diff --git a/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/Fetcher.scala b/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/Fetcher.scala
index a04f15127..61595c2ee 100644
--- a/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/Fetcher.scala
+++ b/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/Fetcher.scala
@@ -313,12 +313,16 @@ class Fetcher(val kvStore: KVStore,
 
     val loggingTry: Try[Unit] = joinCodecTry.map(codec => {
       val metaData = codec.conf.join.metaData
-      val keyCodec = AvroCodec.of(codec.keySchemaStr)
-      val valueCodec = AvroCodec.of(codec.valueSchemaStr)
       val samplePercent = if (metaData.isSetSamplePercent) metaData.getSamplePercent else 0
+
+      // Exit early if sample percent is 0
+      if (samplePercent == 0) {
+        return Response(resp.request, Success(resp.derivedValues))
+      }
+
       val keyBytesTry: Try[Array[Byte]] = encode(loggingContext.map(_.withSuffix("encode_key")),
                                                  codec.keySchema,
-                                                 keyCodec,
+                                                 codec.keyCodec,
                                                  resp.request.keys,
                                                  cast = true)
       if (keyBytesTry.isFailure) {
@@ -350,7 +354,7 @@ class Fetcher(val kvStore: KVStore,
         }
 
         val valueBytesTry: Try[Array[Byte]] =
-          encode(loggingContext.map(_.withSuffix("encode_value")), codec.valueSchema, valueCodec, values)
+          encode(loggingContext.map(_.withSuffix("encode_value")), codec.valueSchema, codec.valueCodec, values)
         if (valueBytesTry.isFailure) {
           loggingContext.foreach(_.withSuffix("encode_value").incrementException(valueBytesTry.failed.get))
           throw valueBytesTry.failed.get
diff --git a/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/JoinCodec.scala b/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/JoinCodec.scala
index bcb6c25be..be94f9d57 100644
--- a/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/JoinCodec.scala
+++ b/online/src/main/scala/ai/chronon/online/JoinCodec.scala
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ case class JoinCodec(conf: JoinOps, keySchema: StructType, baseValueSchema: Stru
 
   @transient lazy val keySchemaStr: String = AvroConversions.fromChrononSchema(keySchema).toString
   @transient lazy val valueSchemaStr: String = AvroConversions.fromChrononSchema(valueSchema).toString
+  def keyCodec: AvroCodec = AvroCodec.of(keySchemaStr)
+  def valueCodec: AvroCodec = AvroCodec.of(valueSchemaStr)
 
   /*
    * Get the serialized string repr. of the logging schema.