diff --git a/datafusion/optimizer/src/optimize_projections.rs b/datafusion/optimizer/src/optimize_projections.rs
index f87f5fdea99f..103599564252 100644
--- a/datafusion/optimizer/src/optimize_projections.rs
+++ b/datafusion/optimizer/src/optimize_projections.rs
@@ -218,6 +218,22 @@ fn optimize_projections(
             // Only use the absolutely necessary aggregate expressions required
             // by the parent:
             let mut new_aggr_expr = get_at_indices(&aggregate.aggr_expr, &aggregate_reqs);
+
+            // Aggregations always need at least one aggregate expression.
+            // With a nested count, we don't require any column as input, but
+            // still need to create a correct aggregate, which may be optimized
+            // out later. As an example, consider the following query:
+            //
+            // SELECT COUNT(*) FROM (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM [...])
+            //
+            // which always returns 1.
+            if new_aggr_expr.is_empty()
+                && new_group_bys.is_empty()
+                && !aggregate.aggr_expr.is_empty()
+            {
+                new_aggr_expr = vec![aggregate.aggr_expr[0].clone()];
+            }
+
             let all_exprs_iter = new_group_bys.iter().chain(new_aggr_expr.iter());
             let schema = aggregate.input.schema();
             let necessary_indices = indices_referred_by_exprs(schema, all_exprs_iter)?;
@@ -238,21 +254,6 @@ fn optimize_projections(
             let (aggregate_input, _) =
                 add_projection_on_top_if_helpful(aggregate_input, necessary_exprs)?;
 
-            // Aggregations always need at least one aggregate expression.
-            // With a nested count, we don't require any column as input, but
-            // still need to create a correct aggregate, which may be optimized
-            // out later. As an example, consider the following query:
-            //
-            // SELECT COUNT(*) FROM (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM [...])
-            //
-            // which always returns 1.
-            if new_aggr_expr.is_empty()
-                && new_group_bys.is_empty()
-                && !aggregate.aggr_expr.is_empty()
-            {
-                new_aggr_expr = vec![aggregate.aggr_expr[0].clone()];
-            }
-
             // Create a new aggregate plan with the updated input and only the
             // absolutely necessary fields:
             return Aggregate::try_new(
diff --git a/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/select.slt b/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/select.slt
index 5216b14cb2d2..50c62eff7772 100644
--- a/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/select.slt
+++ b/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/select.slt
@@ -1527,3 +1527,23 @@ SELECT to_timestamp('I AM NOT A TIMESTAMP');
 
 query error DataFusion error: Arrow error: Cast error: Cannot cast string '' to value of Int32 type
 SELECT CAST('' AS int);
+
+# See issue: https://github.com/apache/arrow-datafusion/issues/8978
+statement ok
+create table users (id int, name varchar);
+
+statement ok
+insert into users values (1, 'Tom');
+
+statement ok
+create view v as select count(id) from users;
+
+query I
+select * from v;
+----
+1
+
+query I
+select count(1) from v;
+----
+1