diff --git oak-store-document/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/document/mongo/MongoVersionGCSupport.java oak-store-document/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/document/mongo/MongoVersionGCSupport.java
index 5ae183c459..c08ee8b9e6 100644
--- oak-store-document/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/document/mongo/MongoVersionGCSupport.java
+++ oak-store-document/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/document/mongo/MongoVersionGCSupport.java
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public class MongoVersionGCSupport extends VersionGCSupport {
             // makes any future similar problem more visible than long running
             // queries alone (15min is still long).
             Iterable<NodeDocument> iterable = filter(transform(getNodeCollection().find(query)
-                    .maxTime(15, TimeUnit.MINUTES),
+                    .maxTime(15, TimeUnit.MINUTES).hintString("_sdType_1__sdMaxRevTime_1"),
                     new Function<BasicDBObject, NodeDocument>() {
                 @Override
                 public NodeDocument apply(BasicDBObject input) {