diff --git a/http_handler.go b/http_handler.go
index 9dc5319ae..07385f342 100644
--- a/http_handler.go
+++ b/http_handler.go
@@ -1563,20 +1563,43 @@ func fieldOptionsToFunctionalOpts(opt fieldOptions) []FieldOption {
 	case FieldTypeSet:
 		fos = append(fos, OptFieldTypeSet(*opt.CacheType, *opt.CacheSize))
 	case FieldTypeInt:
-		if opt.Min == nil {
-			min := pql.NewDecimal(int64(math.MinInt64), 0)
-			opt.Min = &min
+		min, max := pql.MinMax(0)
+		// ensure the provided bounds are valid
+		if opt.Max != nil && max.LessThan(*opt.Max) {
+			opt.Max = &max
 		}
 		if opt.Max == nil {
-			max := pql.NewDecimal(int64(math.MaxInt64), 0)
 			opt.Max = &max
 		}
+
+		if opt.Min != nil && min.GreaterThan(*opt.Min) {
+			opt.Min = &min
+		}
+		if opt.Min == nil {
+			opt.Min = &min
+		}
 		fos = append(fos, OptFieldTypeInt(opt.Min.ToInt64(0), opt.Max.ToInt64(0)))
 	case FieldTypeDecimal:
 		scale := int64(0)
 		if opt.Scale != nil {
 			scale = *opt.Scale
+			min, max := pql.MinMax(scale)
+			// ensure the provided bounds are valid
+			if opt.Max != nil && max.LessThan(*opt.Max) {
+				opt.Max = &max
+			}
+			if opt.Max == nil {
+				opt.Max = &max
+			}
+
+			if opt.Min != nil && min.GreaterThan(*opt.Min) {
+				opt.Min = &min
+			}
+			if opt.Min == nil {
+				opt.Min = &min
+			}
 		}
+
 		if opt.Min == nil {
 			min := pql.NewDecimal(int64(math.MinInt64), scale)
 			opt.Min = &min
diff --git a/index.go b/index.go
index 12e0aee68..21686b04b 100644
--- a/index.go
+++ b/index.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/molecula/featurebase/v3/disco"
+	"github.com/molecula/featurebase/v3/pql"
 	"github.com/molecula/featurebase/v3/roaring"
 	"github.com/molecula/featurebase/v3/stats"
 	"github.com/molecula/featurebase/v3/testhook"
@@ -613,6 +614,27 @@ func (i *Index) CreateFieldIfNotExistsWithOptions(name string, opt *FieldOptions
 	if f := i.fields[name]; f != nil {
 		return f, nil
 	}
+	// added for backward compatablity with old schemas
+	if opt != nil && opt.Type == FieldTypeDecimal {
+		min, max := pql.MinMax(opt.Scale)
+		// ensure the provided bounds are valid
+		if max.LessThan(opt.Max) {
+			opt.Max = max
+		}
+		if min.GreaterThan(opt.Min) {
+			opt.Min = min
+		}
+	}
+	if opt != nil && opt.Type == FieldTypeDecimal {
+		min, max := pql.MinMax(0)
+		// ensure the provided bounds are valid
+		if max.LessThan(opt.Max) {
+			opt.Max = max
+		}
+		if min.GreaterThan(opt.Min) {
+			opt.Min = min
+		}
+	}
 
 	cfm := &CreateFieldMessage{
 		Index:     i.name,
diff --git a/server/handler_test.go b/server/handler_test.go
index 2b17d7bd3..1f8225bba 100644
--- a/server/handler_test.go
+++ b/server/handler_test.go
@@ -886,6 +886,37 @@ func TestHandler_Endpoints(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 	})
+	t.Run("Query decimal field scale only", func(t *testing.T) {
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		fieldName := "f-decimal-scale-only"
+		h.ServeHTTP(w, test.MustNewHTTPRequest("POST", fmt.Sprintf("/index/i0/field/%s", fieldName),
+			strings.NewReader(`{"options":{"type":"decimal", "scale": 2}}`)))
+		if w.Code != gohttp.StatusOK {
+			fmt.Println(w.Body.String())
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected status code: %d", w.Code)
+		}
+		w = httptest.NewRecorder()
+		h.ServeHTTP(w, test.MustNewHTTPRequest("GET", "/schema", strings.NewReader("")))
+		if w.Code != gohttp.StatusOK {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected status code: %d", w.Code)
+		}
+		rsp := getSchemaResponse{}
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &rsp); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("json decode: %s", err)
+		}
+		field := rsp.findField("i0", fieldName)
+		if field == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("field not found: %s", fieldName)
+		}
+		if field != nil { // happy linter
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(pql.NewDecimal(math.MinInt64, 2), field.Options.Min) {
+				t.Fatalf("field min %d != %d", pql.NewDecimal(math.MinInt64, 1), field.Options.Min)
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(pql.NewDecimal(math.MaxInt64, 2), field.Options.Max) {
+				t.Fatalf("field min %d != %d", pql.NewDecimal(math.MaxInt64, 2), field.Options.Max)
+			}
+		}
+	})
 
 	// Ensure that decimal fields error when scale is not provided.
 	t.Run("Query decimal field scale error", func(t *testing.T) {