diff --git a/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/CrudColumn.php b/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/CrudColumn.php
index ea0c5e9747..b69873ba37 100644
--- a/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/CrudColumn.php
+++ b/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/CrudColumn.php
@@ -106,6 +106,26 @@ public function key(string $key)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * When subfields are defined, pass them through the guessing function
+     * so that they have label, relationship attributes, etc.
+     *
+     * @param  array  $subfields  Subfield definition array
+     * @return self
+     */
+    public function subfields($subfields)
+    {
+        $callAttributeMacro = ! isset($this->attributes['subfields']);
+        $this->attributes['subfields'] = $subfields;
+        $this->attributes = $this->crud()->makeSureColumnHasNeededAttributes($this->attributes);
+
+        if ($callAttributeMacro) {
+            $this->callRegisteredAttributeMacros();
+        }
+
+        return $this->save();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Remove the current column from the current operation.
      *
diff --git a/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/Columns.php b/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/Columns.php
index eccb24d53a..d98e386dbe 100644
--- a/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/Columns.php
+++ b/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/Columns.php
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ public function makeSureColumnHasNeededAttributes($column)
         $column = $this->makeSureColumnHasRelationType($column);
         $column = $this->makeSureColumnHasType($column);
         $column = $this->makeSureColumnHasPriority($column);
-        $column = $this->makeSureSubfieldsHaveNecessaryAttributes($column);
+        $column = $this->makeSureSubfieldsHaveNecessaryAttributes($column, false);
 
         // check if the column exists in the database (as a db column)
         $column_exists_in_db = $this->hasDatabaseColumn($this->model->getTable(), $column['name']);
diff --git a/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/FieldsProtectedMethods.php b/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/FieldsProtectedMethods.php
index 376c2ed6cf..d8d05de918 100644
--- a/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/FieldsProtectedMethods.php
+++ b/src/app/Library/CrudPanel/Traits/FieldsProtectedMethods.php
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ protected function inferFieldTypeFromRelationType($relationType)
      * @param  array  $field  Field definition array.
      * @return array The improved definition of that field (a better 'subfields' array)
      */
-    protected function makeSureSubfieldsHaveNecessaryAttributes($field)
+    protected function makeSureSubfieldsHaveNecessaryAttributes($field, $includeRelationFields = true)
     {
         if (! isset($field['subfields']) || ! is_array($field['subfields'])) {
             return $field;
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ protected function makeSureSubfieldsHaveNecessaryAttributes($field)
 
         // when field has any of `many` relations we need to append either the pivot selector for the `ToMany` or the
         // local key for the `many` relations. Other relations don't need any special treatment when used as subfields.
-        if (isset($field['relation_type'])) {
+        if (isset($field['relation_type']) && $includeRelationFields) {
             switch ($field['relation_type']) {
                 case 'MorphToMany':
                 case 'BelongsToMany':