A query directed to database data stored across a set of files is received. The query includes predicates and each file from the set of files is associated with metadata stored in a metadata store that is separate from a storage platform that stores the set of files. One or more files are removed from the set of files whose metadata does not satisfy a predicate of the plurality of predicates to generate a pruned set of files. One or more predicates are removed that are satisfied by the metadata of the pruned set of files to generate a modified query.