diff --git a/ydb/core/base/fulltext.cpp b/ydb/core/base/fulltext.cpp
index 51ced489aff1..242484e72af7 100644
--- a/ydb/core/base/fulltext.cpp
+++ b/ydb/core/base/fulltext.cpp
@@ -137,40 +137,54 @@ TVector<TString> Analyze(const TString& text, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSet
     return tokens;
 }
 
-bool ValidateSettings(const NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString>& keyColumns, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error) {
-    if (!settings.has_layout() || settings.layout() == Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings::LAYOUT_UNSPECIFIED) {
-        error = "layout should be set";
-        return false;
-    }
+bool ValidateColumnsMatches(const NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString>& columns, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error) {
+    return ValidateColumnsMatches(TVector<TString>{columns.begin(), columns.end()}, settings, error);
+}
 
+bool ValidateColumnsMatches(const TVector<TString>& columns, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error) {
+    TVector<TString> settingsColumns(::Reserve(settings.columns().size()));
     for (auto column : settings.columns()) {
-        if (!column.has_column()) {
-            error = "fulltext index settings should have a column name";
-            return false;
-        }
-        if (!column.has_analyzers()) {
-            error = "fulltext index settings should have analyzers";
-            return false;
-        }
+        settingsColumns.push_back(column.column());
     }
 
-    if (keyColumns.size() != 1) {
-        error = TStringBuilder() << "fulltext index should have a single text key column"
-            << " but have " << keyColumns.size() << " of them";
+
+    if (columns != settingsColumns) {
+        error = TStringBuilder() << "columns " << settingsColumns << " should be " << columns;
         return false;
     }
-    if (settings.columns().size() != 1) {
-        error = TStringBuilder() << "fulltext index should have a single text key column settings"
-            << " but have " << settings.columns().size() << " of them";
+
+    error = "";
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool ValidateSettings(const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error) {
+    if (!settings.has_layout() || settings.layout() == Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings::LAYOUT_UNSPECIFIED) {
+        error = "layout should be set";
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (settings.columns().empty()) {
+        error = "columns should be set";
         return false;
     }
-    if (keyColumns.at(0) != settings.columns().at(0).column()) {
-        error = TStringBuilder() << "fulltext index should have a single text key column " << keyColumns.at(0) << " settings"
-            << " but have " << settings.columns().at(0).column();
+    
+    // current implementation limitation:
+    if (settings.columns().size() != 1) {
+        error = "columns should have a single value";
         return false;
     }
 
     for (auto column : settings.columns()) {
+        if (!column.has_column()) {
+            error = "column name should be set";
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // current implementation limitation:
+        if (!settings.columns().at(0).has_analyzers()) {
+            error = "column analyzers should be set";
+            return false;
+        }
         if (!ValidateSettings(column.analyzers(), error)) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -226,15 +240,18 @@ Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings FillSettings(const TString& keyColumn, const T
         columnAnalyzers->mutable_analyzers()->CopyFrom(resultAnalyzers);
     }
 
-    {
-        NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString> keyColumns;
-        TString keyColumn_ = keyColumn;
-        keyColumns.Add(std::move(keyColumn_));
-        ValidateSettings(keyColumns, result, error);
-    }
+    ValidateSettings(result, error);
 
     return result;
 }
 
 
 }
+
+template<> inline
+void Out<TVector<TString>>(IOutputStream& o, const TVector<TString> &vec) {
+    o << "[ ";
+    for (const auto &x : vec)
+        o << x << ' ';
+    o << "]";
+}
diff --git a/ydb/core/base/fulltext.h b/ydb/core/base/fulltext.h
index 849b52bfc9e4..b7303613ae2d 100644
--- a/ydb/core/base/fulltext.h
+++ b/ydb/core/base/fulltext.h
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ namespace NKikimr::NFulltext {
 
 TVector<TString> Analyze(const TString& text, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings::Analyzers& settings);
 
-bool ValidateSettings(const NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString>& keyColumns, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error);
+bool ValidateColumnsMatches(const NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString>& columns, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error);
+bool ValidateColumnsMatches(const TVector<TString>& columns, const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error);
+
+bool ValidateSettings(const Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings& settings, TString& error);
 Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings FillSettings(const TString& keyColumn, const TVector<std::pair<TString, TString>>& values, TString& error);
 
 }
diff --git a/ydb/core/base/ut/fulltext_ut.cpp b/ydb/core/base/ut/fulltext_ut.cpp
index d3cb620dca9d..113c18211539 100644
--- a/ydb/core/base/ut/fulltext_ut.cpp
+++ b/ydb/core/base/ut/fulltext_ut.cpp
@@ -6,56 +6,54 @@ namespace NKikimr::NFulltext {
 
 Y_UNIT_TEST_SUITE(NFulltext) {
 
+    Y_UNIT_TEST(ValidateColumnsMatches) {
+        TString error;
+        
+        Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings settings;
+        settings.add_columns()->set_column("column1");
+        settings.add_columns()->set_column("column2");
+
+        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateColumnsMatches(TVector<TString>{"column2"}, settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "columns [ column1 column2 ] should be [ column2 ]");
+
+        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateColumnsMatches(TVector<TString>{"column2", "column1"}, settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "columns [ column1 column2 ] should be [ column2 column1 ]");
+
+        UNIT_ASSERT(ValidateColumnsMatches(TVector<TString>{"column1", "column2"}, settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "");
+    }
+
     Y_UNIT_TEST(ValidateSettings) {
         Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings settings;
         TString error;
 
-        NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString> keyColumns;
-        keyColumns.Add("text");
-
-        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(settings, error));
         UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "layout should be set");
         settings.set_layout(Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings::FLAT);
 
-        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error));
-        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "fulltext index should have a single text key column settings but have 0 of them");
+        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "columns should be set");
         auto columnSettings = settings.add_columns();
 
-        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error));
-        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "fulltext index settings should have a column name");
+        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "column name should be set");
         columnSettings->set_column("text");
 
-        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error));
-        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "fulltext index settings should have analyzers");
+        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "column analyzers should be set");
         auto columnAnalyzers = columnSettings->mutable_analyzers();
 
-        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error));
+        UNIT_ASSERT(!ValidateSettings(settings, error));
         UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "tokenizer should be set");
         columnAnalyzers->set_tokenizer(Ydb::Table::FulltextIndexSettings::STANDARD);
 
-        {
-            NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString> keyColumns;
-            UNIT_ASSERT_C(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error), error);
-            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "fulltext index should have a single text key column but have 0 of them");
-        }
-
-        {
-            NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString> keyColumns;
-            keyColumns.Add("text2");
-            UNIT_ASSERT_C(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error), error);
-            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "fulltext index should have a single text key column text2 settings but have text");
-        }
-
-        {
-            NProtoBuf::RepeatedPtrField<TString> keyColumns;
-            keyColumns.Add("text");
-            keyColumns.Add("text");
-            UNIT_ASSERT_C(!ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error), error);
-            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "fulltext index should have a single text key column but have 2 of them");
-        }
-
-        UNIT_ASSERT_C(ValidateSettings(keyColumns, settings, error), error);
+        UNIT_ASSERT_C(ValidateSettings(settings, error), error);
         UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "");
+
+        columnSettings = settings.add_columns();
+        columnSettings->set_column("text2");
+        UNIT_ASSERT_C(!ValidateSettings(settings, error), error);
+        UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(error, "columns should have a single value");
     }
 
     Y_UNIT_TEST(FillSettings) {
diff --git a/ydb/core/protos/tx_datashard.proto b/ydb/core/protos/tx_datashard.proto
index f032d20d8b05..1f34bbdc935c 100644
--- a/ydb/core/protos/tx_datashard.proto
+++ b/ydb/core/protos/tx_datashard.proto
@@ -1799,14 +1799,12 @@ message TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest {
     optional uint64 SeqNoGeneration = 6;
     optional uint64 SeqNoRound = 7;
 
-    optional Ydb.Table.FulltextIndexSettings Settings = 8;
+    optional string IndexName = 8;
 
-    optional string IndexName = 9;
+    optional Ydb.Table.FulltextIndexSettings Settings = 9; // also has key columns
+    repeated string DataColumns = 10;
 
-    repeated string KeyColumns = 10;
-    repeated string DataColumns = 11;
-
-    optional NKikimrIndexBuilder.TIndexBuildScanSettings ScanSettings = 12;
+    optional NKikimrIndexBuilder.TIndexBuildScanSettings ScanSettings = 11;
 }
 
 message TEvBuildFulltextIndexResponse {
diff --git a/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/fulltext.cpp b/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/fulltext.cpp
index 3af00dd7f661..61aa3112c713 100644
--- a/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/fulltext.cpp
+++ b/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/fulltext.cpp
@@ -65,8 +65,6 @@ class TBuildFulltextIndexScan: public TActor<TBuildFulltextIndexScan>, public IA
         Y_ENSURE(Request.settings().columns().size() == 1);
         TextColumn = Request.settings().columns().at(0).column();
         TextAnalyzers = Request.settings().columns().at(0).analyzers();
-        Y_ENSURE(Request.GetKeyColumns().size() == 1);
-        Y_ENSURE(Request.GetKeyColumns().at(0) == TextColumn);
 
         auto tags = GetAllTags(table);
         auto types = GetAllTypes(table);
@@ -373,9 +371,9 @@ void TDataShard::HandleSafe(TEvDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest::TPtr& ev
         }
 
         auto tags = GetAllTags(userTable);
-        for (auto keyColumn : request.GetKeyColumns()) {
-            if (!tags.contains(keyColumn)) {
-                badRequest(TStringBuilder() << "Unknown key column: " << keyColumn);
+        for (auto column : request.GetSettings().columns()) {
+            if (!tags.contains(column.column())) {
+                badRequest(TStringBuilder() << "Unknown key column: " << column.column());
             }
         }
         for (auto dataColumn : request.GetDataColumns()) {
@@ -393,7 +391,7 @@ void TDataShard::HandleSafe(TEvDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest::TPtr& ev
             badRequest(TStringBuilder() << "Missing fulltext index settings");
         } else {
             TString error;
-            if (!NKikimr::NFulltext::ValidateSettings(request.keycolumns(), request.GetSettings(), error)) {
+            if (!NKikimr::NFulltext::ValidateSettings(request.GetSettings(), error)) {
                 badRequest(error);
             }
         }
diff --git a/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/ut/ut_fulltext.cpp b/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/ut/ut_fulltext.cpp
index 39a9b67eee85..a0f6884f7bfb 100644
--- a/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/ut/ut_fulltext.cpp
+++ b/ydb/core/tx/datashard/build_index/ut/ut_fulltext.cpp
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@ Y_UNIT_TEST_SUITE(TTxDataShardBuildFulltextIndexScan) {
 
         request.SetIndexName(kIndexTable);
 
-        request.AddKeyColumns("text");
-
         setupRequest(request);
 
         return datashards[0];
@@ -176,24 +174,17 @@ Y_UNIT_TEST_SUITE(TTxDataShardBuildFulltextIndexScan) {
         }, "{ <main>: Error: Missing fulltext index settings }");
         DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
             request.MutableSettings()->clear_columns();
-        }, "{ <main>: Error: fulltext index should have a single text key column settings but have 0 of them }");
+        }, "{ <main>: Error: columns should be set }");
         DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
             request.MutableSettings()->mutable_columns()->at(0).mutable_analyzers()->clear_tokenizer();
         }, "{ <main>: Error: tokenizer should be set }");
-        DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
-            request.MutableSettings()->mutable_columns()->at(0).set_column("data");
-        }, "{ <main>: Error: fulltext index should have a single text key column text settings but have data }");
 
         DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
             request.ClearIndexName();
         }, "{ <main>: Error: Empty index table name }");
 
         DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
-            request.ClearKeyColumns();
-        }, "{ <main>: Error: fulltext index should have a single text key column but have 0 of them }");
-        DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
-            request.ClearKeyColumns();
-            request.AddKeyColumns("some");
+            request.MutableSettings()->mutable_columns()->at(0).set_column("some");
         }, "{ <main>: Error: Unknown key column: some }");
         DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
             request.AddDataColumns("some");
@@ -202,9 +193,8 @@ Y_UNIT_TEST_SUITE(TTxDataShardBuildFulltextIndexScan) {
         // test multiple issues:
         DoBadRequest(server, sender, [](NKikimrTxDataShard::TEvBuildFulltextIndexRequest& request) {
             request.ClearIndexName();
-            request.ClearKeyColumns();
-            request.AddKeyColumns("some");
-        }, "[ { <main>: Error: Empty index table name } { <main>: Error: Unknown key column: some } ]");
+            request.AddDataColumns("some");
+        }, "[ { <main>: Error: Empty index table name } { <main>: Error: Unknown data column: some } ]");
     }
 
     Y_UNIT_TEST(Build) {
diff --git a/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard__operation_create_indexed_table.cpp b/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard__operation_create_indexed_table.cpp
index 4ee836c4c14e..fc648c9dda86 100644
--- a/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard__operation_create_indexed_table.cpp
+++ b/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard__operation_create_indexed_table.cpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ TVector<ISubOperation::TPtr> CreateIndexedTable(TOperationId nextId, const TTxTr
                     return {CreateReject(nextId, NKikimrScheme::EStatus::StatusPreconditionFailed, "Fulltext index support is disabled")};
                 }
                 TString msg;
-                if (!NKikimr::NFulltext::ValidateSettings(indexDescription.keycolumnnames(), indexDescription.GetFulltextIndexDescription().GetSettings(), msg)) {
+                if (!NKikimr::NFulltext::ValidateSettings(indexDescription.GetFulltextIndexDescription().GetSettings(), msg)) {
                     return {CreateReject(nextId, NKikimrScheme::EStatus::StatusInvalidParameter, msg)};
                 }
                 break;
diff --git a/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_build_index__create.cpp b/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_build_index__create.cpp
index 6dc406e05527..0b83aae30125 100644
--- a/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_build_index__create.cpp
+++ b/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_build_index__create.cpp
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ class TSchemeShard::TIndexBuilder::TTxCreate: public TSchemeShard::TIndexBuilder
             buildInfo.IndexType = NKikimrSchemeOp::EIndexType::EIndexTypeGlobalFulltext;
             NKikimrSchemeOp::TFulltextIndexDescription fulltextIndexDescription;
             *fulltextIndexDescription.MutableSettings() = index.global_fulltext_index().fulltext_settings();
-            if (!NKikimr::NFulltext::ValidateSettings(index.index_columns(), fulltextIndexDescription.GetSettings(), explain)) {
+            if (!NKikimr::NFulltext::ValidateSettings(fulltextIndexDescription.GetSettings(), explain)) {
                 return false;
             }
             buildInfo.SpecializedIndexDescription = fulltextIndexDescription;
diff --git a/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_utils.h b/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_utils.h
index ad99fca80549..5c490b80771d 100644
--- a/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_utils.h
+++ b/ydb/core/tx/schemeshard/schemeshard_utils.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "schemeshard_info_types.h"
 #include "schemeshard_types.h"
 
+#include <ydb/core/base/fulltext.h>
 #include <ydb/core/base/table_index.h>
 
 #include <yql/essentials/minikql/mkql_type_ops.h>
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ bool CommonCheck(const TTableDesc& tableDesc, const NKikimrSchemeOp::TIndexCreat
             }
             break;
         case NKikimrSchemeOp::EIndexTypeGlobalVectorKmeansTree: {
-            //We have already checked this in IsCompatibleIndex
+            // We have already checked this in IsCompatibleIndex
             Y_ABORT_UNLESS(indexKeys.KeyColumns.size() >= 1);
     
             if (indexKeys.KeyColumns.size() > 1 && !IsCompatibleKeyTypes(baseColumnTypes, implTableColumns, uniformTable, error)) {
@@ -188,25 +189,28 @@ bool CommonCheck(const TTableDesc& tableDesc, const NKikimrSchemeOp::TIndexCreat
             break;
         }
         case NKikimrSchemeOp::EIndexTypeGlobalFulltext: {
-            //We have already checked this in IsCompatibleIndex
+            // We have already checked this in IsCompatibleIndex
             Y_ABORT_UNLESS(indexKeys.KeyColumns.size() >= 1);
-    
-            if (indexKeys.KeyColumns.size() > 1) {
+
+            // Here we only check that fulltext index columns matches table description
+            // the rest will be checked in NFulltext::ValidateSettings (called separately outside of CommonCheck)
+            if (!NKikimr::NFulltext::ValidateColumnsMatches(indexKeys.KeyColumns, indexDesc.GetFulltextIndexDescription().GetSettings(), error)) {
                 status = NKikimrScheme::EStatus::StatusInvalidParameter;
-                error = TStringBuilder() << "fulltext index should have a single text key column";
                 return false;
             }
-            
-            const TString& textColumnName = indexKeys.KeyColumns.at(0);
-            Y_ABORT_UNLESS(baseColumnTypes.contains(textColumnName));
-            auto typeInfo = baseColumnTypes.at(textColumnName);
-    
-            // TODO: support utf-8 in fulltext index
-            if (typeInfo.GetTypeId() != NScheme::NTypeIds::String) {
-                status = NKikimrScheme::EStatus::StatusInvalidParameter;
-                error = TStringBuilder() << "Text column '" << textColumnName << "' expected type 'String' but got " << NScheme::TypeName(typeInfo);
-                return false;
+
+            for (const auto& column : indexDesc.GetFulltextIndexDescription().GetSettings().columns()) {
+                if (column.has_analyzers()) {
+                    auto typeInfo = baseColumnTypes.at(column.column());
+                    // TODO: support utf-8 in fulltext index
+                    if (typeInfo.GetTypeId() != NScheme::NTypeIds::String) {
+                        status = NKikimrScheme::EStatus::StatusInvalidParameter;
+                        error = TStringBuilder() << "Fulltext column '" << column.column() << "' expected type 'String' but got " << NScheme::TypeName(typeInfo);
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                }
             }
+            
             break;
         }
         default:
diff --git a/ydb/public/api/protos/ydb_table.proto b/ydb/public/api/protos/ydb_table.proto
index 8aaa1c40515d..e22ce6145054 100644
--- a/ydb/public/api/protos/ydb_table.proto
+++ b/ydb/public/api/protos/ydb_table.proto
@@ -244,8 +244,9 @@ message FulltextIndexSettings {
     optional Layout layout = 1;
 
     // List of columns and their fulltext settings
-    // Currently, this list should contain a single entry
-    // And provided column should be the only one in the TableIndex.index_columns list
+    // Currently, this list should contain a single entry with specified analyzers
+    // Later, some columns may not use analyzers and will be indexed as-is
+    // This list must always match TableIndex.index_columns
     repeated ColumnAnalyzers columns = 2;
 }