diff --git a/pkg/chunk/aws_storage_client.go b/pkg/chunk/aws_storage_client.go
index 926c4862edf..8b13bc4e5f4 100644
--- a/pkg/chunk/aws_storage_client.go
+++ b/pkg/chunk/aws_storage_client.go
@@ -432,15 +432,13 @@ func (a awsStorageClient) GetChunks(ctx context.Context, chunks []Chunk) ([]Chun
 	var err error
 	s3Chunks, err = a.getS3Chunks(ctx, s3Chunks)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return s3Chunks, err
 	}
 
 	dynamoDBChunks, err = a.getDynamoDBChunks(ctx, dynamoDBChunks)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 
-	return append(dynamoDBChunks, s3Chunks...), nil
+	// Return any chunks we did receive: a partial result may be useful
+	return append(dynamoDBChunks, s3Chunks...), err
 }
 
 func (a awsStorageClient) getS3Chunks(ctx context.Context, chunks []Chunk) ([]Chunk, error) {
@@ -468,7 +466,8 @@ func (a awsStorageClient) getS3Chunks(ctx context.Context, chunks []Chunk) ([]Ch
 		}
 	}
 	if len(errors) > 0 {
-		return nil, errors[0]
+		// Return any chunks we did receive: a partial result may be useful
+		return result, errors[0]
 	}
 	return result, nil
 }
@@ -575,7 +574,8 @@ func (a awsStorageClient) getDynamoDBChunks(ctx context.Context, chunks []Chunk)
 	}
 
 	if valuesLeft := outstanding.Len() + unprocessed.Len(); valuesLeft > 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to query chunks after %d retries, %d values remaining", numRetries, valuesLeft)
+		// Return the chunks we did fetch, because partial results may be useful
+		return result, fmt.Errorf("failed to query chunks after %d retries, %d values remaining", numRetries, valuesLeft)
 	}
 	return result, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/chunk/chunk_store.go b/pkg/chunk/chunk_store.go
index e77e2755113..f5dfd645837 100644
--- a/pkg/chunk/chunk_store.go
+++ b/pkg/chunk/chunk_store.go
@@ -209,12 +209,14 @@ func (c *Store) getMetricNameChunks(ctx context.Context, from, through model.Tim
 	}
 
 	fromStorage, err := c.storage.GetChunks(ctx, missing)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, promql.ErrStorage(err)
+
+	// Always cache any chunks we did get
+	if cacheErr := c.writeBackCache(ctx, fromStorage); cacheErr != nil {
+		logger.Warnf("Could not store chunks in chunk cache: %v", cacheErr)
 	}
 
-	if err = c.writeBackCache(ctx, fromStorage); err != nil {
-		logger.Warnf("Could not store chunks in chunk cache: %v", err)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, promql.ErrStorage(err)
 	}
 
 	// TODO instead of doing this sort, propagate an index and assign chunks