diff --git a/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers.rs b/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers.rs
index 92106a276f..53c0e83ee0 100644
--- a/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers.rs
+++ b/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers.rs
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ pub trait GraphLayersBase {
         level: usize,
         ef: usize,
         points_scorer: &mut FilteredScorer,
-        existing_links: &[PointOffsetType],
     ) -> FixedLengthPriorityQueue<ScoredPointOffset> {
         let mut visited_list = self.get_visited_list_from_pool();
         visited_list.check_and_update_visited(level_entry.idx);
@@ -106,15 +105,6 @@ pub trait GraphLayersBase {
 
         self._search_on_level(&mut search_context, level, &mut visited_list, points_scorer);
 
-        for &existing_link in existing_links {
-            if !visited_list.check(existing_link) {
-                search_context.process_candidate(ScoredPointOffset {
-                    idx: existing_link,
-                    score: points_scorer.score_point(existing_link),
-                });
-            }
-        }
-
         self.return_visited_list_to_pool(visited_list);
         search_context.nearest
     }
@@ -215,8 +205,7 @@ impl<TGraphLinks: GraphLinks> GraphLayers<TGraphLinks> {
             &mut points_scorer,
         );
 
-        let nearest =
-            self.search_on_level(zero_level_entry, 0, max(top, ef), &mut points_scorer, &[]);
+        let nearest = self.search_on_level(zero_level_entry, 0, max(top, ef), &mut points_scorer);
         nearest.into_iter().take(top).collect_vec()
     }
 
@@ -367,7 +356,6 @@ mod tests {
             0,
             32,
             &mut scorer,
-            &[],
         );
 
         assert_eq!(nearest_on_level.len(), graph_links[0][0].len() + 1);
diff --git a/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers_builder.rs b/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers_builder.rs
index c8886333f4..96140db289 100644
--- a/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers_builder.rs
+++ b/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/graph_layers_builder.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use crate::index::hnsw_index::entry_points::EntryPoints;
 use crate::index::hnsw_index::graph_layers::{GraphLayers, GraphLayersBase, LinkContainer};
 use crate::index::hnsw_index::graph_links::GraphLinksConverter;
 use crate::index::hnsw_index::point_scorer::FilteredScorer;
+use crate::index::hnsw_index::search_context::SearchContext;
 use crate::index::visited_pool::{VisitedList, VisitedPool};
 use crate::spaces::tools::FixedLengthPriorityQueue;
 use crate::types::{PointOffsetType, ScoreType};
@@ -282,6 +283,34 @@ impl GraphLayersBuilder {
         result_list
     }
 
+    fn search_existing_point_on_level(
+        &self,
+        level_entry: ScoredPointOffset,
+        level: usize,
+        ef: usize,
+        points_scorer: &mut FilteredScorer,
+        point_id: PointOffsetType,
+    ) -> FixedLengthPriorityQueue<ScoredPointOffset> {
+        let mut visited_list = self.get_visited_list_from_pool();
+        visited_list.check_and_update_visited(level_entry.idx);
+        let mut search_context = SearchContext::new(level_entry, ef);
+
+        self._search_on_level(&mut search_context, level, &mut visited_list, points_scorer);
+
+        let existing_links = self.links_layers[point_id as usize][level].read();
+        for &existing_link in existing_links.iter() {
+            if !visited_list.check(existing_link) {
+                search_context.process_candidate(ScoredPointOffset {
+                    idx: existing_link,
+                    score: points_scorer.score_point(existing_link),
+                });
+            }
+        }
+
+        self.return_visited_list_to_pool(visited_list);
+        search_context.nearest
+    }
+
     /// <https://github.com/nmslib/hnswlib/issues/99>
     fn select_candidates_with_heuristic<F>(
         candidates: FixedLengthPriorityQueue<ScoredPointOffset>,
@@ -339,14 +368,12 @@ impl GraphLayersBuilder {
                     let level_m = self.get_m(curr_level);
 
                     let nearest_points = {
-                        let existing_links =
-                            self.links_layers[point_id as usize][curr_level].read();
-                        self.search_on_level(
+                        self.search_existing_point_on_level(
                             level_entry,
                             curr_level,
                             self.ef_construct,
                             &mut points_scorer,
-                            &existing_links,
+                            point_id,
                         )
                     };
 
diff --git a/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/tests/test_compact_graph_layer.rs b/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/tests/test_compact_graph_layer.rs
index 3391390451..45f3e80505 100644
--- a/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/tests/test_compact_graph_layer.rs
+++ b/lib/segment/src/index/hnsw_index/tests/test_compact_graph_layer.rs
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ fn search_in_builder(
         &mut points_scorer,
     );
 
-    let nearest =
-        builder.search_on_level(zero_level_entry, 0, max(top, ef), &mut points_scorer, &[]);
+    let nearest = builder.search_on_level(zero_level_entry, 0, max(top, ef), &mut points_scorer);
     nearest.into_iter().take(top).collect_vec()
 }