diff --git a/service/mget.js b/service/mget.js
index c709f28e..681582e3 100644
--- a/service/mget.js
+++ b/service/mget.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ function service( backend, query, cb ){
   };
 
   // query new backend
-  backend().client.mget( cmd, function( err, data ){
+  backend.client.mget( cmd, function( err, data ){
 
     // log total ms elasticsearch reported the query took to execute
     if( data && data.took ){
diff --git a/service/search.js b/service/search.js
index 8e12b69e..1776fb8c 100644
--- a/service/search.js
+++ b/service/search.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ var logger = require( 'pelias-logger' ).get( 'api' );
 function service( backend, cmd, cb ){
 
   // query new backend
-  backend().client.search( cmd, function( err, data ){
+  backend.client.search( cmd, function( err, data ){
 
     // log total ms elasticsearch reported the query took to execute
     if( data && data.took ){
diff --git a/src/backend.js b/src/backend.js
index c983dbba..e99ca5d2 100644
--- a/src/backend.js
+++ b/src/backend.js
@@ -1,14 +1,5 @@
-var config = require( 'pelias-config' ).generate().esclient;
-var Backend = require('geopipes-elasticsearch-backend'),
-    client = require('elasticsearch').Client(config),
-    backends = {};
+const config = require( 'pelias-config' ).generate().esclient;
+const Backend = require('geopipes-elasticsearch-backend');
+const client = require('elasticsearch').Client(config);
 
-function getBackend( index, type ){
-  var key = ( index + ':' + type );
-  if( !backends[key] ){
-    backends[key] = new Backend( client, index, type );
-  }
-  return backends[key];
-}
-
-module.exports = getBackend;
+module.exports = new Backend(client);
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/backend.js b/test/unit/mock/backend.js
index 739ed2cb..9292fe33 100644
--- a/test/unit/mock/backend.js
+++ b/test/unit/mock/backend.js
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function setup( key, cmdCb ){
       }
     };
   }
-  return backend;
+  return backend();
 }
 
 function mgetEnvelope( options ){