diff --git a/controller/doc.js b/controller/doc.js
index b48e6f64..c945aadb 100644
--- a/controller/doc.js
+++ b/controller/doc.js
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 
+var service = { mget: require('../service/mget') };
 var geojsonify = require('../helper/geojsonify').search;
 
 function setup( backend ){
 
   // allow overriding of dependencies
   backend = backend || require('../src/backend');
-  backend = new backend(); 
   
   function controller( req, res, next ){
     
-    var docs = req.clean.ids.map( function(id) {
+    var query = req.clean.ids.map( function(id) {
       return {
         _index: 'pelias',
         _type: id.type,
@@ -17,25 +17,10 @@ function setup( backend ){
       };
     });
 
-    // backend command
-    var cmd = {
-      body: {
-        docs: docs
-      }
-    };
-    
-    // query new backend
-    backend.client.mget( cmd, function( err, data ){
-      
-      var docs = [];
-      // handle backend errors
-      if( err ){ return next( err ); }
+    service.mget( backend, query, function( err, docs ){
 
-      if( data && data.docs && Array.isArray(data.docs) && data.docs.length ){
-        docs = data.docs.map( function( doc ){
-          return doc._source;
-        });
-      }
+      // error handler
+      if( err ){ return next( err ); }
 
       // convert docs to geojson
       var geojson = geojsonify( docs );
@@ -45,6 +30,7 @@ function setup( backend ){
 
       // respond
       return res.status(200).json( geojson );
+
     });
 
   }
diff --git a/service/mget.js b/service/mget.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a5713f03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/mget.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+
+/**
+
+  query must be an array of hashes, structured like so:
+
+  {
+    _index: 'myindex',
+    _type: 'mytype',
+    _id: 'myid'
+  }
+
+**/
+
+function service( backend, query, cb ){
+
+  // backend command
+  var cmd = {
+    body: {
+      docs: query
+    }
+  };
+  
+  // query new backend
+  backend().client.mget( cmd, function( err, data ){
+
+    // handle backend errors
+    if( err ){ return cb( err ); }
+
+    // map returned documents
+    var docs = [];
+    if( data && Array.isArray(data.docs) ){
+      docs = data.docs.map( function( doc ){
+        return doc._source;
+      });
+    }
+
+    // fire callback
+    return cb( null, docs );
+  });
+
+}
+
+module.exports = service;
\ No newline at end of file