column_ref.name, idx
-                );
                 return Ok(idx);
             }
 
@@ -138,20 +135,12 @@ impl ExecutionContext {
         } else {
             // Unqualified column reference
             if let Some(idx) = table.get_column_index(&column_ref.name) {
-                debug!(
-                    "Resolved unqualified column '{}' at index {}",
-                    column_ref.name, idx
-                );
                 return Ok(idx);
             }
 
             // If the column name contains a dot, try it as a qualified name
             if column_ref.name.contains('.') {
                 if let Some(idx) = table.find_column_by_qualified_name(&column_ref.name) {
-                    debug!(
-                        "Resolved '{}' as qualified column at index {}",
-                        column_ref.name, idx
-                    );
                     return Ok(idx);
                 }
             }