diff --git a/core/translate/display.rs b/core/translate/display.rs
index 41a6e92ef..25a5744f8 100644
--- a/core/translate/display.rs
+++ b/core/translate/display.rs
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ pub struct PlanContext<'a>(pub &'a [&'a TableReferences]);
 
 // Definitely not perfect yet
 impl ToSqlContext for PlanContext<'_> {
-    fn get_column_name(&self, table_id: TableInternalId, col_idx: usize) -> Option<&str> {
+    fn get_column_name(&self, table_id: TableInternalId, col_idx: usize) -> Option<Option<&str>> {
         let Some(table) = self
             .0
             .iter()
@@ -246,10 +246,7 @@ impl ToSqlContext for PlanContext<'_> {
         let cols = table.columns();
         match cols.get(col_idx) {
             None => None,
-            Some(col) => match col.name.as_ref() {
-                None => None,
-                Some(n) => Some(n),
-            },
+            Some(col) => Some(col.name.as_ref().map(|name| name.as_ref())),
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/translate/main_loop.rs b/core/translate/main_loop.rs
index 2617c86d8..51260715b 100644
--- a/core/translate/main_loop.rs
+++ b/core/translate/main_loop.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use turso_parser::ast::SortOrder;
+use turso_parser::ast::{fmt::ToTokens, SortOrder};
 
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use crate::{
 
 use super::{
     aggregation::translate_aggregation_step,
+    display::PlanContext,
     emitter::{OperationMode, TranslateCtx},
     expr::{
         translate_condition_expr, translate_expr, translate_expr_no_constant_opt,
@@ -77,12 +78,18 @@ pub fn init_distinct(program: &mut ProgramBuilder, plan: &SelectPlan) -> Distinc
             .result_columns
             .iter()
             .enumerate()
-            .map(|(i, col)| IndexColumn {
-                name: col.expr.to_string(),
-                order: SortOrder::Asc,
-                pos_in_table: i,
-                collation: None, // FIXME: this should be determined based on the result column expression!
-                default: None, // FIXME: this should be determined based on the result column expression!
+            .map(|(i, col)| {
+                IndexColumn {
+                    name: col
+                        .expr
+                        .displayer(&PlanContext(&[&plan.table_references]))
+                        .to_string()
+                        .unwrap(),
+                    order: SortOrder::Asc,
+                    pos_in_table: i,
+                    collation: None, // FIXME: this should be determined based on the result column expression!
+                    default: None, // FIXME: this should be determined based on the result column expression!
+                }
             })
             .collect(),
         unique: false,
diff --git a/parser/src/ast/fmt.rs b/parser/src/ast/fmt.rs
index 3f9d842ad..b15cbb12a 100644
--- a/parser/src/ast/fmt.rs
+++ b/parser/src/ast/fmt.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use crate::ast::TableInternalId;
 /// Context to be used in ToSqlString
 pub trait ToSqlContext {
     /// Given an id, get the table name
+    /// First Option indicates whether the table exists
     ///
     /// Currently not considering aliases
     fn get_table_name(&self, _id: TableInternalId) -> Option<&str> {
@@ -19,9 +20,22 @@ pub trait ToSqlContext {
     }
 
     /// Given a table id and a column index, get the column name
-    fn get_column_name(&self, _table_id: TableInternalId, _col_idx: usize) -> Option<&str> {
+    /// First Option indicates whether the column exists
+    /// Second Option indicates whether the column has a name
+    fn get_column_name(&self, _table_id: TableInternalId, _col_idx: usize) -> Option<Option<&str>> {
         None
     }
+
+    /// Helper to get a flat column name
+    /// If the column exists and has a name, return the name
+    /// If the column exists but has no name, return the index as string
+    fn get_flat_column_name(&self, table_id: TableInternalId, col_idx: usize) -> Option<String> {
+        match self.get_column_name(table_id, col_idx) {
+            Some(Some(name)) => Some(name.to_string()),
+            Some(None) => Some(format!("{col_idx}")),
+            None => None,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 pub struct WriteTokenStream<'a, T: Write> {
@@ -780,7 +794,13 @@ impl ToTokens for Expr {
             Self::Column { table, column, .. } => {
                 s.append(TK_ID, context.get_table_name(*table))?;
                 s.append(TK_DOT, None)?;
-                s.append(TK_ID, context.get_column_name(*table, *column))
+                s.append(
+                    TK_ID,
+                    context
+                        .get_flat_column_name(*table, *column)
+                        .as_ref()
+                        .map(|s| s.as_ref()),
+                )
             }
             Self::InList { lhs, not, rhs } => {
                 lhs.to_tokens(s, context)?;