diff --git a/lib/plausible/stats/exploration.ex b/lib/plausible/stats/exploration.ex
index 84ceaf1ae333..3c5f702c86d7 100644
--- a/lib/plausible/stats/exploration.ex
+++ b/lib/plausible/stats/exploration.ex
@@ -36,17 +36,7 @@ defmodule Plausible.Stats.Exploration do
 
   @spec next_steps(Query.t(), journey(), String.t()) ::
           {:ok, [next_step()]}
-  def next_steps(query, journey, search_term \\ "")
-
-  def next_steps(query, [], search_term) do
-    query
-    |> Base.base_event_query()
-    |> next_steps_first_query(search_term)
-    |> ClickhouseRepo.all()
-    |> then(&{:ok, &1})
-  end
-
-  def next_steps(query, journey, search_term) do
+  def next_steps(query, journey, search_term \\ "") do
     query
     |> Base.base_event_query()
     |> next_steps_query(journey, search_term)
@@ -67,29 +57,6 @@ defmodule Plausible.Stats.Exploration do
     |> then(&{:ok, &1})
   end
 
-  defp next_steps_first_query(query, search_term) do
-    q_steps = steps_query(query, 1)
-
-    from(s in subquery(q_steps),
-      where: selected_as(:next_name) != "",
-      select: %{
-        step: %Journey.Step{
-          name: selected_as(s.name1, :next_name),
-          pathname: selected_as(s.pathname1, :next_pathname)
-        },
-        visitors: selected_as(scale_sample(fragment("uniq(?)", s.user_id)), :count)
-      },
-      group_by: [selected_as(:next_name), selected_as(:next_pathname)],
-      order_by: [
-        desc: selected_as(:count),
-        asc: selected_as(:next_pathname),
-        asc: selected_as(:next_name)
-      ],
-      limit: 10
-    )
-    |> maybe_search(search_term)
-  end
-
   defp next_steps_query(query, steps, search_term) do
     next_step_idx = length(steps) + 1
     q_steps = steps_query(query, next_step_idx)
@@ -99,10 +66,7 @@ defmodule Plausible.Stats.Exploration do
 
     q_next =
       from(s in subquery(q_steps),
-        # avoid cycling back to the beginning of the exploration
-        where:
-          selected_as(:next_name) != "" and
-            (selected_as(:next_name) != s.name1 or selected_as(:next_pathname) != s.pathname1),
+        where: selected_as(:next_name) != "",
         select: %{
           step: %Journey.Step{
             name: selected_as(field(s, ^next_name), :next_name),
diff --git a/lib/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller.ex b/lib/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller.ex
index 4711d1182e8e..2ab0333ef338 100644
--- a/lib/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller.ex
@@ -372,7 +372,6 @@ defmodule PlausibleWeb.Api.StatsController do
     input
     |> Jason.decode!()
     |> Enum.map(&parse_journey_step/1)
-    |> Enum.reject(&is_nil/1)
     |> then(&{:ok, &1})
   end
 
diff --git a/test/plausible/stats/exploration_test.exs b/test/plausible/stats/exploration_test.exs
index 89765172362b..9f385bbc6198 100644
--- a/test/plausible/stats/exploration_test.exs
+++ b/test/plausible/stats/exploration_test.exs
@@ -140,12 +140,14 @@ defmodule Plausible.Stats.ExplorationTest do
         %Exploration.Journey.Step{name: "pageview", pathname: "/login"}
       ]
 
-      assert {:ok, [next_step1, next_step2]} = Exploration.next_steps(query, journey)
+      assert {:ok, [next_step1, next_step2, next_step3]} = Exploration.next_steps(query, journey)
 
       assert next_step1.step.pathname == "/docs"
       assert next_step1.visitors == 1
-      assert next_step2.step.pathname == "/logout"
+      assert next_step2.step.pathname == "/home"
       assert next_step2.visitors == 1
+      assert next_step3.step.pathname == "/logout"
+      assert next_step3.visitors == 1
     end
 
     test "suggests the first step in the journey", %{site: site} do
diff --git a/test/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller/exploration_test.exs b/test/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller/exploration_test.exs
index 0b7b71edffe2..e2deb58d053e 100644
--- a/test/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller/exploration_test.exs
+++ b/test/plausible_web/controllers/api/stats_controller/exploration_test.exs
@@ -74,11 +74,13 @@ defmodule PlausibleWeb.Api.StatsController.ExplorationTest do
           |> get("/api/stats/#{site.domain}/exploration/next/?journey=#{journey}&period=24h")
           |> json_response(200)
 
-        assert [next_step1, next_step2] = resp
+        assert [next_step1, next_step2, next_step3] = resp
         assert next_step1["step"]["pathname"] == "/docs"
         assert next_step1["visitors"] == 1
-        assert next_step2["step"]["pathname"] == "/logout"
+        assert next_step2["step"]["pathname"] == "/home"
         assert next_step2["visitors"] == 1
+        assert next_step3["step"]["pathname"] == "/logout"
+        assert next_step3["visitors"] == 1
       end
 
       test "it filters", %{conn: conn, site: site} do