diff --git a/controller/search.js b/controller/search.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dd021120
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controller/search.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+
+var query = require('../query/search'),
+    backend = require('../src/backend');
+
+function controller( req, res, next ){
+
+  // backend command
+  var cmd = {
+    index: 'pelias',
+    body: query( req.clean )
+  };
+
+  // query backend
+  backend().client.search( cmd, function( err, data ){
+
+    var docs = [];
+
+    // handle backend errors
+    if( err ){ return next( err ); }
+
+    if( data && data.hits && data.hits.total){
+      docs = data.hits.hits.map( function( hit ){
+        return hit._source;
+      });
+    }
+
+    // respond
+    return res.status(200).json({
+      date: new Date().getTime(),
+      body: docs
+    });
+  });
+
+}
+
+module.exports = controller;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/search/success.md b/docs/search/success.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..31e47a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/search/success.md
@@ -0,0 +1,349 @@
+# valid search query
+
+*Generated: Wed Sep 17 2014 16:05:27 GMT-0400 (EDT)*
+## Request
+```javascript
+{
+  "protocol": "http:",
+  "host": "localhost",
+  "method": "GET",
+  "port": 3100,
+  "path": "/search?input=z&lat=0&lon=0"
+}
+```
+
+## Response
+```javascript
+Status: 200
+{
+  "x-powered-by": "mapzen",
+  "charset": "utf8",
+  "cache-control": "public,max-age=60",
+  "server": "Pelias/0.0.0",
+  "access-control-allow-origin": "*",
+  "access-control-allow-methods": "GET",
+  "access-control-allow-headers": "X-Requested-With,content-type",
+  "access-control-allow-credentials": "true",
+  "content-type": "application/json; charset=utf-8",
+  "content-length": "4459",
+  "etag": "W/\"PY7aB5FehG8OpkYGve7zQg==\"",
+  "date": "Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:05:27 GMT",
+  "connection": "close"
+}
+```
+```javascript
+{
+  "date": 1410984327401,
+  "body": [
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Lazy C-Z Reservoir"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Texas",
+      "admin2": "Brazoria County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "29.23763",
+        "lon": "-95.32676"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "lazy c-z reservoir"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4705663",
+          "geo": "-95.32676,29.23763"
+        },
+        "output": "Lazy C-Z Reservoir, Brazoria County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Z Loggans Bar"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Alabama",
+      "admin2": "Hale County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "32.89596",
+        "lon": "-87.80501"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "z loggans bar"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4098848",
+          "geo": "-87.80501,32.89596"
+        },
+        "output": "Z Loggans Bar, Hale County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Z Loggans Landing (historical)"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Alabama",
+      "admin2": "Greene County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "32.89929",
+        "lon": "-87.80418"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "z loggans landing (historical)"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4098849",
+          "geo": "-87.80418,32.89929"
+        },
+        "output": "Z Loggans Landing (historical), Greene County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Piney Z Lake"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Florida",
+      "admin2": "Leon County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "30.44353",
+        "lon": "-84.19184"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "piney z lake"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4168700",
+          "geo": "-84.19184,30.44353"
+        },
+        "output": "Piney Z Lake, Leon County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "H Z Smith Lake"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Georgia",
+      "admin2": "Bulloch County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "32.47721",
+        "lon": "-81.83116"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "h z smith lake"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4198672",
+          "geo": "-81.83116,32.47721"
+        },
+        "output": "H Z Smith Lake, Bulloch County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "J Z Miller House"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Texas",
+      "admin2": "Bell County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "31.06324",
+        "lon": "-97.45945"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "j z miller house"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4700378",
+          "geo": "-97.45945,31.06324"
+        },
+        "output": "J Z Miller House, Bell County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Z Kingsley Grant"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Florida",
+      "admin2": "Duval County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "30.24191",
+        "lon": "-81.62204"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "z kingsley grant"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4178927",
+          "geo": "-81.62204,30.24191"
+        },
+        "output": "Z Kingsley Grant, Duval County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "L-Z Bravo Airport"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Missouri",
+      "admin2": "Monroe County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "39.63615",
+        "lon": "-92.16712"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "l-z bravo airport"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4393970",
+          "geo": "-92.16712,39.63615"
+        },
+        "output": "L-Z Bravo Airport, Monroe County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Z L Madden Elementary School"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "South Carolina",
+      "admin2": "Spartanburg County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "34.97207",
+        "lon": "-81.95149"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "z l madden elementary school"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4601756",
+          "geo": "-81.95149,34.97207"
+        },
+        "output": "Z L Madden Elementary School, Spartanburg County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "H Z Smith Lake Dam"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Georgia",
+      "admin2": "Bulloch County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "32.47684",
+        "lon": "-81.8315"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "h z smith lake dam"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4198673",
+          "geo": "-81.8315,32.47684"
+        },
+        "output": "H Z Smith Lake Dam, Bulloch County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "J Z George High School"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Mississippi",
+      "admin2": "Carroll County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "33.52095",
+        "lon": "-89.92064"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "j z george high school"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4431378",
+          "geo": "-89.92064,33.52095"
+        },
+        "output": "J Z George High School, Carroll County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Colonel Z Williams Landing (historical)"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Alabama",
+      "admin2": "Russell County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "32.0646",
+        "lon": "-85.05604"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "colonel z williams landing (historical)"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4056398",
+          "geo": "-85.05604,32.0646"
+        },
+        "output": "Colonel Z Williams Landing (historical), Russell County, United States"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": {
+        "default": "Z M Jack Stell Field Airport",
+        "alt0": "CRT",
+        "alt1": "KCRT"
+      },
+      "admin0": "United States",
+      "admin1": "Arkansas",
+      "admin2": "Ashley County",
+      "center_point": {
+        "lat": "33.17269",
+        "lon": "-91.88504"
+      },
+      "suggest": {
+        "input": [
+          "z m jack stell field airport",
+          "crt",
+          "kcrt"
+        ],
+        "payload": {
+          "id": "geoname/4107205",
+          "geo": "-91.88504,33.17269"
+        },
+        "output": "Z M Jack Stell Field Airport, Ashley County, United States"
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+## Tests
+
+### ✓ 200 ok
+```javascript
+response.statusCode.should.equal 200
+```
+
+### ✓ valid response
+```javascript
+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
+```
+
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index e74fed10..39207611 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ app.use( require('./middleware/jsonp') );
 app.get( '/', require('./controller/index') );
 
 // suggest API
-app.get( '/suggest', require('./sanitiser/suggest'), require('./controller/suggest') );
+app.get( '/suggest', require('./sanitiser/sanitise'), require('./controller/suggest') );
+
+// search API
+app.get( '/search', require('./sanitiser/sanitise'), require('./controller/search') );
 
 /** ----------------------- error middleware ----------------------- **/
 
diff --git a/query/search.js b/query/search.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..db3fc737
--- /dev/null
+++ b/query/search.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+var logger = require('../src/logger');
+
+// Build pelias search query
+function generate( params ){
+  
+  var cmd = {
+    "query": {
+      "query_string": {
+        "query": params.input,
+        "fields": ['name.default'],
+        "default_operator": 'OR'
+      }
+    },
+    "size": 30
+  };
+
+  logger.log( 'cmd', JSON.stringify( cmd, null, 2 ) );
+  return cmd;
+
+}
+
+module.exports = generate;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sanitiser/suggest.js b/sanitiser/sanitise.js
similarity index 100%
rename from sanitiser/suggest.js
rename to sanitiser/sanitise.js
diff --git a/test/ciao/search/success.coffee b/test/ciao/search/success.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..34249e00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ciao/search/success.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#> valid search query
+path: '/search?input=z&lat=0&lon=0'
+
+#? 200 ok
+response.statusCode.should.equal 200
+
+#? valid response
+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