diff --git a/src/engine/QueryPlanner.cpp b/src/engine/QueryPlanner.cpp
index a1978b3bd1..7f87cd7de8 100644
--- a/src/engine/QueryPlanner.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/QueryPlanner.cpp
@@ -875,8 +875,8 @@ ParsedQuery::GraphPattern QueryPlanner::uniteGraphPatterns(
 
 // _____________________________________________________________________________
 Variable QueryPlanner::generateUniqueVarName() {
-  return Variable{"?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_" +
-                  std::to_string(_internalVarCount++)};
+  return Variable{absl::StrCat(INTERNAL_VARIABLE_QUERY_PLANNER_PREFIX,
+                               _internalVarCount++)};
 }
 
 // _____________________________________________________________________________
diff --git a/src/engine/sparqlExpressions/CountStarExpression.cpp b/src/engine/sparqlExpressions/CountStarExpression.cpp
index bb3ef58e8a..416f653c20 100644
--- a/src/engine/sparqlExpressions/CountStarExpression.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/sparqlExpressions/CountStarExpression.cpp
@@ -36,11 +36,17 @@ class CountStarExpression : public SparqlExpression {
     // We only need to copy columns that are actually visible. Columns that are
     // hidden, e.g. because they weren't selectedd in a subquery shouldn't be
     // part of the DISTINCT computation.
-    table.setNumColumns(ctx->_variableToColumnMap.size());
+
+    auto varToColNoInternalVariables =
+        ctx->_variableToColumnMap |
+        std::views::filter([](const auto& varAndIdx) {
+          return !varAndIdx.first.name().starts_with(INTERNAL_VARIABLE_PREFIX);
+        });
+    table.setNumColumns(std::ranges::distance(varToColNoInternalVariables));
     table.resize(ctx->size());
     size_t targetIdx = 0;
     for (const auto& [sourceIdx, _] :
-         ctx->_variableToColumnMap | std::views::values) {
+         varToColNoInternalVariables | std::views::values) {
       const auto& sourceColumn = ctx->_inputTable.getColumn(sourceIdx);
       std::ranges::copy(sourceColumn.begin() + ctx->_beginIndex,
                         sourceColumn.begin() + ctx->_endIndex,
diff --git a/src/global/Constants.h b/src/global/Constants.h
index b8650baeb8..784123c57e 100644
--- a/src/global/Constants.h
+++ b/src/global/Constants.h
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ static const std::string INTERNAL_VARIABLE_PREFIX =
 constexpr std::string_view INTERNAL_BLANKNODE_VARIABLE_PREFIX =
     "?_QLever_internal_variable_bn_";
 
+constexpr std::string_view INTERNAL_VARIABLE_QUERY_PLANNER_PREFIX =
+    "?_QLever_internal_variable_qp_";
+
 static constexpr std::string_view SCORE_VARIABLE_PREFIX = "?ql_score_";
 static constexpr std::string_view MATCHINGWORD_VARIABLE_PREFIX =
     "?ql_matchingword_";
diff --git a/test/AggregateExpressionTest.cpp b/test/AggregateExpressionTest.cpp
index 3194be6d8e..329d7086ff 100644
--- a/test/AggregateExpressionTest.cpp
+++ b/test/AggregateExpressionTest.cpp
@@ -105,12 +105,22 @@ TEST(AggregateExpression, count) {
 // ______________________________________________________________________________
 TEST(AggregateExpression, CountStar) {
   auto t = TestContext{};
+  // A matcher that first clears the cache and then checks that the result of
+  // evaluating a `SparqlExpression::Ptr` yields the single integer ID that
+  // stores `i`.
+  auto matcher = [&](int64_t i) {
+    auto evaluate = [&](const SparqlExpression::Ptr& expr) {
+      return expr->evaluate(&t.context);
+    };
+    using namespace ::testing;
+    t.qec->getQueryTreeCache().clearAll();
+    return ResultOf(evaluate, VariantWith<Id>(Eq(Id::makeFromInt(i))));
+  };
+
   auto totalSize = t.table.size();
   using namespace sparqlExpression;
   auto m = makeCountStarExpression(false);
-  EXPECT_THAT(
-      m->evaluate(&t.context),
-      ::testing::VariantWith<Id>(::testing::Eq(Id::makeFromInt(totalSize))));
+  EXPECT_THAT(m, matcher(totalSize));
 
   // Add some duplicates.
   t.table.push_back(t.table.at(0));
@@ -120,16 +130,12 @@ TEST(AggregateExpression, CountStar) {
 
   t.context._endIndex += 3;
 
-  t.qec->getQueryTreeCache().clearAll();
   // A COUNT * has now a size which is larger by 3, but a COUNT DISTINCT * still
   // has the same size.
-  EXPECT_THAT(m->evaluate(&t.context), ::testing::VariantWith<Id>(::testing::Eq(
-                                           Id::makeFromInt(totalSize + 3))));
-
+  EXPECT_THAT(m, matcher(totalSize + 3));
   // We have added two duplicates, and one new distinct row
   m = makeCountStarExpression(true);
-  EXPECT_THAT(m->evaluate(&t.context), ::testing::VariantWith<Id>(::testing::Eq(
-                                           Id::makeFromInt(totalSize + 1))));
+  EXPECT_THAT(m, matcher(totalSize + 1));
 
   // If we modify the `varToColMap` such that it doesn't contain our unique
   // value in column 0, then the number of distinct entries goes back to where
@@ -139,10 +145,15 @@ TEST(AggregateExpression, CountStar) {
 
   t.varToColMap[Variable{"?x"}] = {
       1, ColumnIndexAndTypeInfo::UndefStatus::AlwaysDefined};
+  EXPECT_THAT(m, matcher(totalSize));
+
+  // This variable is internal, so it doesn't count towards the `COUNT(DISTINCT
+  // *)` and doesn't change the result.
+  t.varToColMap[Variable{
+      absl::StrCat(INTERNAL_VARIABLE_PREFIX, "someInternalVar")}] = {
+      0, ColumnIndexAndTypeInfo::UndefStatus::AlwaysDefined};
   t.qec->getQueryTreeCache().clearAll();
-  EXPECT_THAT(
-      m->evaluate(&t.context),
-      ::testing::VariantWith<Id>(::testing::Eq(Id::makeFromInt(totalSize))));
+  EXPECT_THAT(m, matcher(totalSize));
 }
 
 // ______________________________________________________________________________
diff --git a/test/QueryPlannerTest.cpp b/test/QueryPlannerTest.cpp
index 7451016f2a..42f98286f2 100644
--- a/test/QueryPlannerTest.cpp
+++ b/test/QueryPlannerTest.cpp
@@ -690,6 +690,14 @@ TEST(QueryPlanner, CartesianProductJoin) {
           scan("?x", "<b>", "?c")));
 }
 
+namespace {
+// A helper function to recreate the internal variables added by the query
+// planner for transitive paths.
+std::string internalVar(int i) {
+  return absl::StrCat(INTERNAL_VARIABLE_QUERY_PLANNER_PREFIX, i);
+}
+}  // namespace
+
 TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathUnbound) {
   auto scan = h::IndexScanFromStrings;
   TransitivePathSide left{std::nullopt, 0, Variable("?x"), 0};
@@ -697,10 +705,8 @@ TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathUnbound) {
   h::expect(
       "SELECT ?x ?y WHERE {"
       "?x <p>+ ?y }",
-      h::TransitivePath(
-          left, right, 1, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
-          scan("?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_0", "<p>",
-               "?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_1")));
+      h::TransitivePath(left, right, 1, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
+                        scan(internalVar(0), "<p>", internalVar(1))));
 }
 
 TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathLeftId) {
@@ -714,10 +720,8 @@ TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathLeftId) {
   h::expect(
       "SELECT ?y WHERE {"
       "<s> <p>+ ?y }",
-      h::TransitivePath(
-          left, right, 1, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
-          scan("?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_0", "<p>",
-               "?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_1")),
+      h::TransitivePath(left, right, 1, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
+                        scan(internalVar(0), "<p>", internalVar(1))),
       qec);
 }
 
@@ -732,10 +736,8 @@ TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathRightId) {
   h::expect(
       "SELECT ?y WHERE {"
       "?x <p>+ <o> }",
-      h::TransitivePath(
-          left, right, 1, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
-          scan("?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_0", "<p>",
-               "?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_1")),
+      h::TransitivePath(left, right, 1, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
+                        scan(internalVar(0), "<p>", internalVar(1))),
       qec);
 }
 
@@ -747,11 +749,9 @@ TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathBindLeft) {
       "SELECT ?x ?y WHERE {"
       "<s> <p> ?x."
       "?x <p>* ?y }",
-      h::TransitivePath(
-          left, right, 0, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
-          scan("<s>", "<p>", "?x"),
-          scan("?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_0", "<p>",
-               "?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_1")));
+      h::TransitivePath(left, right, 0, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
+                        scan("<s>", "<p>", "?x"),
+                        scan(internalVar(0), "<p>", internalVar(1))));
 }
 
 TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathBindRight) {
@@ -765,9 +765,7 @@ TEST(QueryPlanner, TransitivePathBindRight) {
       h::TransitivePath(
           left, right, 0, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
           scan("?y", "<p>", "<o>"),
-          scan("?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_0", "<p>",
-               "?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_1",
-               {Permutation::POS})),
+          scan(internalVar(0), "<p>", internalVar(1), {Permutation::POS})),
       ad_utility::testing::getQec("<x> <p> <o>. <x2> <p> <o2>"));
 }
 
@@ -965,9 +963,6 @@ TEST(QueryPlanner, TextLimit) {
 }
 
 TEST(QueryPlanner, NonDistinctVariablesInTriple) {
-  auto internalVar = [](int i) {
-    return absl::StrCat("?_qlever_internal_variable_query_planner_", i);
-  };
   auto eq = [](std::string_view l, std::string_view r) {
     return absl::StrCat(l, "=", r);
   };