diff --git a/crates/e2e/tests/aggregate.rs b/crates/e2e/tests/aggregate.rs
index a56c1813..b5a752ba 100644
--- a/crates/e2e/tests/aggregate.rs
+++ b/crates/e2e/tests/aggregate.rs
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ fn q_stddev_no_group() {
             vec![],
             AggIntent::StdDev {
                 col: None,
-                population: false
+                population: true
             },
             scan("http_requests_total", &[])
         ),
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ fn q_stdvar_no_group() {
             vec![],
             AggIntent::Variance {
                 col: None,
-                population: false
+                population: true
             },
             scan("http_requests_total", &[])
         ),
diff --git a/crates/e2e/tests/time_range.rs b/crates/e2e/tests/time_range.rs
index d04f7fd9..ac5bcc3a 100644
--- a/crates/e2e/tests/time_range.rs
+++ b/crates/e2e/tests/time_range.rs
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ fn q_stddev_over_time() {
             300,
             AggIntent::StdDev {
                 col: None,
-                population: false
+                population: true
             },
             "http_requests_total"
         ),
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ fn q_stdvar_over_time() {
             300,
             AggIntent::Variance {
                 col: None,
-                population: false
+                population: true
             },
             "http_requests_total"
         ),
diff --git a/crates/lower/src/promql.rs b/crates/lower/src/promql.rs
index c3b96981..c96b407d 100644
--- a/crates/lower/src/promql.rs
+++ b/crates/lower/src/promql.rs
@@ -510,8 +510,8 @@ fn inner_func(f: &InnerFunc) -> AggFunc {
         InnerFunc::Min => AggFunc::Min,
         InnerFunc::Max => AggFunc::Max,
         InnerFunc::Sum => AggFunc::Sum,
-        InnerFunc::StdDev => AggFunc::StdDev { population: false },
-        InnerFunc::Variance => AggFunc::Variance { population: false },
+        InnerFunc::StdDev => AggFunc::StdDev { population: true },
+        InnerFunc::Variance => AggFunc::Variance { population: true },
         InnerFunc::Count => AggFunc::Count,
         InnerFunc::Rate(w) => AggFunc::Rate { window: *w },
         InnerFunc::Increase(w) => AggFunc::Increase { window: *w },
@@ -524,8 +524,8 @@ fn outer_func(o: &OuterIntent) -> AggFunc {
         OuterIntent::Avg => AggFunc::Avg,
         OuterIntent::Min => AggFunc::Min,
         OuterIntent::Max => AggFunc::Max,
-        OuterIntent::StdDev => AggFunc::StdDev { population: false },
-        OuterIntent::Variance => AggFunc::Variance { population: false },
+        OuterIntent::StdDev => AggFunc::StdDev { population: true },
+        OuterIntent::Variance => AggFunc::Variance { population: true },
         OuterIntent::Quantile(q) => AggFunc::Quantile(*q),
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/lower/tests/promql_lowering.rs b/crates/lower/tests/promql_lowering.rs
index fe176112..e67365df 100644
--- a/crates/lower/tests/promql_lowering.rs
+++ b/crates/lower/tests/promql_lowering.rs
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ fn stddev_and_stdvar_over_time() {
     assert!(matches!(
         aggs.as_slice(),
         [AggIntent::StdDev {
-            population: false,
+            population: true,
             ..
         }]
     ));
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ fn stddev_and_stdvar_over_time() {
     assert!(matches!(
         aggs.as_slice(),
         [AggIntent::Variance {
-            population: false,
+            population: true,
             ..
         }]
     ));