diff --git a/controller/search.js b/controller/search.js
index ff38a3a6..fcb12831 100644
--- a/controller/search.js
+++ b/controller/search.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 
+var geojsonify = require('../helper/geojsonify').search;
+
 function setup( backend, query ){
 
   // allow overriding of dependencies
@@ -27,11 +29,14 @@ function setup( backend, query ){
         });
       }
 
+      // convert docs to geojson
+      var geojson = geojsonify( docs );
+
+      // response envelope
+      geojson.date = new Date().getTime();
+
       // respond
-      return res.status(200).json({
-        date: new Date().getTime(),
-        body: docs
-      });
+      return res.status(200).json( geojson );
     });
 
   }
diff --git a/helper/geojsonify.js b/helper/geojsonify.js
index 1154fd8a..2dd81ea2 100644
--- a/helper/geojsonify.js
+++ b/helper/geojsonify.js
@@ -42,4 +42,48 @@ function suggest( docs ){
 
 }
 
-module.exports.suggest = suggest;
\ No newline at end of file
+function search( docs ){
+
+  // emit a warning if the doc format is invalid
+  // @note: if you see this error, fix it ASAP!
+  function warning(){
+    console.error( 'error: invalid doc', __filename );
+    return false; // remove offending doc from results
+  }
+
+  // flatten & expand data for geojson conversion
+  var geodata = docs.map( function( doc ){
+
+    var output = {};
+
+    // something went very wrong
+    if( !doc ) return warning();
+
+    // map center_point
+    if( !doc.center_point ) return warning();
+    output.lat = parseFloat( doc.center_point.lat );
+    output.lng = parseFloat( doc.center_point.lon );
+
+    // map name
+    if( !doc.name || !doc.name.default ) return warning();
+    output.name = doc.name.default;
+
+    // map admin values
+    if( doc.admin0 ){ output.admin0 = doc.admin0; }
+    if( doc.admin1 ){ output.admin1 = doc.admin1; }
+    if( doc.admin2 ){ output.admin2 = doc.admin2; }
+
+    return output;
+
+  // filter-out invalid entries
+  }).filter( function( doc ){
+    return doc;
+  });
+
+  // convert to geojson
+  return GeoJSON.parse( geodata, { Point: ['lat', 'lng'] } );
+
+}
+
+module.exports.suggest = suggest;
+module.exports.search = search;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/ciao/reverse/success.coffee b/test/ciao/reverse/success.coffee
index c77a3f06..3f936fbd 100644
--- a/test/ciao/reverse/success.coffee
+++ b/test/ciao/reverse/success.coffee
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ response.statusCode.should.equal 200
 now = new Date().getTime()
 should.exist json
 should.not.exist json.error
-should.exist json.date
-json.date.should.be.within now-2000, now+2000
-should.exist json.body
-json.body.should.be.instanceof Array
\ No newline at end of file
+json.date.should.be.within now-5000, now+5000
+
+#? valid geojson
+json.type.should.equal 'FeatureCollection'
+json.features.should.be.instanceof Array
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/ciao/search/success.coffee b/test/ciao/search/success.coffee
index b55899cd..79ab9bbc 100644
--- a/test/ciao/search/success.coffee
+++ b/test/ciao/search/success.coffee
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ response.statusCode.should.equal 200
 now = new Date().getTime()
 should.exist json
 should.not.exist json.error
-should.exist json.date
-json.date.should.be.within now-2000, now+2000
-should.exist json.body
-json.body.should.be.instanceof Array
\ No newline at end of file
+json.date.should.be.within now-5000, now+5000
+
+#? valid geojson
+json.type.should.equal 'FeatureCollection'
+json.features.should.be.instanceof Array
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/controller/search.js b/test/unit/controller/search.js
index e5bfbd06..72dadada 100644
--- a/test/unit/controller/search.js
+++ b/test/unit/controller/search.js
@@ -15,7 +15,35 @@ module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
 
 // functionally test controller (backend success)
 module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
-  test('functional test', function(t) {
+
+  // expected geojson features for 'client/suggest/ok/1' fixture
+  var expected = [{
+    type: 'Feature',
+    geometry: {
+      type: 'Point',
+      coordinates: [ -50.5, 100.1 ]
+    },
+    properties: {
+      name: 'test name1',
+      admin0: 'country1',
+      admin1: 'state1',
+      admin2: 'city1'
+    }
+  }, {
+    type: 'Feature',
+    geometry: {
+      type: 'Point',
+      coordinates: [ -51.5, 100.2 ]
+    },
+    properties: {
+      name: 'test name2',
+      admin0: 'country2',
+      admin1: 'state2',
+      admin2: 'city2'
+    }
+  }];
+
+  test('functional success', function(t) {
     var backend = mockBackend( 'client/search/ok/1', function( cmd ){
       t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias' }, 'correct backend command');
     });
@@ -28,8 +56,9 @@ module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
       json: function( json ){
         t.equal(typeof json, 'object', 'returns json');
         t.equal(typeof json.date, 'number', 'date set');
-        t.true(Array.isArray(json.body), 'body is array');
-        // t.deepEqual(json.body, [ { value: 1 }, { value: 2 } ], 'values correctly mapped');
+        t.equal(json.type, 'FeatureCollection', 'valid geojson');
+        t.true(Array.isArray(json.features), 'features is array');
+        t.deepEqual(json.features, expected, 'values correctly mapped');
         t.end();
       }
     };
@@ -39,7 +68,7 @@ module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
 
 // functionally test controller (backend failure)
 module.exports.tests.functional_failure = function(test, common) {
-  test('functional test', function(t) {
+  test('functional failure', function(t) {
     var backend = mockBackend( 'client/search/fail/1', function( cmd ){
       t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias' }, 'correct backend command');
     });
diff --git a/test/unit/helper/geojsonify.js b/test/unit/helper/geojsonify.js
index 5a3c66d1..3e802837 100644
--- a/test/unit/helper/geojsonify.js
+++ b/test/unit/helper/geojsonify.js
@@ -70,6 +70,108 @@ module.exports.tests.suggest = function(test, common) {
   });
 };
 
+
+module.exports.tests.search = function(test, common) {
+
+  var input = [
+    {
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": 51.5337144,
+        "lon": -0.1069716
+      },
+      "name": {
+        "default": "'Round Midnight Jazz and Blues Bar"
+      },
+      "type": "node",
+      "address": {
+        "number": "13",
+        "street": "Liverpool Road",
+        "zip": "N1 0RW"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United Kingdom",
+      "admin1": "Islington",
+      "admin2": "Angel",
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "'round midnight jazz and blues bar"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "osmnode/2208150035",
+          "geo": "-0.10697160000000001,51.53371440000001"
+        },
+        "output": "'Round Midnight Jazz and Blues Bar, Angel, United Kingdom"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "way",
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Blues Cafe"
+      },
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "51.517806",
+        "lon": "-0.101795"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United Kingdom",
+      "admin1": "City And County Of The City Of London",
+      "admin2": "Smithfield",
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "blues cafe"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "osmway/147495160",
+          "geo": "-0.101795,51.517806"
+        },
+        "output": "Blues Cafe, Smithfield, United Kingdom"
+      }
+    }
+  ];
+
+  var expected = {
+    "type": "FeatureCollection",
+    "features": [
+      {
+        "type": "Feature",
+        "geometry": {
+          "type": "Point",
+          "coordinates": [
+            -0.1069716,
+            51.5337144
+          ]
+        },
+        "properties": {
+          "name": "'Round Midnight Jazz and Blues Bar",
+          "admin0": "United Kingdom",
+          "admin1": "Islington",
+          "admin2": "Angel"
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "type": "Feature",
+        "geometry": {
+          "type": "Point",
+          "coordinates": [
+            -0.101795,
+            51.517806
+          ]
+        },
+        "properties": {
+          "name": "Blues Cafe",
+          "admin0": "United Kingdom",
+          "admin1": "City And County Of The City Of London",
+          "admin2": "Smithfield"
+        }
+      }
+    ]
+  };
+
+  test('geojsonify.search()', function(t) {
+    var json = geojsonify.search( input );
+    t.deepEqual(json, expected, 'all docs mapped');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
 module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
 
   function test(name, testFunction) {
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/backend.js b/test/unit/mock/backend.js
index 32a69228..63378423 100644
--- a/test/unit/mock/backend.js
+++ b/test/unit/mock/backend.js
@@ -12,7 +12,21 @@ responses['client/suggest/fail/1'] = function( cmd, cb ){
   return cb( 'a backend error occurred' );
 };
 responses['client/search/ok/1'] = function( cmd, cb ){
-  return cb( undefined, searchEnvelope([ { value: 1 }, { value: 2 } ]) );
+  return cb( undefined, searchEnvelope([{
+    _source: {
+      value: 1,
+      center_point: { lat: 100.1, lon: -50.5 },
+      name: { default: 'test name1' },
+      admin0: 'country1', admin1: 'state1', admin2: 'city1'
+    }
+  }, {
+    _source: {
+      value: 2,
+      center_point: { lat: 100.2, lon: -51.5 },
+      name: { default: 'test name2' },
+      admin0: 'country2', admin1: 'state2', admin2: 'city2'
+    }
+  }]));
 };
 responses['client/search/fail/1'] = function( cmd, cb ){
   return cb( 'a backend error occurred' );
@@ -41,7 +55,7 @@ function suggestEnvelope( options ){
 }
 
 function searchEnvelope( options ){
-  return { pelias: [{ options: options }]};
+  return { hits: { total: options.length, hits: options } };
 }
 
 module.exports = setup;
\ No newline at end of file