Index: plugins/index/reference/ReferenceIndexProvider.java
===================================================================
--- plugins/index/reference/ReferenceIndexProvider.java	(revision 1673707)
+++ plugins/index/reference/ReferenceIndexProvider.java	(working copy)
@@ -21,11 +21,13 @@
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
+import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Properties;
+import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Property;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Service;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.spi.query.QueryIndex;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.spi.query.QueryIndexProvider;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.spi.state.NodeState;
-
+import org.osgi.framework.Constants;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 
 /**
@@ -33,6 +35,12 @@
  */
 @Component
 @Service(QueryIndexProvider.class)
+@Properties({
+    @Property(name=Constants.SERVICE_RANKING,
+              intValue=-50,
+              propertyPrivate=false,
+              label="Ranking")
+})
 public class ReferenceIndexProvider implements QueryIndexProvider {
 
     @Override
Index: query/QueryImpl.java
===================================================================
--- query/QueryImpl.java	(revision 1673707)
+++ query/QueryImpl.java	(working copy)
@@ -802,6 +802,7 @@
             logDebug("cost using filter " + filter);
         }
 
+        double minCost = 1.0;
         double bestCost = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
         IndexPlan bestPlan = null;
         for (QueryIndex index : indexProvider.getQueryIndexes(rootState)) {
@@ -870,9 +871,13 @@
                 bestIndex = index;
                 bestPlan = indexPlan;
             }
+            if (bestCost <= minCost) {
+                LOG.debug("minimum cost achieved, skipped remaining indexes");
+                break;
+            }
         }
 
-        if (traversalEnabled) {
+        if (bestCost > minCost && traversalEnabled) {
             QueryIndex traversal = new TraversingIndex();
             double cost = traversal.getCost(filter, rootState);
             if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {