diff --git a/include/id_list.h b/include/id_list.h
index a1e07dfb..3b0ef7ae 100644
--- a/include/id_list.h
+++ b/include/id_list.h
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ public:
     );
 
     uint32_t* uncompress();
+
+    void uncompress(std::vector<uint32_t>& data);
 };
 
 template<class T>
diff --git a/include/ids_t.h b/include/ids_t.h
index 7ebde632..15cf8c6e 100644
--- a/include/ids_t.h
+++ b/include/ids_t.h
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ public:
     static void intersect(const std::vector<void*>& id_lists, std::vector<uint32_t>& result_ids);
 
     static uint32_t* uncompress(void*& obj);
+
+    static void uncompress(void*& obj, std::vector<uint32_t>& ids);
 };
 
 template<class T>
diff --git a/src/id_list.cpp b/src/id_list.cpp
index 6e0770c8..4b308603 100644
--- a/src/id_list.cpp
+++ b/src/id_list.cpp
@@ -626,6 +626,16 @@ bool id_list_t::take_id(result_iter_state_t& istate, uint32_t id) {
     return true;
 }
 
+void id_list_t::uncompress(std::vector<uint32_t>& data) {
+    auto it = new_iterator();
+    data.reserve(data.size() + ids_length);
+
+    while(it.valid()) {
+        data.push_back(it.id());
+        it.next();
+    }
+}
+
 uint32_t* id_list_t::uncompress() {
     uint32_t* arr = new uint32_t[ids_length];
     auto it = new_iterator();
diff --git a/src/ids_t.cpp b/src/ids_t.cpp
index 812c4489..082d01f5 100644
--- a/src/ids_t.cpp
+++ b/src/ids_t.cpp
@@ -370,6 +370,18 @@ uint32_t* ids_t::uncompress(void*& obj) {
     }
 }
 
+void ids_t::uncompress(void*& obj, std::vector<uint32_t>& ids) {
+    if(IS_COMPACT_IDS(obj)) {
+        compact_id_list_t* list = COMPACT_IDS_PTR(obj);
+        for(size_t i = 0; i < list->length; i++) {
+            ids.push_back(list->ids[i]);
+        }
+    } else {
+        id_list_t* list = (id_list_t*)(obj);
+        list->uncompress(ids);
+    }
+}
+
 void ids_t::block_intersector_t::split_lists(size_t concurrency,
                                              std::vector<std::vector<id_list_t::iterator_t>>& partial_its_vec) {
     const size_t num_blocks = this->id_lists[0]->num_blocks();
diff --git a/src/num_tree.cpp b/src/num_tree.cpp
index a8e1f2d2..c8ce253c 100644
--- a/src/num_tree.cpp
+++ b/src/num_tree.cpp
@@ -89,18 +89,11 @@ void num_tree_t::search(NUM_COMPARATOR comparator, int64_t value, uint32_t** ids
 
         std::vector<uint32_t> consolidated_ids;
         while(iter_ge_value != int64map.end()) {
-            uint32_t* values = ids_t::uncompress(iter_ge_value->second);
-
-            for(size_t i = 0; i < ids_t::num_ids(iter_ge_value->second); i++) {
-                consolidated_ids.push_back(values[i]);
-            }
-
-            delete [] values;
+            ids_t::uncompress(iter_ge_value->second, consolidated_ids);
             iter_ge_value++;
         }
 
         gfx::timsort(consolidated_ids.begin(), consolidated_ids.end());
-
         consolidated_ids.erase(unique(consolidated_ids.begin(), consolidated_ids.end()), consolidated_ids.end());
 
         uint32_t *out = nullptr;
@@ -118,23 +111,13 @@ void num_tree_t::search(NUM_COMPARATOR comparator, int64_t value, uint32_t** ids
         auto it = int64map.begin();
 
         while(it != iter_ge_value) {
-            uint32_t* values = ids_t::uncompress(it->second);
-
-            for(size_t i = 0; i < ids_t::num_ids(it->second); i++) {
-                consolidated_ids.push_back(values[i]);
-            }
-
-            delete [] values;
+            ids_t::uncompress(it->second, consolidated_ids);
             it++;
         }
 
         // for LESS_THAN_EQUALS, check if last iter entry is equal to value
         if(it != int64map.end() && comparator == LESS_THAN_EQUALS && it->first == value) {
-            uint32_t* values = ids_t::uncompress(it->second);
-            for(size_t i = 0; i < ids_t::num_ids(it->second); i++) {
-                consolidated_ids.push_back(values[i]);
-            }
-            delete [] values;
+            ids_t::uncompress(it->second, consolidated_ids);
         }
 
         gfx::timsort(consolidated_ids.begin(), consolidated_ids.end());