diff --git a/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs b/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs
index 98079e07b..05940822a 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use std::borrow::Cow;
-use std::collections::hash_map::Entry;
+use std::collections::btree_map::Entry as BEntry;
+use std::collections::hash_map::Entry as HEntry;
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::{Read, Seek};
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ use super::{IndexDocumentsMethod, IndexerConfig};
 use crate::documents::{DocumentsBatchIndex, EnrichedDocument, EnrichedDocumentsBatchReader};
 use crate::error::{Error, InternalError, UserError};
 use crate::index::{db_name, main_key};
-use crate::update::del_add::into_del_add_obkv;
+use crate::update::del_add::{into_del_add_obkv, DelAdd, KvReaderDelAdd};
 use crate::update::{AvailableDocumentsIds, ClearDocuments, UpdateIndexingStep};
 use crate::{
     FieldDistribution, FieldId, FieldIdMapMissingEntry, FieldsIdsMap, Index, Result, BEU32,
@@ -219,8 +220,8 @@ impl<'a, 'i> Transform<'a, 'i> {
             let mut original_docid = None;
 
             let docid = match self.new_external_documents_ids_builder.entry((*external_id).into()) {
-                Entry::Occupied(entry) => *entry.get() as u32,
-                Entry::Vacant(entry) => {
+                HEntry::Occupied(entry) => *entry.get() as u32,
+                HEntry::Vacant(entry) => {
                     let docid = match external_documents_ids.get(wtxn, entry.key())? {
                         Some(docid) => {
                             // If it was already in the list of replaced documents it means it was deleted
@@ -388,7 +389,7 @@ impl<'a, 'i> Transform<'a, 'i> {
                 .entry((*to_remove).into())
             {
                 // if the document was added in a previous iteration of the transform we make it as deleted in the sorters.
-                Entry::Occupied(entry) => {
+                HEntry::Occupied(entry) => {
                     let doc_id = *entry.get() as u32;
                     document_sorter_buffer.clear();
                     document_sorter_buffer.push(Operation::Deletion as u8);
@@ -405,7 +406,7 @@ impl<'a, 'i> Transform<'a, 'i> {
                     entry.remove_entry();
                     true
                 }
-                Entry::Vacant(_) => false,
+                HEntry::Vacant(_) => false,
             };
 
             // If the document was already in the db we mark it as a `to_delete` document.
@@ -657,8 +658,6 @@ impl<'a, 'i> Transform<'a, 'i> {
         // 2. Add all the new documents to the field distribution
         let mut field_distribution = self.index.field_distribution(wtxn)?;
 
-        self.remove_deleted_documents_from_field_distribution(wtxn, &mut field_distribution)?;
-
         // Here we are going to do the document count + field distribution + `write_into_stream_writer`
         let mut iter = self.original_sorter.into_stream_merger_iter()?;
         // used only for the callback
@@ -678,13 +677,49 @@ impl<'a, 'i> Transform<'a, 'i> {
             // We increment all the field of the current document in the field distribution.
             let obkv = KvReader::new(val);
 
-            for (key, _) in obkv.iter() {
-                let name =
-                    self.fields_ids_map.name(key).ok_or(FieldIdMapMissingEntry::FieldId {
-                        field_id: key,
-                        process: "Computing field distribution in transform.",
-                    })?;
-                *field_distribution.entry(name.to_string()).or_insert(0) += 1;
+            for (key, value) in obkv.iter() {
+                let reader = KvReaderDelAdd::new(value);
+                match (reader.get(DelAdd::Deletion), reader.get(DelAdd::Addition)) {
+                    (None, None) => {}
+                    (None, Some(_)) => {
+                        // New field
+                        let name = self.fields_ids_map.name(key).ok_or(
+                            FieldIdMapMissingEntry::FieldId {
+                                field_id: key,
+                                process: "Computing field distribution in transform.",
+                            },
+                        )?;
+                        *field_distribution.entry(name.to_string()).or_insert(0) += 1;
+                    }
+                    (Some(_), None) => {
+                        // Field removed
+                        let name = self.fields_ids_map.name(key).ok_or(
+                            FieldIdMapMissingEntry::FieldId {
+                                field_id: key,
+                                process: "Computing field distribution in transform.",
+                            },
+                        )?;
+                        match field_distribution.entry(name.to_string()) {
+                            BEntry::Vacant(_) => { /* Bug? trying to remove a non-existing field */
+                            }
+                            BEntry::Occupied(mut entry) => {
+                                // attempt to remove one
+                                match entry.get_mut().checked_sub(1) {
+                                    Some(new_val) => {
+                                        *entry.get_mut() = new_val;
+                                    }
+                                    None => {
+                                        // was 0, remove field from distribution
+                                        entry.remove();
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                    (Some(_), Some(_)) => {
+                        // Value change, no field distribution change
+                    }
+                }
             }
             writer.insert(key, val)?;
         }