diff --git a/resources/search.ts b/resources/search.ts
index c1f7dcafdf..46cf6d1272 100644
--- a/resources/search.ts
+++ b/resources/search.ts
@@ -1131,7 +1131,7 @@ export function estimateCondition(table) {
 					for (const subCondition of condition.conditions) {
 						estimateConditionForTable(subCondition);
 						estimatedCount = isFinite(estimatedCount)
-							? (estimatedCount * subCondition.estimated_count) / estimatedEntryCount(table.primaryStore)
+							? (estimatedCount * subCondition.estimated_count) / (estimatedEntryCount(table.primaryStore) || 1)
 							: subCondition.estimated_count;
 					}
 				}
@@ -1174,8 +1174,10 @@ export function estimateCondition(table) {
 				const attribute_name = condition[0] ?? condition.attribute;
 				const index = table.indices[attribute_name];
 				if (condition.value === null && searchType === 'ne') {
-					condition.estimated_count =
-						estimatedEntryCount(table.primaryStore) - (index ? index.getValuesCount(null) : 0);
+					condition.estimated_count = Math.max(
+						estimatedEntryCount(table.primaryStore) - (index ? index.getValuesCount(null) : 0),
+						0
+					);
 				} else condition.estimated_count = Infinity;
 			} else if (searchType === 'in') {
 				const attribute_name = condition[0] ?? condition.attribute;
@@ -1619,16 +1621,18 @@ export function flattenKey(key) {
 	return key;
 }
 
-function estimatedEntryCount(store) {
+export function estimatedEntryCount(store) {
 	const now = Date.now();
 	if ((store.estimatedEntryCountExpires || 0) < now) {
-		// use getStats for LMDB because it is fast path, otherwise RocksDB can handle fast path on its own
-		store.estimatedEntryCount = store instanceof RocksDatabase ? store.getKeysCount() : store.getStats().entryCount;
+		// getStats is the LMDB fast path; for RocksDB, estimate-num-keys is O(1) where an exact
+		// getKeysCount() would iterate the entire store
+		store.estimatedEntryCount =
+			store instanceof RocksDatabase ? store.getEstimatedKeyCount() : store.getStats().entryCount;
 		store.estimatedEntryCountExpires = now + 10000;
 	}
 	return store.estimatedEntryCount;
 }
 
 export function intersectionEstimate(store, left, right) {
-	return (left * right) / estimatedEntryCount(store);
+	return (left * right) / Math.max(estimatedEntryCount(store), 1);
 }
diff --git a/unitTests/resources/estimatedEntryCount.test.js b/unitTests/resources/estimatedEntryCount.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..14a200f531
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unitTests/resources/estimatedEntryCount.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+require('../testUtils');
+const assert = require('node:assert');
+const { RocksDatabase } = require('@harperfast/rocksdb-js');
+const { estimateCondition, estimatedEntryCount, intersectionEstimate } = require('#src/resources/search');
+
+describe('estimatedEntryCount', () => {
+	const { setupTestDBPath } = require('../testUtils');
+	const { table } = require('#src/resources/databases');
+	const { setMainIsWorker } = require('#js/server/threads/manageThreads');
+	const N = 2000;
+	let T;
+
+	before(async function () {
+		this.timeout(120000);
+		setupTestDBPath();
+		setMainIsWorker(true);
+		T = table({
+			table: 'EntryCountTest',
+			database: 'test',
+			attributes: [{ name: 'id', isPrimaryKey: true }],
+		});
+		const written = [];
+		for (let i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+			written.push(T.put({ id: i }));
+		}
+		await Promise.all(written);
+		if (typeof T.primaryStore.flush === 'function') await T.primaryStore.flush();
+	});
+
+	it('reads the O(1) key-count estimate rather than iterating the store', function () {
+		const store = T.primaryStore;
+		// gate on the engine, not on the method: under RocksDB a renamed or dropped
+		// getEstimatedKeyCount must fail this guard rather than silently skip it
+		if (!(store instanceof RocksDatabase)) return this.skip();
+		store.estimatedEntryCountExpires = 0;
+		const getKeysCount = store.getKeysCount;
+		store.getKeysCount = () => assert.fail('estimatedEntryCount must not iterate the whole key space');
+		let estimate;
+		try {
+			estimate = estimatedEntryCount(store);
+		} finally {
+			store.getKeysCount = getKeysCount;
+		}
+		assert.ok(estimate >= N / 2 && estimate <= N * 2, `estimate ${estimate} is not in range for ${N} rows`);
+	});
+
+	it('memoizes the estimate for 10 seconds', () => {
+		const store = T.primaryStore;
+		store.estimatedEntryCountExpires = 0;
+		const first = estimatedEntryCount(store);
+		const { getEstimatedKeyCount, getStats } = store;
+		const reprobed = () => assert.fail('memoized estimate must not re-probe the store');
+		store.getEstimatedKeyCount = reprobed;
+		store.getStats = reprobed;
+		try {
+			assert.strictEqual(estimatedEntryCount(store), first);
+		} finally {
+			store.getEstimatedKeyCount = getEstimatedKeyCount;
+			store.getStats = getStats;
+		}
+	});
+});
+
+describe('a store estimating zero entries', () => {
+	// estimate-num-keys reports this for a populated table whose tombstones reach its non-deletions
+	const churned = { getStats: () => ({ entryCount: 0 }) };
+
+	it('is reported as zero rather than floored, so callers see the real count', () => {
+		assert.strictEqual(estimatedEntryCount(churned), 0);
+	});
+
+	it('keeps intersectionEstimate finite', () => {
+		churned.estimatedEntryCountExpires = 0;
+		assert.strictEqual(intersectionEstimate(churned, 5, 7), 35);
+	});
+
+	it('keeps a `ne null` estimate non-negative, so an estimated total is never below zero', () => {
+		churned.estimatedEntryCountExpires = 0;
+		const table = {
+			primaryKey: 'id',
+			primaryStore: churned,
+			indices: { attr: { getValuesCount: () => 500 } },
+			attributes: [],
+		};
+		const estimated = estimateCondition(table)({ attribute: 'attr', comparator: 'ne', value: null });
+		assert.strictEqual(estimated, 0);
+	});
+
+	it("keeps an AND group's estimate finite, so the adaptive index guard still applies", () => {
+		churned.estimatedEntryCountExpires = 0;
+		const table = { primaryKey: 'id', primaryStore: churned, indices: {}, attributes: [] };
+		const condition = { operator: 'and', conditions: [{ estimated_count: 10 }, { estimated_count: 20 }] };
+		const estimated = estimateCondition(table)(condition);
+		assert.strictEqual(estimated, 200);
+	});
+});