diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/approximation/Approximation.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/approximation/Approximation.java
index 75a3f8aae9a8f..dee4c8939315c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/approximation/Approximation.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/approximation/Approximation.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.inference.Completion;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.inference.Rerank;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.join.InlineJoin;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.join.Join;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.join.LookupJoin;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.join.StubRelation;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.local.CopyingLocalSupplier;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.local.LocalRelation;
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ public record QueryProperties(boolean hasGrouping, boolean canDecreaseRowCount,
         Grok.class,
         InlineJoin.class,
         Insist.class,
-        Join.class,
         LocalRelation.class,
+        LookupJoin.class,
         MvExpand.class,
         OrderBy.class,
         Project.class,
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ private LogicalPlan getLeftmostLeaf(LogicalPlan plan) {
         while (plan instanceof LeafPlan == false) {
             plan = switch (plan) {
                 case UnaryPlan unaryPlan -> unaryPlan.child();
-                case Join join -> join.left();
+                case LookupJoin join -> join.left();
                 default -> throw new IllegalStateException("unsupported plan type: " + plan.getClass());
             };
         }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/optimizer/rules/logical/PushDownJoinPastProject.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/optimizer/rules/logical/PushDownJoinPastProject.java
index cc6bf3a688748..48ac49970e605 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/optimizer/rules/logical/PushDownJoinPastProject.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/optimizer/rules/logical/PushDownJoinPastProject.java
@@ -111,9 +111,7 @@ protected LogicalPlan rule(Join join) {
 
             List<Alias> renamesForEval = new ArrayList<>(aliasesForReplacedAttributesBuilder.build().values());
             Eval eval = new Eval(project.source(), project.child(), renamesForEval);
-            Join finalJoin = new Join(join.source(), eval, updatedJoin.right(), updatedJoin.config());
-
-            return new Project(project.source(), finalJoin, finalProjections);
+            return new Project(project.source(), updatedJoin.replaceLeft(eval), finalProjections);
         }
 
         return join;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plan/logical/join/LookupJoin.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plan/logical/join/LookupJoin.java
index 726c3752dfa7c..f871cbb306ba9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plan/logical/join/LookupJoin.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plan/logical/join/LookupJoin.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.core.tree.Source;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.Limit;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.LogicalPlan;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.plan.logical.SurrogateLogicalPlan;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@
  * Lookup join - specialized LEFT (OUTER) JOIN between the main left side and a lookup index (index_mode = lookup) on the right.
  * This is only used during parsing and substituted to a regular {@link Join} during analysis.
  */
-public class LookupJoin extends Join implements SurrogateLogicalPlan, TelemetryAware, PostAnalysisVerificationAware {
+public class LookupJoin extends Join implements TelemetryAware, PostAnalysisVerificationAware {
 
     public LookupJoin(
         Source source,
@@ -61,15 +60,6 @@ public LookupJoin(Source source, LogicalPlan left, LogicalPlan right, JoinConfig
         super(source, left, right, joinConfig, isRemote);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Translate the expression into a regular join with a Projection on top, to deal with serialization &amp; co.
-     */
-    @Override
-    public LogicalPlan surrogate() {
-        // TODO: decide whether to introduce USING or just basic ON semantics - keep the ordering out for now
-        return new Join(source(), left(), right(), config(), isRemote());
-    }
-
     @Override
     public Join replaceChildren(LogicalPlan left, LogicalPlan right) {
         return new LookupJoin(source(), left, right, config(), isRemote());