diff --git a/controller/search.js b/controller/search.js
index cc04f19e..ab3357b5 100644
--- a/controller/search.js
+++ b/controller/search.js
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ function setup( apiConfig, esclient, query, should_execute ){
     // elasticsearch command
     const cmd = {
       index: apiConfig.indexName,
-      searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
       body: renderedQuery.body
     };
 
diff --git a/controller/search_with_ids.js b/controller/search_with_ids.js
index 75c14aea..7231f170 100644
--- a/controller/search_with_ids.js
+++ b/controller/search_with_ids.js
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ function setup( apiConfig, esclient, query, should_execute ){
     // elasticsearch command
     const cmd = {
       index: apiConfig.indexName,
-      searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
       body: renderedQuery.body
     };
 
diff --git a/test/unit/controller/search.js b/test/unit/controller/search.js
index 0e274d4e..6f0f8ea2 100644
--- a/test/unit/controller/search.js
+++ b/test/unit/controller/search.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ module.exports.tests.success = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(esclient, 'this is the esclient');
         t.deepEqual(cmd, {
           index: 'indexName value',
-          searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
           body: 'this is the query body'
         });
 
@@ -98,7 +97,6 @@ module.exports.tests.success = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(esclient, 'this is the esclient');
         t.deepEqual(cmd, {
           index: 'indexName value',
-          searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
           body: 'this is the query body'
         });
 
@@ -162,7 +160,6 @@ module.exports.tests.success = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(esclient, 'this is the esclient');
         t.deepEqual(cmd, {
           index: 'indexName value',
-          searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
           body: 'this is the query body'
         });
 
@@ -234,7 +231,6 @@ module.exports.tests.success = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(esclient, 'this is the esclient');
         t.deepEqual(cmd, {
           index: 'indexName value',
-          searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
           body: 'this is the query body'
         });
 
@@ -319,7 +315,6 @@ module.exports.tests.timeout = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(esclient, 'this is the esclient');
         t.deepEqual(cmd, {
           index: 'indexName value',
-          searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
           body: 'this is the query body'
         });
 
diff --git a/test/unit/controller/search_with_ids.js b/test/unit/controller/search_with_ids.js
index 250e32f9..e085756a 100644
--- a/test/unit/controller/search_with_ids.js
+++ b/test/unit/controller/search_with_ids.js
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ module.exports.tests.success = (test, common) => {
         t.equal(esclient, 'this is the esclient');
         t.deepEqual(cmd, {
           index: 'indexName value',
-          searchType: 'dfs_query_then_fetch',
           body: 'this is the query body'
         });