diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/expression/Attribute.java b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/expression/Attribute.java
index fe26fe54cb469..b8b8adc65df32 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/expression/Attribute.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/expression/Attribute.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.expression;
 
+import org.elasticsearch.core.Tuple;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.tree.Source;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.type.DataType;
 
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@
 import java.util.Objects;
 
 import static java.util.Collections.emptyList;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.splitQualifiedIndex;
 
 /**
  * {@link Expression}s that can be materialized and describe properties of the derived table.
@@ -31,6 +33,8 @@ public abstract class Attribute extends NamedExpression {
     // empty - such as a top level attribute in SELECT cause
     // present - table name or a table name alias
     private final String qualifier;
+    // cluster name in the qualifier (if any)
+    private final String cluster;
 
     // can the attr be null - typically used in JOINs
     private final Nullability nullability;
@@ -45,7 +49,14 @@ public Attribute(Source source, String name, String qualifier, Nullability nulla
 
     public Attribute(Source source, String name, String qualifier, Nullability nullability, NameId id, boolean synthetic) {
         super(source, name, emptyList(), id, synthetic);
-        this.qualifier = qualifier;
+        if (qualifier != null) {
+            Tuple<String, String> splitQualifier = splitQualifiedIndex(qualifier);
+            this.cluster = splitQualifier.v1();
+            this.qualifier = splitQualifier.v2();
+        } else {
+            this.cluster = null;
+            this.qualifier = null;
+        }
         this.nullability = nullability;
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/index/IndexResolver.java b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/index/IndexResolver.java
index 724d980e4942d..c70ae804435a3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/index/IndexResolver.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/index/IndexResolver.java
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.type.DataTypes.OBJECT;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.type.DataTypes.TEXT;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.type.DataTypes.UNSUPPORTED;
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.RemoteClusterUtils.qualifyAndJoinIndices;
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.RemoteClusterUtils.splitQualifiedIndex;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.qualifyAndJoinIndices;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.splitQualifiedIndex;
 
 public class IndexResolver {
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/RemoteClusterUtils.java b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/RemoteClusterUtils.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 825b351f18f19..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/RemoteClusterUtils.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
- * 2.0; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
- * 2.0.
- */
-
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.core.Tuple;
-
-import java.util.StringJoiner;
-
-import static org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteClusterAware.REMOTE_CLUSTER_INDEX_SEPARATOR;
-import static org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteClusterAware.buildRemoteIndexName;
-
-public class RemoteClusterUtils {
-
-    public static Tuple<String, String> splitQualifiedIndex(String indexName) {
-        int separatorOffset = indexName.indexOf(REMOTE_CLUSTER_INDEX_SEPARATOR);
-        return separatorOffset > 0
-            ? Tuple.tuple(indexName.substring(0, separatorOffset), indexName.substring(separatorOffset + 1))
-            : Tuple.tuple(null, indexName);
-    }
-
-    public static String qualifyAndJoinIndices(String cluster, String[] indices) {
-        StringJoiner sj = new StringJoiner(",");
-        for (String index : indices) {
-            sj.add(cluster != null ? buildRemoteIndexName(cluster, index) : index);
-        }
-        return sj.toString();
-    }
-
-    public static boolean isQualified(String indexWildcard) {
-        return indexWildcard.indexOf(REMOTE_CLUSTER_INDEX_SEPARATOR) > 0;
-    }
-}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/StringUtils.java b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/StringUtils.java
index c1c05b2d2ec96..1b021af0f9ec9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/StringUtils.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/StringUtils.java
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.StringJoiner;
 
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
+import static org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteClusterAware.REMOTE_CLUSTER_INDEX_SEPARATOR;
+import static org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteClusterAware.buildRemoteIndexName;
 
 public final class StringUtils {
 
@@ -334,4 +337,23 @@ public static String ordinal(int i) {
 
         }
     }
+
+    public static Tuple<String, String> splitQualifiedIndex(String indexName) {
+        int separatorOffset = indexName.indexOf(REMOTE_CLUSTER_INDEX_SEPARATOR);
+        return separatorOffset > 0
+            ? Tuple.tuple(indexName.substring(0, separatorOffset), indexName.substring(separatorOffset + 1))
+            : Tuple.tuple(null, indexName);
+    }
+
+    public static String qualifyAndJoinIndices(String cluster, String[] indices) {
+        StringJoiner sj = new StringJoiner(",");
+        for (String index : indices) {
+            sj.add(cluster != null ? buildRemoteIndexName(cluster, index) : index);
+        }
+        return sj.toString();
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isQualified(String indexWildcard) {
+        return indexWildcard.indexOf(REMOTE_CLUSTER_INDEX_SEPARATOR) > 0;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/RemoteClusterUtilsTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/RemoteClusterUtilsTests.java
index fbedc38fc138c..c0bd746048ae5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/RemoteClusterUtilsTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ql/util/RemoteClusterUtilsTests.java
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.core.Tuple;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
 
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.RemoteClusterUtils.isQualified;
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.RemoteClusterUtils.qualifyAndJoinIndices;
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.RemoteClusterUtils.splitQualifiedIndex;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.isQualified;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.qualifyAndJoinIndices;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.splitQualifiedIndex;
 
 public class RemoteClusterUtilsTests extends ESTestCase {
     public void testSplitQualifiedIndex() {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/qa/server/multi-cluster-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/qa/multi_cluster_with_security/JdbcCatalogIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/sql/qa/server/multi-cluster-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/qa/multi_cluster_with_security/JdbcCatalogIT.java
index 5c252d1a1aa20..6a1c08413abea 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/qa/server/multi-cluster-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/qa/multi_cluster_with_security/JdbcCatalogIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/qa/server/multi-cluster-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/qa/multi_cluster_with_security/JdbcCatalogIT.java
@@ -70,6 +70,30 @@ public void testQueryCatalogPrecedence() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
+    public void testQueryWithQualifierAndSetCatalog() throws Exception {
+        try (Connection es = esJdbc()) {
+            PreparedStatement ps = es.prepareStatement("SELECT " + INDEX_NAME + ".zero FROM " + INDEX_NAME);
+            es.setCatalog(REMOTE_CLUSTER_NAME);
+            ResultSet rs = ps.executeQuery();
+            assertTrue(rs.next());
+            assertEquals(0, rs.getInt(1));
+            assertFalse(rs.next());
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void testQueryWithQualifiedFieldAndIndex() throws Exception {
+        try (Connection es = esJdbc()) {
+            PreparedStatement ps = es.prepareStatement(
+                "SELECT " + INDEX_NAME + ".zero FROM " + buildRemoteIndexName(REMOTE_CLUSTER_NAME, INDEX_NAME)
+            );
+            es.setCatalog(LOCAL_CLUSTER_NAME); // set, but should be ignored
+            ResultSet rs = ps.executeQuery();
+            assertTrue(rs.next());
+            assertEquals(0, rs.getInt(1));
+            assertFalse(rs.next());
+        }
+    }
+
     public void testCatalogDependentCommands() throws Exception {
         for (String query : List.of(
             "SHOW TABLES \"" + INDEX_NAME + "\"",
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysColumns.java b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysColumns.java
index 80cc9fb86280d..14992e9e8f926 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysColumns.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysColumns.java
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.type.DataTypes.SHORT;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.type.DataTypes.isPrimitive;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.type.DataTypes.isString;
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.RemoteClusterUtils.isQualified;
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.RemoteClusterUtils.splitQualifiedIndex;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.isQualified;
+import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.ql.util.StringUtils.splitQualifiedIndex;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.type.SqlDataTypes.displaySize;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.type.SqlDataTypes.metaSqlDataType;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.type.SqlDataTypes.metaSqlDateTimeSub;