diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands.rs b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
index 1df25ba5..b23c5278 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
@@ -2243,15 +2243,13 @@ fn global_search(cx: &mut Context) {
         path: PathBuf,
         /// 0 indexed lines
         line_num: usize,
-        line_content: String,
     }
 
     impl FileResult {
-        fn new(path: &Path, line_num: usize, line_content: String) -> Self {
+        fn new(path: &Path, line_num: usize) -> Self {
             Self {
                 path: path.to_path_buf(),
                 line_num,
-                line_content,
             }
         }
     }
@@ -2272,10 +2270,7 @@ fn global_search(cx: &mut Context) {
             let path = helix_stdx::path::get_relative_path(&item.path);
             format!("{}:{}", path.to_string_lossy(), item.line_num + 1).into()
         }),
-        PickerColumn::new("contents", |item: &FileResult, _| {
-            item.line_content.as_str().into()
-        })
-        .without_filtering(),
+        PickerColumn::hidden("contents"),
     ];
 
     let get_files = |query: &str,
@@ -2355,13 +2350,9 @@ fn global_search(cx: &mut Context) {
                         };
 
                         let mut stop = false;
-                        let sink = sinks::UTF8(|line_num, line_content| {
+                        let sink = sinks::UTF8(|line_num, _line_content| {
                             stop = injector
-                                .push(FileResult::new(
-                                    entry.path(),
-                                    line_num as usize - 1,
-                                    line_content.to_string(),
-                                ))
+                                .push(FileResult::new(entry.path(), line_num as usize - 1))
                                 .is_err();
 
                             Ok(!stop)
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/picker.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/picker.rs
index 76a1805a..6394fb87 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/picker.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/picker.rs
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ pub struct Column<T, D> {
     /// `DynamicPicker` uses this so that the dynamic column (for example regex in
     /// global search) is not used for filtering twice.
     filter: bool,
+    hidden: bool,
 }
 
 impl<T, D> Column<T, D> {
@@ -199,6 +200,19 @@ impl<T, D> Column<T, D> {
             name: name.into(),
             format,
             filter: true,
+            hidden: false,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A column which does not display any contents
+    pub fn hidden(name: impl Into<Arc<str>>) -> Self {
+        let format = |_: &T, _: &D| unreachable!();
+
+        Self {
+            name: name.into(),
+            format,
+            filter: false,
+            hidden: true,
         }
     }
 
@@ -677,6 +691,10 @@ impl<T: 'static + Send + Sync, D: 'static + Send + Sync> Picker<T, D> {
             let mut matcher_index = 0;
 
             Row::new(self.columns.iter().map(|column| {
+                if column.hidden {
+                    return Cell::default();
+                }
+
                 let Some(Constraint::Length(max_width)) = widths.next() else {
                     unreachable!();
                 };
@@ -757,7 +775,11 @@ impl<T: 'static + Send + Sync, D: 'static + Send + Sync> Picker<T, D> {
             let header_style = cx.editor.theme.get("ui.picker.header");
 
             table = table.header(Row::new(self.columns.iter().map(|column| {
-                Cell::from(Span::styled(Cow::from(&*column.name), header_style))
+                if column.hidden {
+                    Cell::default()
+                } else {
+                    Cell::from(Span::styled(Cow::from(&*column.name), header_style))
+                }
             })));
         }