diff --git a/controller/suggest.js b/controller/suggest.js
index 956363b8..b0a30f70 100644
--- a/controller/suggest.js
+++ b/controller/suggest.js
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 
-var service = { suggest: require('../service/suggest') };
-var geojsonify = require('../helper/geojsonify').suggest;
+var service = {
+  suggest: require('../service/suggest'),
+  mget: require('../service/mget')
+};
+var geojsonify = require('../helper/geojsonify').search;
 
 function setup( backend, query ){
 
@@ -16,12 +19,9 @@ function setup( backend, query ){
       body: query( req.clean )
     };
 
-    // query backend
-    service.suggest( backend, cmd, function( err, docs ){
-
-      // error handler
-      if( err ){ return next( err ); }
-
+    // responder
+    function reply( docs ){
+      
       // convert docs to geojson
       var geojson = geojsonify( docs );
 
@@ -30,6 +30,38 @@ function setup( backend, query ){
 
       // respond
       return res.status(200).json( geojson );
+    }
+
+    // query backend
+    service.suggest( backend, cmd, function( err, suggested ){
+
+      // error handler
+      if( err ){ return next( err ); }
+
+      // no documents suggested, return empty array to avoid ActionRequestValidationException
+      if( !Array.isArray( suggested ) || !suggested.length ){
+        return reply([]);
+      }
+
+      // map suggester output to mget query
+      var query = suggested.map( function( doc ) {
+        var idParts = doc.text.split(':');
+        return {
+          _index: 'pelias',
+          _type: idParts[0],
+          _id: idParts[1]
+        };
+      });
+
+      service.mget( backend, query, function( err, docs ){
+
+        // error handler
+        if( err ){ return next( err ); }
+
+        // reply
+        return reply( docs );
+
+      });
     });
 
   }
diff --git a/test/ciao/suggest/success.coffee b/test/ciao/suggest/success.coffee
index e54e6424..08e504d2 100644
--- a/test/ciao/suggest/success.coffee
+++ b/test/ciao/suggest/success.coffee
@@ -12,5 +12,6 @@ should.not.exist json.error
 json.date.should.be.within now-5000, now+5000
 
 #? valid geojson
+console.log( json );
 json.type.should.equal 'FeatureCollection'
 json.features.should.be.instanceof Array
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/controller/suggest.js b/test/unit/controller/suggest.js
index f67f5da7..1553d348 100644
--- a/test/unit/controller/suggest.js
+++ b/test/unit/controller/suggest.js
@@ -16,34 +16,42 @@ module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
 // functionally test controller (backend success)
 module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
 
-  // expected geojson features for 'client/suggest/ok/1' fixture
+  // expected geojson features for 'client/mget/ok/1' fixture
   var expected = [{
     type: 'Feature',
     geometry: {
       type: 'Point',
-      coordinates: [ 101, -10.1 ]
+      coordinates: [ -50.5, 100.1 ]
     },
     properties: {
-      id: 'mockid',
-      type: 'mocktype',
-      value: 1
+      name: 'test name1',
+      admin0: 'country1',
+      admin1: 'state1',
+      admin2: 'city1'
     }
   }, {
     type: 'Feature',
     geometry: {
       type: 'Point',
-      coordinates: [ 101, -10.1 ]
+      coordinates: [ -51.5, 100.2 ]
     },
     properties: {
-      id: 'mockid',
-      type: 'mocktype',
-      value: 2
+      name: 'test name2',
+      admin0: 'country2',
+      admin1: 'state2',
+      admin2: 'city2'
     }
   }];
 
   test('functional success', function(t) {
+    var i = 0;
     var backend = mockBackend( 'client/suggest/ok/1', function( cmd ){
-      t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias' }, 'correct backend command');
+      // the backend executes 2 commands, so we check them both
+      if( ++i === 1 ){
+        t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias' }, 'correct suggest command');
+      } else {
+        t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { docs: [ { _id: 'mockid', _index: 'pelias', _type: 'mocktype' }, { _id: 'mockid', _index: 'pelias', _type: 'mocktype' } ] } }, 'correct mget command');
+      }
     });
     var controller = setup( backend, mockQuery() );
     var res = {
@@ -52,6 +60,9 @@ module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
         return res;
       },
       json: function( json ){
+
+        console.log( 'json', json );
+
         t.equal(typeof json, 'object', 'returns json');
         t.equal(typeof json.date, 'number', 'date set');
         t.equal(json.type, 'FeatureCollection', 'valid geojson');
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/backend.js b/test/unit/mock/backend.js
index 63378423..f2759168 100644
--- a/test/unit/mock/backend.js
+++ b/test/unit/mock/backend.js
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 
-var mockPayload = {
-  id: 'mocktype/mockid',
-  geo: '101,-10.1'
-};
 
 var responses = {};
 responses['client/suggest/ok/1'] = function( cmd, cb ){
-  return cb( undefined, suggestEnvelope([ { value: 1, payload: mockPayload }, { value: 2, payload: mockPayload } ]) );
+  return cb( undefined, suggestEnvelope([ { score: 1, text: 'mocktype:mockid' }, { score: 2, text: 'mocktype:mockid' } ]) );
 };
 responses['client/suggest/fail/1'] = function( cmd, cb ){
   return cb( 'a backend error occurred' );
@@ -28,6 +24,23 @@ responses['client/search/ok/1'] = function( cmd, cb ){
     }
   }]));
 };
+responses['client/mget/ok/1'] = function( cmd, cb ){
+  return cb( undefined, mgetEnvelope([{
+    _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' );
 };
@@ -43,6 +56,10 @@ function setup( key, cmdCb ){
         search: function( cmd, cb ){
           if( 'function' === typeof cmdCb ){ cmdCb( cmd ); }
           return responses[key].apply( this, arguments );
+        },
+        mget: function( cmd, cb ){
+          if( 'function' === typeof cmdCb ){ cmdCb( cmd ); }
+          return responses['client/mget/ok/1'].apply( this, arguments );
         }
       }
     };
@@ -58,4 +75,8 @@ function searchEnvelope( options ){
   return { hits: { total: options.length, hits: options } };
 }
 
+function mgetEnvelope( options ){
+  return { docs: options };
+}
+
 module.exports = setup;
\ No newline at end of file