diff --git a/osf/metrics/reporters/public_item_usage.py b/osf/metrics/reporters/public_item_usage.py
index 46da74c9e3d..42c53099587 100644
--- a/osf/metrics/reporters/public_item_usage.py
+++ b/osf/metrics/reporters/public_item_usage.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 import datetime
+import typing
 
 import waffle
+if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import elasticsearch_dsl as edsl
 
 import osf.features
 from osf.metadata.osf_gathering import OsfmapPartition
@@ -21,6 +24,8 @@
 from ._base import MonthlyReporter
 
 
+_CHUNK_SIZE = 500
+
 _MAX_CARDINALITY_PRECISION = 40000  # https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/search-aggregations-metrics-cardinality-aggregation.html#_precision_control
 
 
@@ -34,22 +39,13 @@ class PublicItemUsageReporter(MonthlyReporter):
     includes projects, project components, registrations, registration components, and preprints
     '''
     def iter_report_kwargs(self, continue_after: dict | None = None):
-        _osfid_qs = (
-            osfdb.Guid.objects
-            # try to use the index on ('content_type', 'object_id', 'created')
-            # (will keep only the oldest-created for each referent, which is fine)
-            .order_by('content_type_id', 'object_id', 'created')
-            .distinct('content_type_id', 'object_id')
-        )
-        if continue_after:
-            _created_after = datetime.datetime.fromisoformat(continue_after['_osfid_created'])
-            _osfid_qs = (
-                _osfid_qs
-                .filter(created__gte=_created_after)
-                .exclude(_id=continue_after['osfid'])
-            )
-        for _osfid, _created in _osfid_qs.values_list('_id', 'created').iterator():
-            yield {'osfid': _osfid, '_osfid_created': _created.isoformat()}
+        _after_osfid = continue_after['osfid'] if continue_after else None
+        for _osfid in _zip_sorted(
+            self._countedusage_osfids(_after_osfid),
+            self._preprintview_osfids(_after_osfid),
+            self._preprintdownload_osfids(_after_osfid),
+        ):
+            yield {'osfid': _osfid}
 
     def report(self, **report_kwargs):
         _osfid = report_kwargs['osfid']
@@ -89,6 +85,50 @@ def followup_task(self, report):
                 countdown=30,  # give index time to settle
             )
 
+    def _countedusage_osfids(self, after_osfid: str | None) -> typing.Iterator[str]:
+        _search = self._base_usage_search()
+        _search.aggs.bucket(
+            'agg_osfid',
+            'composite',
+            sources=[{'osfid': {'terms': {'field': 'item_guid'}}}],
+            size=_CHUNK_SIZE,
+        )
+        return _iter_composite_bucket_keys(_search, 'agg_osfid', 'osfid', after=after_osfid)
+
+    def _preprintview_osfids(self, after_osfid: str | None) -> typing.Iterator[str]:
+        _search = (
+            PreprintView.search()
+            .filter('range', timestamp={
+                'gte': self.yearmonth.month_start(),
+                'lt': self.yearmonth.month_end(),
+            })
+            .extra(size=0)  # only aggregations, no hits
+        )
+        _search.aggs.bucket(
+            'agg_osfid',
+            'composite',
+            sources=[{'osfid': {'terms': {'field': 'preprint_id'}}}],
+            size=_CHUNK_SIZE,
+        )
+        return _iter_composite_bucket_keys(_search, 'agg_osfid', 'osfid', after=after_osfid)
+
+    def _preprintdownload_osfids(self, after_osfid: str | None) -> typing.Iterator[str]:
+        _search = (
+            PreprintDownload.search()
+            .filter('range', timestamp={
+                'gte': self.yearmonth.month_start(),
+                'lt': self.yearmonth.month_end(),
+            })
+            .extra(size=0)  # only aggregations, no hits
+        )
+        _search.aggs.bucket(
+            'agg_osfid',
+            'composite',
+            sources=[{'osfid': {'terms': {'field': 'preprint_id'}}}],
+            size=_CHUNK_SIZE,
+        )
+        return _iter_composite_bucket_keys(_search, 'agg_osfid', 'osfid', after=after_osfid)
+
     def _init_report(self, osf_obj) -> PublicItemUsageReport:
         if not _is_item_public(osf_obj):
             raise _SkipItem
@@ -208,3 +248,61 @@ def _is_item_public(osfid_referent) -> bool:
     if isinstance(osfid_referent, osfdb.Preprint):
         return bool(osfid_referent.verified_publishable)        # quacks like Preprint
     return getattr(osfid_referent, 'is_public', False)    # quacks like AbstractNode
+
+
+def _zip_sorted(
+    *iterators: typing.Iterator[str],
+) -> typing.Iterator[str]:
+    '''loop thru multiple iterators on sorted (ascending) sequences of strings
+    '''
+    _nexts = {  # holds the next value from each iterator, or None
+        _i: next(_iter, None)
+        for _i, _iter in enumerate(iterators)
+    }
+    while True:
+        _nonnull_nexts = [
+            _next
+            for _next in _nexts.values()
+            if _next is not None
+        ]
+        if not _nonnull_nexts:
+            return  # all done
+        _value = min(_nonnull_nexts)
+        yield _value
+        for _i, _iter in enumerate(iterators):
+            if _nexts[_i] == _value:
+                _nexts[_i] = next(_iter, None)
+
+
+def _iter_composite_bucket_keys(
+    search: edsl.Search,
+    composite_agg_name: str,
+    composite_source_name: str,
+    after: str | None = None,
+) -> typing.Iterator[str]:
+    '''iterate thru *all* buckets of a composite aggregation, requesting new pages as needed
+
+    assumes the given search has a composite aggregation of the given name
+    with a single value source of the given name
+
+    updates the search in-place for subsequent pages
+    '''
+    if after is not None:
+        search.aggs[composite_agg_name].after = {composite_source_name: after}
+    while True:
+        _page_response = search.execute(ignore_cache=True)  # reused search object has the previous page cached
+        try:
+            _agg_result = _page_response.aggregations[composite_agg_name]
+        except KeyError:
+            return  # no data; all done
+        for _bucket in _agg_result.buckets:
+            _key = _bucket.key.to_dict()
+            assert set(_key.keys()) == {composite_source_name}, f'expected only one key ("{composite_source_name}") in {_bucket.key}'
+            yield _key[composite_source_name]
+        # update the search for the next page
+        try:
+            _next_after = _agg_result.after_key
+        except AttributeError:
+            return  # all done
+        else:
+            search.aggs[composite_agg_name].after = _next_after