diff --git a/controller/search.js b/controller/search.js
index 36f6c3f1..aa644e47 100644
--- a/controller/search.js
+++ b/controller/search.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ function setup( backend, query ){
     // backend command
     var cmd = {
       index: 'pelias',
+      searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
       body: query( req.clean )
     };
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ffaa5841..41bde4b6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
     "express": "^4.8.8",
     "geojson": "^0.2.0",
     "geojson-extent": "^0.3.1",
-    "geopipes-elasticsearch-backend": "git://github.com/geopipes/elasticsearch-backend#centroid-optional",
+    "geopipes-elasticsearch-backend": "0.0.11",
+    "pelias-suggester-pipeline": "2.0.2",
     "is-object": "^1.0.1",
     "pelias-esclient": "0.0.25",
     "toobusy": "^0.2.4"
diff --git a/query/reverse.js b/query/reverse.js
index 3ada51be..35b86ade 100644
--- a/query/reverse.js
+++ b/query/reverse.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 var logger = require('../src/logger'),
-    queries = require('geopipes-elasticsearch-backend').queries;
+    queries = require('geopipes-elasticsearch-backend').queries,
+    sort = require('../query/sort');
 
 function generate( params ){
 
@@ -9,7 +10,10 @@ function generate( params ){
     lon: params.lon
   };
 
-  return queries.distance( centroid, { size: params.size || 1 } );
+  var query  =  queries.distance( centroid, { size: params.size || 1 } );
+  query.sort = query.sort.concat(sort);
+
+  return query;
 }
 
 module.exports = generate;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/query/search.js b/query/search.js
index 4ccc9f6d..9d9916d3 100644
--- a/query/search.js
+++ b/query/search.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 var logger = require('../src/logger'),
-    queries = require('geopipes-elasticsearch-backend').queries;
+    queries = require('geopipes-elasticsearch-backend').queries,
+    sort = require('../query/sort');
 
 function generate( params ){
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ function generate( params ){
   } 
   
   var query = queries.distance( centroid, { size: params.size } );
+  
   if (params.bbox) {
     query = queries.bbox ( centroid, { size: params.size, bbox: params.bbox } );
   }
@@ -27,6 +29,8 @@ function generate( params ){
     }
   };
 
+  query.sort = query.sort.concat(sort);
+
   return query;
 }
 
diff --git a/query/sort.js b/query/sort.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7102651f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/query/sort.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+var population = 'population';
+var weights = require('pelias-suggester-pipeline').weights;
+
+module.exports = [
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'file': population,
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  },
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'params': {
+        'weights': weights
+      },
+      'file': 'weights',
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  }
+];
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/controller/search.js b/test/unit/controller/search.js
index 19482eb9..7fd53ccb 100644
--- a/test/unit/controller/search.js
+++ b/test/unit/controller/search.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
 
   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');
+      t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias', searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch' }, 'correct backend command');
     });
     var controller = setup( backend, mockQuery() );
     var res = {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
 module.exports.tests.functional_failure = function(test, common) {
   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');
+      t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias', searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch' }, 'correct backend command');
     });
     var controller = setup( backend, mockQuery() );
     var next = function( message ){
diff --git a/test/unit/query/reverse.js b/test/unit/query/reverse.js
index 85a0720c..26c5e7e9 100644
--- a/test/unit/query/reverse.js
+++ b/test/unit/query/reverse.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 var generate = require('../../../query/reverse');
+var weights = require('pelias-suggester-pipeline').weights;
 
 module.exports.tests = {};
 
@@ -10,6 +11,27 @@ module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
   });
 };
 
+var sort = [
+  '_score',
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'file': 'population',
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  },
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'params': {
+        'weights': weights
+      },
+      'file': 'weights',
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  }
+];
+
 module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
   test('valid query', function(t) {
     var query = generate({
@@ -43,6 +65,7 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
         }
       },
       'sort': [
+        '_score',
         {
           '_geo_distance': {
             'center_point': {
@@ -53,8 +76,9 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
             'unit': 'km'
           }
         }
-      ],
-      'size': 1
+      ].concat(sort.slice(1)),
+      'size': 1,
+      'track_scores': true
     };
 
     t.deepEqual(query, expected, 'valid reverse query');
diff --git a/test/unit/query/search.js b/test/unit/query/search.js
index 5138f486..3e9d72f0 100644
--- a/test/unit/query/search.js
+++ b/test/unit/query/search.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 var generate = require('../../../query/search');
+var weights = require('pelias-suggester-pipeline').weights;
 
 module.exports.tests = {};
 
@@ -10,6 +11,27 @@ module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
   });
 };
 
+var sort = [
+  '_score',
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'file': 'population',
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  },
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'params': {
+        'weights': weights
+      },
+      'file': 'weights',
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  }
+];
+
 module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
   test('valid query', function(t) {
     var query = generate({
@@ -55,10 +77,11 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
           }
         }
       },
-      'sort': [],
-      'size': 10
+      'sort': sort,
+      'size': 10,
+      'track_scores': true
     };
-    
+
     t.deepEqual(query, expected, 'valid search query');
     t.end();
   });
@@ -106,8 +129,9 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
           }
         }
       },
-      'sort': [],
-      'size': 10
+      'sort': sort,
+      'size': 10,
+      'track_scores': true
     };
     
     t.deepEqual(query, expected, 'valid search query');
@@ -139,7 +163,9 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
           }
         }
       },
-      'size': 10
+      'size': 10,
+      'sort': sort,
+      'track_scores': true
     };
     
     t.deepEqual(query, expected, 'valid search query');
@@ -186,6 +212,7 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
         }
       },
       'sort': [
+        '_score',
         {
           '_geo_distance': {
             'center_point': {
@@ -196,8 +223,9 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
             'unit': 'km'
           }
         }
-      ],
-      'size': 10
+      ].concat(sort.slice(1)),
+      'size': 10,
+      'track_scores': true
     };
 
     t.deepEqual(query, expected, 'valid search query');
diff --git a/test/unit/query/sort.js b/test/unit/query/sort.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ad5f9037
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/query/sort.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+
+var generate = require('../../../query/sort');
+var population = 'population';
+var weights = require('pelias-suggester-pipeline').weights;
+
+module.exports.tests = {};
+
+module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
+  test('valid interface', function(t) {
+    t.equal(typeof generate, 'object', 'valid object');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+var expected = [
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'file': population,
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  },
+  {
+    '_script': {
+      'params': {
+        'weights': weights
+      },
+      'file': 'weights',
+      'type': 'number',
+      'order': 'desc'
+    }
+  }
+];
+
+module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
+  test('valid part of query', function(t) {
+    var sort = generate;
+    t.deepEqual(sort, expected, 'valid sort part of the query');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
+
+  function test(name, testFunction) {
+    return tape('sort query ' + name, testFunction);
+  }
+
+  for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
+    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
+  }
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/run.js b/test/unit/run.js
index 20a5960d..4f5cffde 100644
--- a/test/unit/run.js
+++ b/test/unit/run.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ var tests = [
   require('./sanitiser/coarse'),
   require('./query/indeces'),
   require('./query/suggest'),
+  require('./query/sort'),
   require('./query/search'),
   require('./query/reverse'),
   require('./helper/geojsonify'),