diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias.sqlpp b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias.sqlpp
index 72eb1d9..9d1af80 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias.sqlpp
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias.sqlpp
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
-SELECT SQRT(t.a*t.b) AS root FROM tbl_name t
-GROUP BY root
-WITH u AS root
-HAVING root > 0
-ORDER BY u;
\ No newline at end of file
+SELECT sum(t.a*t.b) AS root FROM tbl_name t
+GROUP BY t.id
+ORDER BY root;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias3.sqlpp b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias3.sqlpp
index 8226362..d95b42d 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias3.sqlpp
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/queries_sqlpp/columnalias3.sqlpp
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
-SELECT ELEMENT {'root': SQRT(t.a*t.b)} FROM tbl_name t
-GROUP BY root
-WITH u AS root
-HAVING root > 0
-ORDER BY u; 
\ No newline at end of file
+SELECT ELEMENT {'root': SUM(t.a*t.b)} FROM tbl_name t
+GROUP BY t.id
+ORDER BY root;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias.ast b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias.ast
index 9c5aaf5..1e0efba 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias.ast
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias.ast
@@ -1,6 +1,31 @@
 Query:
 SELECT [
-Variable [ Name=$root ]
+FunctionCall asterix.sql-sum@1[
+  (
+    SELECT ELEMENT [
+    OperatorExpr [
+      FieldAccessor [
+        FieldAccessor [
+          Variable [ Name=#3 ]
+          Field=t
+        ]
+        Field=a
+      ]
+      *
+      FieldAccessor [
+        FieldAccessor [
+          Variable [ Name=#3 ]
+          Field=t
+        ]
+        Field=b
+      ]
+    ]
+    ]
+    FROM [      Variable [ Name=#1 ]
+      AS Variable [ Name=#3 ]
+    ]
+  )
+]
 root
 ]
 FROM [  FunctionCall asterix.dataset@1[
@@ -9,36 +34,43 @@
   AS Variable [ Name=$t ]
 ]
 Groupby
-  Variable [ Name=$root ]
+  Variable [ Name=$id ]
   :=
-  FunctionCall null.sqrt@1[
-    OperatorExpr [
-      FieldAccessor [
-        Variable [ Name=$t ]
-        Field=a
-      ]
-      *
-      FieldAccessor [
-        Variable [ Name=$t ]
-        Field=b
-      ]
-    ]
+  FieldAccessor [
+    Variable [ Name=$t ]
+    Field=id
   ]
   GROUP AS Variable [ Name=#1 ]
   (
     t:=Variable [ Name=$t ]
   )
 
-Let Variable [ Name=$u ]
-  :=
-  Variable [ Name=$root ]
- HAVING
-  OperatorExpr [
-    Variable [ Name=$root ]
-    >
-    LiteralExpr [LONG] [0]
-  ]
 Orderby
-  Variable [ Name=$u ]
+  FunctionCall asterix.sql-sum@1[
+    (
+      SELECT ELEMENT [
+      OperatorExpr [
+        FieldAccessor [
+          FieldAccessor [
+            Variable [ Name=#2 ]
+            Field=t
+          ]
+          Field=a
+        ]
+        *
+        FieldAccessor [
+          FieldAccessor [
+            Variable [ Name=#2 ]
+            Field=t
+          ]
+          Field=b
+        ]
+      ]
+      ]
+      FROM [        Variable [ Name=#1 ]
+        AS Variable [ Name=#2 ]
+      ]
+    )
+  ]
   ASC
 
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias3.ast b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias3.ast
index 6db92c9..7deb117 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias3.ast
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/parserts/results_parser_sqlpp/columnalias3.ast
@@ -4,7 +4,32 @@
   (
     LiteralExpr [STRING] [root]
     :
-    Variable [ Name=$root ]
+    FunctionCall asterix.sql-sum@1[
+      (
+        SELECT ELEMENT [
+        OperatorExpr [
+          FieldAccessor [
+            FieldAccessor [
+              Variable [ Name=#3 ]
+              Field=t
+            ]
+            Field=a
+          ]
+          *
+          FieldAccessor [
+            FieldAccessor [
+              Variable [ Name=#3 ]
+              Field=t
+            ]
+            Field=b
+          ]
+        ]
+        ]
+        FROM [          Variable [ Name=#1 ]
+          AS Variable [ Name=#3 ]
+        ]
+      )
+    ]
   )
 ]
 ]
@@ -14,36 +39,43 @@
   AS Variable [ Name=$t ]
 ]
 Groupby
-  Variable [ Name=$root ]
+  Variable [ Name=$id ]
   :=
-  FunctionCall null.sqrt@1[
-    OperatorExpr [
-      FieldAccessor [
-        Variable [ Name=$t ]
-        Field=a
-      ]
-      *
-      FieldAccessor [
-        Variable [ Name=$t ]
-        Field=b
-      ]
-    ]
+  FieldAccessor [
+    Variable [ Name=$t ]
+    Field=id
   ]
   GROUP AS Variable [ Name=#1 ]
   (
     t:=Variable [ Name=$t ]
   )
 
-Let Variable [ Name=$u ]
-  :=
-  Variable [ Name=$root ]
- HAVING
-  OperatorExpr [
-    Variable [ Name=$root ]
-    >
-    LiteralExpr [LONG] [0]
-  ]
 Orderby
-  Variable [ Name=$u ]
+  FunctionCall asterix.sql-sum@1[
+    (
+      SELECT ELEMENT [
+      OperatorExpr [
+        FieldAccessor [
+          FieldAccessor [
+            Variable [ Name=#2 ]
+            Field=t
+          ]
+          Field=a
+        ]
+        *
+        FieldAccessor [
+          FieldAccessor [
+            Variable [ Name=#2 ]
+            Field=t
+          ]
+          Field=b
+        ]
+      ]
+      ]
+      FROM [        Variable [ Name=#1 ]
+        AS Variable [ Name=#2 ]
+      ]
+    )
+  ]
   ASC
 
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24a/q24a.3.query.sqlpp b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24a/q24a.3.query.sqlpp
index c24c10e..95e4e8c 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24a/q24a.3.query.sqlpp
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24a/q24a.3.query.sqlpp
@@ -59,12 +59,13 @@
 SELECT c_last_name
       ,c_first_name
       ,s_store_name
-      ,SUM(netpaid) paid
+      ,paid
 FROM ssales
 WHERE i_color = 'orchid'
 GROUP BY c_last_name
         ,c_first_name
         ,s_store_name
 GROUP AS g
+LET paid = SUM(netpaid)
 HAVING paid > (SELECT value 0.05*avg(g.ssales.netpaid) FROM g)[0]
 ;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24b/q24b.3.query.sqlpp b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24b/q24b.3.query.sqlpp
index 86ffa7b..3a1590d 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24b/q24b.3.query.sqlpp
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/tpcds/q24b/q24b.3.query.sqlpp
@@ -59,12 +59,13 @@
 SELECT c_last_name
       ,c_first_name
       ,s_store_name
-      ,SUM(netpaid) paid
+      ,paid
 FROM ssales
 WHERE i_color = 'chiffon'
 GROUP BY c_last_name
         ,c_first_name
         ,s_store_name
 GROUP AS g
+LET paid = SUM(netpaid)
 HAVING paid > (SELECT value 0.05*avg(g.ssales.netpaid) FROM g)[0]
 ;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/testsuite_sqlpp.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/testsuite_sqlpp.xml
index 0b8fd8c..16fa334 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/testsuite_sqlpp.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/testsuite_sqlpp.xml
@@ -1563,6 +1563,7 @@
     <test-case FilePath="dapd">
       <compilation-unit name="q2-3">
         <output-dir compare="Text">q2</output-dir>
+        <expected-error>Cannot resolve ambiguous alias reference for undefined identifier sig_id</expected-error>
       </compilation-unit>
     </test-case>
     <test-case FilePath="dapd">
@@ -2901,11 +2902,13 @@
     <test-case FilePath="group-by">
       <compilation-unit name="sugar-02">
         <output-dir compare="Text">core-02</output-dir>
+        <expected-error>Cannot resolve ambiguous alias reference for undefined identifier deptId</expected-error>
       </compilation-unit>
     </test-case>
     <test-case FilePath="group-by">
       <compilation-unit name="sugar-02-2">
         <output-dir compare="Text">core-02</output-dir>
+        <expected-error>Cannot resolve ambiguous alias reference for undefined identifier deptId</expected-error>
       </compilation-unit>
     </test-case>
     <test-case FilePath="group-by">
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/sqlpp/rewrites/visitor/InlineColumnAliasVisitor.java b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/sqlpp/rewrites/visitor/InlineColumnAliasVisitor.java
index 628bf57..270b366 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/sqlpp/rewrites/visitor/InlineColumnAliasVisitor.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/sqlpp/rewrites/visitor/InlineColumnAliasVisitor.java
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.base.Expression.Kind;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.base.ILangExpression;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.base.Literal;
-import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.clause.LetClause;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.expression.FieldBinding;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.expression.LiteralExpr;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.expression.RecordConstructor;
@@ -45,6 +44,11 @@
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.sqlpp.visitor.SqlppSubstituteExpressionVisitor;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.sqlpp.visitor.base.AbstractSqlppExpressionScopingVisitor;
 
+/**
+ * Syntactic sugar rewriting: inlines column aliases defines in SELECT clause into ORDER BY and LIMIT clauses. <br/>
+ * Note: column aliases are not cosidered new variables, but they can be referenced from ORDER BY and LIMIT clauses
+ *       because of this rewriting (like in SQL)
+ */
 public class InlineColumnAliasVisitor extends AbstractSqlppExpressionScopingVisitor {
 
     public InlineColumnAliasVisitor(LangRewritingContext context) {
@@ -67,18 +71,6 @@
         // Creates a substitution visitor.
         SqlppSubstituteExpressionVisitor visitor = new SqlppSubstituteExpressionVisitor(context, map);
 
-        // Rewrites GROUP BY/LET/HAVING clauses.
-        if (selectBlock.hasGroupbyClause()) {
-            selectBlock.getGroupbyClause().accept(visitor, arg);
-        }
-        if (selectBlock.hasLetClausesAfterGroupby()) {
-            for (LetClause letClause : selectBlock.getLetListAfterGroupby()) {
-                letClause.accept(visitor, arg);
-            }
-        }
-        if (selectBlock.hasHavingClause()) {
-            selectBlock.getHavingClause().accept(visitor, arg);
-        }
         SelectExpression selectExpression = (SelectExpression) arg;
 
         // For SET operation queries, column aliases will not substitute ORDER BY nor LIMIT expressions.