diff --git a/query/reverse.js b/query/reverse.js
index 72a3c3a6..fbe1251d 100644
--- a/query/reverse.js
+++ b/query/reverse.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 const peliasQuery = require('pelias-query');
 const defaults = require('./reverse_defaults');
 const check = require('check-types');
+const _ = require('lodash');
 const logger = require('pelias-logger').get('api');
 
 //------------------------------
@@ -44,7 +45,8 @@ function generateQuery( clean ){
 
   // layers
   if( check.array(clean.layers) && clean.layers.length ) {
-    vs.var( 'layers', clean.layers);
+    // only include non-coarse layers
+    vs.var( 'layers', _.intersection(clean.layers, ['address', 'street', 'venue']));
     logStr += '[param:layers] ';
   }
 
diff --git a/query/reverse_defaults.js b/query/reverse_defaults.js
index 3b468a05..d8b72292 100644
--- a/query/reverse_defaults.js
+++ b/query/reverse_defaults.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module.exports = _.merge({}, peliasQuery.defaults, {
 
   'size': 1,
   'track_scores': true,
+  'layers': ['venue', 'address', 'street'],
 
   'centroid:field': 'center_point',
 
diff --git a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_null_island.js b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_null_island.js
index df6972ca..ff9ef745 100644
--- a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_null_island.js
+++ b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_null_island.js
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ module.exports = {
             'lon': 0
           }
         }
+      },
+      {
+        'terms': {
+          'layer': ['venue', 'address', 'street']
+        }
       }]
     }
   },
diff --git a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_standard.js b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_standard.js
index b70fe958..21bc08d3 100644
--- a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_standard.js
+++ b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_standard.js
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ module.exports = {
             'lon': -82.50622
           }
         }
+      },
+      {
+        'terms': {
+          'layer': ['venue', 'address', 'street']
+        }
       }]
     }
   },
diff --git a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_boundary_country.js b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_boundary_country.js
index c21cb44b..e50ed14d 100644
--- a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_boundary_country.js
+++ b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_boundary_country.js
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ module.exports = {
             'lon': -82.50622
           }
         }
+      },
+      {
+        'terms': {
+          'layer': ['venue', 'address', 'street']
+        }
       }]
     }
   },
diff --git a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering.js b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering.js
index ee7ab7b0..dd9571ad 100644
--- a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering.js
+++ b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ module.exports = {
         },
         {
           'terms': {
-            'layer': ['country']
+            'layer': ['venue', 'address', 'street']
           }
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering_non_coarse_subset.js b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering_non_coarse_subset.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..046a34e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering_non_coarse_subset.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+var vs = require('../../../query/reverse_defaults');
+
+module.exports = {
+  'query': {
+    'bool': {
+      'filter': [
+        {
+          'geo_distance': {
+            'distance': '500km',
+            'distance_type': 'plane',
+            'optimize_bbox': 'indexed',
+            'center_point': {
+              'lat': 29.49136,
+              'lon': -82.50622
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          'terms': {
+            'layer': ['venue', 'street']
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  'sort': [
+    '_score',
+    {
+      '_geo_distance': {
+        'center_point': {
+          'lat': 29.49136,
+          'lon': -82.50622
+        },
+        'order': 'asc',
+        'distance_type': 'plane'
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  'size': vs.size,
+  'track_scores': true
+};
diff --git a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_source_filtering.js b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_source_filtering.js
index 21e04662..3eb32bb4 100644
--- a/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_source_filtering.js
+++ b/test/unit/fixture/reverse_with_source_filtering.js
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ module.exports = {
           'terms': {
             'source': ['test']
           }
+        },
+        {
+          'terms': {
+            'layer': ['venue', 'address', 'street']
+          }
         }
       ]
     }
diff --git a/test/unit/query/reverse.js b/test/unit/query/reverse.js
index 24ada46a..a638fc53 100644
--- a/test/unit/query/reverse.js
+++ b/test/unit/query/reverse.js
@@ -132,23 +132,46 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
     t.end();
   });
 
-  test('valid layers filter', function(t) {
-    var query = generate({
+  test('valid layers filter', (t) => {
+    const query = generate({
       'point.lat': 29.49136,
       'point.lon': -82.50622,
       'boundary.circle.lat': 29.49136,
       'boundary.circle.lon': -82.50622,
       'boundary.circle.radius': 500,
-      'layers': ['country']
+      // only venue, address, and street layers should be retained
+      'layers': ['neighbourhood', 'venue', 'locality', 'address', 'region', 'street', 'country']
     });
 
-    var compiled = JSON.parse( JSON.stringify( query ) );
-    var expected = require('../fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering');
+    const compiled = JSON.parse( JSON.stringify( query ) );
+    const expected = require('../fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering');
+
+    t.deepEqual(compiled.type, 'reverse', 'query type set');
+    t.deepEqual(compiled.body, expected, 'valid reverse query with source filtering');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('valid layers filter - subset of non-coarse layers', (t) => {
+    const query = generate({
+      'point.lat': 29.49136,
+      'point.lon': -82.50622,
+      'boundary.circle.lat': 29.49136,
+      'boundary.circle.lon': -82.50622,
+      'boundary.circle.radius': 500,
+      // only venue, address, and street layers should be retained
+      'layers': ['neighbourhood', 'venue', 'street', 'locality']
+    });
+
+    const compiled = JSON.parse( JSON.stringify( query ) );
+    const expected = require('../fixture/reverse_with_layer_filtering_non_coarse_subset');
 
     t.deepEqual(compiled.type, 'reverse', 'query type set');
     t.deepEqual(compiled.body, expected, 'valid reverse query with source filtering');
     t.end();
+
   });
+
 };
 
 module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {