diff --git a/cpp/arcticdb/column_store/memory_segment_impl.cpp b/cpp/arcticdb/column_store/memory_segment_impl.cpp
index 8f8acf55df..22382fcbbd 100644
--- a/cpp/arcticdb/column_store/memory_segment_impl.cpp
+++ b/cpp/arcticdb/column_store/memory_segment_impl.cpp
@@ -564,6 +564,7 @@ std::optional<std::string_view> SegmentInMemoryImpl::string_at(position_t row, p
     const auto& col_ref = column(col);
 
     if(is_fixed_string_type(td.data_type()) && col_ref.is_inflated()) {
+
         auto string_size = col_ref.bytes() / row_count();
         auto ptr = col_ref.data().buffer().ptr_cast<char>(row * string_size, string_size);
         return std::string_view(ptr, string_size);
diff --git a/cpp/arcticdb/version/symbol_list.cpp b/cpp/arcticdb/version/symbol_list.cpp
index 6298a76c60..a4ae5de32e 100644
--- a/cpp/arcticdb/version/symbol_list.cpp
+++ b/cpp/arcticdb/version/symbol_list.cpp
@@ -128,17 +128,35 @@ MaybeCompaction last_compaction(const std::vector<AtomKey>& keys) {
     }
 }
 
+// The below string_at and scalar_at functions should be used for symbol list cache segments instead of the ones
+// provided in SegmentInMemory, because the symbol list structure is the only place where columns can have more entries
+// than the segment has rows. Hence, we need to bypass the checks inside SegmentInMemory's function and directly call the
+// Column's string_at and scalar_at.
+std::string string_at(const SegmentInMemory& seg, position_t row, position_t col){
+    auto offset = seg.column(col).scalar_at<position_t>(row);
+    util::check(offset.has_value(), "Symbol list trying to call string_at for missing row {}, column {}", row, col);
+    return std::string(seg.string_pool_ptr()->get_view(offset.value()));
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+T scalar_at(const SegmentInMemory& seg, position_t row, position_t col){
+    auto scalar = seg.column(col).scalar_at<T>(row);
+    util::check(scalar.has_value(), "Symbol list trying to call scalar_at for missing row {}, column {}", row, col);
+    return scalar.value();
+}
+
+
 StreamId stream_id_from_segment(
         DataType data_type,
         const SegmentInMemory& seg,
         position_t row_id,
         position_t column) {
     if (data_type == DataType::UINT64) {
-            auto num_id = seg.scalar_at<uint64_t>(row_id, column).value();
+            auto num_id = scalar_at<uint64_t>(seg, row_id, column);
             ARCTICDB_DEBUG(log::symbol(), "Reading numeric symbol {}", num_id);
             return safe_convert_to_numeric_id(num_id);
     } else {
-        auto sym = std::string(seg.string_at(row_id, column).value());
+        auto sym = string_at(seg, row_id, column);
         ARCTICDB_DEBUG(log::symbol(), "Reading string symbol '{}'", sym);
         return {std::move(sym)};
     }
@@ -183,8 +201,8 @@ std::vector<SymbolListEntry> read_new_style_list_from_storage(const SegmentInMem
 
     for(auto i = 0L; i < seg.column(0).row_count(); ++i) {
         auto stream_id = stream_id_from_segment(data_type, seg, i, 0);
-        auto reference_id = VersionId{seg.scalar_at<uint64_t>(i, 1).value()};
-        auto reference_time = timestamp{seg.scalar_at<int64_t>(i, 2).value()};
+        auto reference_id = VersionId{scalar_at<uint64_t>(seg, i, 1)};
+        auto reference_time = timestamp{scalar_at<int64_t>(seg, i, 2)};
         ARCTICDB_RUNTIME_DEBUG(log::symbol(), "Reading added symbol {}: {}@{}", stream_id, reference_id, reference_time);
         output.emplace_back(stream_id, reference_id, reference_time, ActionType::ADD);
     }
@@ -195,8 +213,8 @@ std::vector<SymbolListEntry> read_new_style_list_from_storage(const SegmentInMem
 
         for (auto i = 0L; i < seg.column(3).row_count(); ++i) {
             auto stream_id = stream_id_from_segment(data_type, seg, i, 3);
-            auto reference_id = VersionId{seg.scalar_at<uint64_t>(i, 4).value()};
-            auto reference_time = timestamp{seg.scalar_at<int64_t>(i, 5).value()};
+            auto reference_id = VersionId{scalar_at<uint64_t>(seg, i, 4)};
+            auto reference_time = timestamp{scalar_at<int64_t>(seg, i, 5)};
             ARCTICDB_RUNTIME_DEBUG(log::symbol(), "Reading deleted symbol {}: {}@{}", stream_id, reference_id, reference_time);
             output.emplace_back(stream_id, reference_id, reference_time, ActionType::DELETE);
         }