diff --git a/thorlcr/activities/nsplitter/thnsplitterslave.cpp b/thorlcr/activities/nsplitter/thnsplitterslave.cpp
index ef47bcc27bf..d733aa41a64 100644
--- a/thorlcr/activities/nsplitter/thnsplitterslave.cpp
+++ b/thorlcr/activities/nsplitter/thnsplitterslave.cpp
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class NSplitterSlaveActivity : public CSlaveActivity, implements ISharedSmartBuf
 
                 PARENT::start();
                 initMetaInfo(cachedMetaInfo);
-                cachedMetaInfo.suppressLookAhead = true;
+                cachedMetaInfo.suppressLookAhead = spill; // only suppress downstream lookaheads if this is a spilling splitter
 
                 calcMetaInfoSize(cachedMetaInfo, queryInput(0));