diff --git a/benchmarking/ooms/big_file_reads.py b/benchmarking/ooms/big_file_reads.py
index 586f421837..99d41e4c88 100644
--- a/benchmarking/ooms/big_file_reads.py
+++ b/benchmarking/ooms/big_file_reads.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ def get_args():
         ]
         * 10
     )
+    df = df.with_column(df["L_ORDERKEY"] + 1)  # trigger data materialization by adding a projection
 
     start = time.time()
     df.explain(True)