diff --git a/milli/src/criterion.rs b/milli/src/criterion.rs
index 81a2878b3..c2205613d 100644
--- a/milli/src/criterion.rs
+++ b/milli/src/criterion.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,16 @@ pub enum Criterion {
     Desc(String),
 }
 
+impl Criterion {
+    /// Returns the field name parameter of this criterion.
+    pub fn field_name(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        match self {
+            Criterion::Asc(name) | Criterion::Desc(name) => Some(name),
+            _otherwise => None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl FromStr for Criterion {
     type Err = anyhow::Error;
 
diff --git a/milli/src/update/settings.rs b/milli/src/update/settings.rs
index ef32c5c44..ec4618158 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/settings.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/settings.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ use meilisearch_tokenizer::{Analyzer, AnalyzerConfig};
 use rayon::ThreadPool;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
 
-use crate::{FieldsIdsMap, Index};
-use crate::update::{ClearDocuments, IndexDocuments, UpdateIndexingStep};
+use crate::criterion::Criterion;
 use crate::update::index_documents::{IndexDocumentsMethod, Transform};
+use crate::update::{ClearDocuments, IndexDocuments, UpdateIndexingStep};
+use crate::{FieldsIdsMap, Index};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Setting<T> {
@@ -403,12 +404,17 @@ impl<'a, 't, 'u, 'i> Settings<'a, 't, 'u, 'i> {
     fn update_criteria(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         match self.criteria {
             Setting::Set(ref fields) => {
+                let mut fields_ids_map = self.index.fields_ids_map(self.wtxn)?;
                 let mut new_criteria = Vec::new();
                 for name in fields {
-                    let criterion = name.parse()?;
+                    let criterion: Criterion = name.parse()?;
+                    if let Some(name) = criterion.field_name() {
+                        fields_ids_map.insert(name).context("field id limit exceeded")?;
+                    }
                     new_criteria.push(criterion);
                 }
                 self.index.put_criteria(self.wtxn, &new_criteria)?;
+                self.index.put_fields_ids_map(self.wtxn, &fields_ids_map)?;
             }
             Setting::Reset => { self.index.delete_criteria(self.wtxn)?; }
             Setting::NotSet => (),