diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 93c130284..1f4d0f761 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -1297,7 +1297,7 @@ void EvalState::getAttrFieldThrow(Value & attrs, const std::vector<Symbol> & sel
         throw Error("Missing attribute path '%s'", "ImTooLazyToImplementThisRightNow");
 }
 
-std::vector<Attr> EvalState::getFields(Value & attrs, const Pos & pos)
+std::vector<Symbol> EvalState::getFields(Value & attrs, const Pos & pos)
 {
     auto eval_cache = attrs.getEvalCache();
     if (eval_cache.isEmpty()) {
@@ -1305,34 +1305,14 @@ std::vector<Attr> EvalState::getFields(Value & attrs, const Pos & pos)
         eval_cache = attrs.getEvalCache();
     }
     if (auto attrNames = eval_cache.listChildren(symbols)) {
-        bool everythingCached = true;
-        std::vector<Attr> res;
-        for (auto & attrName : *attrNames) {
-            auto newValue = allocValue();
-            try {
-            if (lazyGetAttrField(attrs, {attrName}, pos, *newValue) != LazyValueType::Missing) {
-                res.push_back(Attr(attrName, newValue));
-            } else {
-                everythingCached = false;
-                break;
-            }
-            } catch (EvalError & e) {
-                // XXX: Ugly hack to hide the error
-                newValue->mkThunk(
-                    &baseEnv,
-                    new ExprApp(
-                        parseExprFromString("throw", "/"),
-                        new ExprString(symbols.create(e.what()))
-                    )
-                );
-            }
-        }
-        if (everythingCached) return res;
+        return *attrNames;
     }
 
     forceValue(attrs);
-    auto attrsStart = attrs.attrs->attrs;
-    return std::vector<Attr>(attrsStart, attrsStart + attrs.attrs->size());
+    std::vector<Symbol> res;
+    for (auto & attr : *attrs.attrs)
+        res.push_back(attr.name);
+    return res;
 }
 
 void ExprSelect::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
index 73ef7f598..9d2ee2941 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ public:
     // found
     void getAttrFieldThrow(Value & attrs, const std::vector<Symbol> & selector, const Pos & pos, Value & dest);
 
-    std::vector<Attr> getFields(Value & attrs, const Pos & pos);
+    std::vector<Symbol> getFields(Value & attrs, const Pos & pos);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/nix/search.cc b/src/nix/search.cc
index 928f11fea..05272fd36 100644
--- a/src/nix/search.cc
+++ b/src/nix/search.cc
@@ -93,10 +93,20 @@ struct CmdSearch : InstallableCommand, MixJSON
                 fmt("evaluating '%s'", concatStringsSep(".", attrPath)));
             auto recurse = [&]()
             {
-                for (auto & attr : state->getFields(current, noPos)) {
+                for (auto & attrName : state->getFields(current, noPos)) {
+                  try {
                     auto attrPath2(attrPath);
-                    attrPath2.push_back(attr.name);
-                    visit2(*attr.value, attrPath2, false);
+                    attrPath2.push_back(attrName);
+                    auto attrValue = state->allocValue();
+                    auto value_ = allocRootValue(attrValue);
+                    state->lazyGetAttrField(current, {attrName}, noPos,
+                                            *attrValue);
+                    visit2(*attrValue, attrPath2, false);
+                  } catch (EvalError &e) {
+                    if (!(attrPath.size() > 0 &&
+                          attrPath[0] == "legacyPackages"))
+                      throw;
+                  }
                 }
             };