diff --git wp-includes/functions.php wp-includes/functions.php
index e7c8d44..a65898b 100644
--- wp-includes/functions.php
+++ wp-includes/functions.php
@@ -3654,3 +3654,26 @@ function wp_allowed_protocols() {
 
 	return $protocols;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Retrieve ids that are not already present in the cache
+ *
+ * @since 3.4.0
+ *
+ * @param array $object_ids ID list
+ * @param string $cache_key The cache bucket to check against
+ *
+ * @return array
+ */
+function _get_non_cached_ids( $object_ids, $cache_key ) {
+	$clean = array();
+	foreach ( $object_ids as $id ) {
+		$id = (int) $id;
+		if ( !wp_cache_get( $id, $cache_key ) ) {
+			$clean[] = $id;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return $clean;
+}
+
diff --git wp-includes/pluggable.php wp-includes/pluggable.php
index 030e453..dd5c126 100644
--- wp-includes/pluggable.php
+++ wp-includes/pluggable.php
@@ -139,13 +139,7 @@ if ( !function_exists('cache_users') ) :
 function cache_users( $user_ids ) {
 	global $wpdb;
 
-	$clean = array();
-	foreach ( $user_ids as $id ) {
-		$id = (int) $id;
-		if ( !wp_cache_get( $id, 'users' ) ) {
-			$clean[] = $id;
-		}
-	}
+	$clean = _get_non_cached_ids( $user_ids, 'users' );
 
 	if ( empty( $clean ) )
 		return;
diff --git wp-includes/query.php wp-includes/query.php
index bc6edea..9d5b5ca 100644
--- wp-includes/query.php
+++ wp-includes/query.php
@@ -1951,6 +1951,7 @@ class WP_Query {
 		$fields = '';
 		$post_status_join = false;
 		$page = 1;
+		$expand_ids = false;
 
 		if ( isset( $q['caller_get_posts'] ) ) {
 			_deprecated_argument( 'WP_Query', '3.1', __( '"caller_get_posts" is deprecated. Use "ignore_sticky_posts" instead.' ) );
@@ -2597,6 +2598,11 @@ class WP_Query {
 				$$piece = isset( $clauses[ $piece ] ) ? $clauses[ $piece ] : '';
 		}
 
+		if ( "$wpdb->posts.*" == $fields ) {
+			$fields = "$wpdb->posts.ID";
+			$expand_ids = true;
+		}
+
 		if ( ! empty($groupby) )
 			$groupby = 'GROUP BY ' . $groupby;
 		if ( !empty( $orderby ) )
@@ -2626,7 +2632,36 @@ class WP_Query {
 			return $r;
 		}
 
-		$this->posts = $wpdb->get_results($this->request);
+		if ( $expand_ids ) {
+			$ids = $wpdb->get_col( $this->request );
+
+			if ( $ids ) {
+				if ( !$q['no_found_rows'] && !empty( $limits ) ) {
+					$found_posts_query = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts_query', array( 'SELECT FOUND_ROWS()', &$this ) );
+					$this->found_posts = $wpdb->get_var( $found_posts_query );
+					$this->found_posts = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts', array( $this->found_posts, &$this ) );
+					$this->max_num_pages = ceil($this->found_posts / $q['posts_per_page']);
+				}
+
+				$non_cached_ids = _get_non_cached_ids( $ids, 'posts' );
+
+				if ( !empty( $non_cached_ids ) ) {
+					$fresh_posts = $wpdb->get_results( sprintf( "SELECT $wpdb->posts.* FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE ID IN (%s)", join( ",", $non_cached_ids ) ) );
+
+					update_post_caches($fresh_posts, $post_type, $q['update_post_term_cache'], $q['update_post_meta_cache']);
+				}
+
+				$this->posts = array();
+
+				foreach ( $ids as $id )
+					$this->posts[] = get_post( $id );
+			} else {
+				$this->found_posts = $this->max_num_pages = 0;
+				$this->posts = array();
+			}
+		} else {
+			$this->posts = $wpdb->get_results($this->request);
+		}
 
 		// Raw results filter. Prior to status checks.
 		if ( !$q['suppress_filters'] )
@@ -2645,7 +2680,7 @@ class WP_Query {
 			$this->comment_count = count($this->comments);
 		}
 
-		if ( !$q['no_found_rows'] && !empty($limits) ) {
+		if ( !$q['no_found_rows'] && !empty($limits) && !$expand_ids ) {
 			$found_posts_query = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts_query', array( 'SELECT FOUND_ROWS()', &$this ) );
 			$this->found_posts = $wpdb->get_var( $found_posts_query );
 			$this->found_posts = apply_filters_ref_array( 'found_posts', array( $this->found_posts, &$this ) );