diff --git a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/field-builder.ts b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/field-builder.ts
index ce7e5a47e..295dd499e 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/field-builder.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/field-builder.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { GraphQLResolveInfo } from 'graphql';
+import { getNamedType, GraphQLResolveInfo, isInterfaceType, isObjectType, Kind } from 'graphql';
 import {
   FieldKind,
   FieldRef,
@@ -145,6 +145,19 @@ fieldBuilderProto.prismaConnection = function prismaConnection<
           withUsageCheck: !!this.builder.options.prisma?.onUnusedQuery,
         });
 
+        const returnType = getNamedType(info.returnType);
+        const fields =
+          isObjectType(returnType) || isInterfaceType(returnType) ? returnType.getFields() : {};
+
+        const selection = info.fieldNodes[0];
+
+        const totalCountOnly =
+          selection.selectionSet?.selections.length === 1 &&
+          selection.selectionSet.selections.every(
+            (s) =>
+              s.kind === Kind.FIELD && fields[s.name.value]?.extensions?.pothosPrismaTotalCount,
+          );
+
         return resolvePrismaCursorConnection(
           {
             parent,
@@ -157,13 +170,16 @@ fieldBuilderProto.prismaConnection = function prismaConnection<
             totalCount: totalCount && (() => totalCount(parent, args as never, context, info)),
           },
           formatCursor,
-          (q) =>
-            checkIfQueryIsUsed(
+          (q) => {
+            if (totalCountOnly) return [];
+
+            return checkIfQueryIsUsed(
               this.builder,
               query,
               info,
               resolve(q as never, parent, args as never, context, info) as never,
-            ),
+            );
+          },
         );
       },
     },
@@ -180,6 +196,9 @@ fieldBuilderProto.prismaConnection = function prismaConnection<
               ) => ({
                 totalCount: t.int({
                   nullable: false,
+                  extensions: {
+                    pothosPrismaTotalCount: true,
+                  },
                   resolve: (parent, args, context) => parent.totalCount?.(),
                 }),
                 ...(connectionOptions as { fields?: (t: unknown) => {} }).fields?.(t),
diff --git a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/index.ts b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/index.ts
index 506655a7a..b086c908a 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import './global-types';
 import './schema-builder';
 import './field-builder';
-import { GraphQLFieldResolver } from 'graphql';
+import { GraphQLFieldResolver, GraphQLResolveInfo } from 'graphql';
 import SchemaBuilder, {
   BasePlugin,
   BuildCache,
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ export class PrismaPlugin<Types extends SchemaTypes> extends BasePlugin<Types> {
 
     const parentConfig = this.buildCache.getTypeConfig(fieldConfig.parentType);
     const loadedCheck = fieldConfig.extensions?.pothosPrismaLoaded as
-      | ((val: unknown) => boolean)
+      | ((val: unknown, info: GraphQLResolveInfo) => boolean)
       | undefined;
     const loaderCache = parentConfig.extensions?.pothosPrismaLoader as (
       model: unknown,
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ export class PrismaPlugin<Types extends SchemaTypes> extends BasePlugin<Types> {
         }
       }
 
-      if ((!loadedCheck || loadedCheck(parent)) && mapping) {
+      if ((!loadedCheck || loadedCheck(parent, info)) && mapping) {
         setLoaderMappings(context, info, mapping);
 
         return resolver(parent, args, context, info);
diff --git a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/prisma-field-builder.ts b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/prisma-field-builder.ts
index d2dd70ce4..105eea54a 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/prisma-field-builder.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/prisma-field-builder.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-nested-ternary */
 /* eslint-disable no-underscore-dangle */
-import { FieldNode, GraphQLResolveInfo } from 'graphql';
+import {
+  FieldNode,
+  getNamedType,
+  GraphQLResolveInfo,
+  isInterfaceType,
+  isObjectType,
+  Kind,
+} from 'graphql';
 import {
   CompatibleTypes,
   ExposeNullability,
@@ -265,17 +272,17 @@ export class PrismaObjectFieldBuilder<
       nestedQuery: (query: unknown, path?: unknown) => { select?: {} },
       getSelection: (path: string[]) => FieldNode | null,
     ) => {
+      typeName ??= this.builder.configStore.getTypeConfig(ref).name;
       const nested = nestedQuery(getQuery(args, context), {
-        getType: () => {
-          if (!typeName) {
-            typeName = this.builder.configStore.getTypeConfig(ref).name;
-          }
-          return typeName;
-        },
+        getType: () => typeName!,
         paths: [[{ name: 'nodes' }], [{ name: 'edges' }, { name: 'node' }]],
       }) as SelectionMap;
 
+      const selection = getSelection([])!;
       const hasTotalCount = totalCount && !!getSelection(['totalCount']);
+
+      const totalCountOnly = selection.selectionSet?.selections.length === 1 && hasTotalCount;
+
       const countSelect = this.builder.options.prisma.filterConnectionTotalCount
         ? nested.where
           ? { where: nested.where }
@@ -285,7 +292,9 @@ export class PrismaObjectFieldBuilder<
       return {
         select: {
           ...(hasTotalCount ? { _count: { select: { [name]: countSelect } } } : {}),
-          [name]: nested?.select
+          [name]: totalCountOnly
+            ? undefined
+            : nested?.select
             ? {
                 ...nested,
                 select: {
@@ -309,7 +318,22 @@ export class PrismaObjectFieldBuilder<
         extensions: {
           ...extensions,
           pothosPrismaSelect: relationSelect,
-          pothosPrismaLoaded: (value: Record<string, unknown>) => value[name] !== undefined,
+          pothosPrismaLoaded: (value: Record<string, unknown>, info: GraphQLResolveInfo) => {
+            const returnType = getNamedType(info.returnType);
+            const fields =
+              isObjectType(returnType) || isInterfaceType(returnType) ? returnType.getFields() : {};
+
+            const selection = info.fieldNodes[0];
+
+            const totalCountOnly =
+              selection.selectionSet?.selections.length === 1 &&
+              selection.selectionSet.selections.every(
+                (s) =>
+                  s.kind === Kind.FIELD && fields[s.name.value]?.extensions?.pothosPrismaTotalCount,
+              );
+
+            return totalCountOnly || value[name] !== undefined;
+          },
           pothosPrismaFallback:
             resolve &&
             ((
@@ -342,7 +366,7 @@ export class PrismaObjectFieldBuilder<
 
           return wrapConnectionResult(
             parent,
-            (parent as Record<string, never>)[name],
+            (parent as Record<string, never>)[name] ?? [],
             args,
             connectionQuery.take,
             formatCursor,
@@ -360,6 +384,9 @@ export class PrismaObjectFieldBuilder<
                 ) => ({
                   totalCount: t.int({
                     nullable: false,
+                    extensions: {
+                      pothosPrismaTotalCount: true,
+                    },
                     resolve: (parent, args, context) => parent.totalCount,
                   }),
                   ...(connectionOptions as { fields?: (t: unknown) => {} }).fields?.(t),
diff --git a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/util/map-query.ts b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/util/map-query.ts
index 3787c98a1..0e9bd0b5b 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-prisma/src/util/map-query.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-prisma/src/util/map-query.ts
@@ -347,6 +347,10 @@ function addFieldSelection(
         return selectionToQuery(fieldState);
       },
       (path) => {
+        if (path.length === 0) {
+          return selection;
+        }
+
         const returnType = getNamedType(field.type);
         let node: FieldNode | null = null;
 
diff --git a/packages/plugin-prisma/tests/counts.test.ts b/packages/plugin-prisma/tests/counts.test.ts
index 11486246c..fa36657df 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-prisma/tests/counts.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-prisma/tests/counts.test.ts
@@ -143,16 +143,6 @@ describe('prisma counts', () => {
           "model": "User",
           "runInTransaction": false,
         },
-        {
-          "action": "findMany",
-          "args": {
-            "skip": 0,
-            "take": 2,
-          },
-          "dataPath": [],
-          "model": "User",
-          "runInTransaction": false,
-        },
         {
           "action": "count",
           "args": undefined,
@@ -237,6 +227,44 @@ describe('prisma counts', () => {
     `);
   });
 
+  it('queries only totalCount on connection', async () => {
+    const query = gql`
+      query {
+        userConnection {
+          totalCount
+        }
+      }
+    `;
+
+    const result = await execute({
+      schema,
+      document: query,
+      contextValue: { user: { id: 1 } },
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      {
+        "data": {
+          "userConnection": {
+            "totalCount": 100,
+          },
+        },
+      }
+    `);
+
+    expect(queries).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      [
+        {
+          "action": "count",
+          "args": undefined,
+          "dataPath": [],
+          "model": "User",
+          "runInTransaction": false,
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
+  });
+
   it('connection totalCount in fragment', async () => {
     const query = gql`
       query {
@@ -550,13 +578,6 @@ describe('prisma counts', () => {
                       "posts": true,
                     },
                   },
-                  "posts": {
-                    "orderBy": {
-                      "createdAt": "desc",
-                    },
-                    "skip": 0,
-                    "take": 21,
-                  },
                   "profile": {
                     "include": {
                       "user": {