diff --git a/query/reverse.js b/query/reverse.js
index fbe1251d..a9c1d25c 100644
--- a/query/reverse.js
+++ b/query/reverse.js
@@ -65,13 +65,24 @@ function generateQuery( clean ){
   // where point.lan/point.lon are provided in the
   // absense of boundary.circle.lat/boundary.circle.lon
   if( check.number(clean['boundary.circle.lat']) &&
-      check.number(clean['boundary.circle.lon']) &&
-      check.number(clean['boundary.circle.radius']) ){
-    vs.set({
-      'boundary:circle:lat': clean['boundary.circle.lat'],
-      'boundary:circle:lon': clean['boundary.circle.lon'],
-      'boundary:circle:radius': clean['boundary.circle.radius'] + 'km'
-    });
+      check.number(clean['boundary.circle.lon']) ){
+
+        vs.set({
+          'boundary:circle:lat': clean['boundary.circle.lat'],
+          'boundary:circle:lon': clean['boundary.circle.lon']
+        });
+
+        if (check.undefined(clean['boundary.circle.radius'])){
+          // for coarse reverse when boundary circle radius is undefined
+          vs.set({
+            'boundary:circle:radius': defaults['boundary:circle:radius']
+          });
+        } else if (check.number(clean['boundary.circle.radius'])){
+          // plain reverse where boundary circle is a valid number
+          vs.set({
+            'boundary:circle:radius': clean['boundary.circle.radius'] + 'km'
+          });
+        }
     logStr += '[param:boundary_circle] ';
   }
 
diff --git a/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js b/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js
index 5a7195eb..1bb85043 100644
--- a/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js
+++ b/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js
@@ -29,11 +29,6 @@ module.exports = function sanitize( raw, clean ){
     raw['boundary.circle.lat'] = clean['point.lat'];
     raw['boundary.circle.lon'] = clean['point.lon'];
 
-    // if no radius was passed, set the default
-    if ( _.isUndefined( raw['boundary.circle.radius'] ) ) {
-      raw['boundary.circle.radius'] = defaults['boundary:circle:radius'];
-    }
-
     // santize the boundary.circle
     geo_common.sanitize_circle( 'boundary.circle', clean, raw, CIRCLE_IS_REQUIRED );
 
diff --git a/test/unit/query/reverse.js b/test/unit/query/reverse.js
index d773224b..eab97188 100644
--- a/test/unit/query/reverse.js
+++ b/test/unit/query/reverse.js
@@ -61,6 +61,23 @@ module.exports.tests.query = function(test, common) {
     t.end();
   });
 
+  // for coarse reverse cases where boundary circle radius isn't used
+  test('undefined radius set to default radius', function(t) {
+    var query = generate({
+      'point.lat': 12.12121,
+      'point.lon': 21.21212,
+      'boundary.circle.lat': 12.12121,
+      'boundary.circle.lon': 21.21212
+    });
+
+    var compiled = JSON.parse( JSON.stringify( query ) );
+    var expected = '1km';
+
+    t.deepEqual(compiled.type, 'reverse', 'query type set');
+    t.deepEqual(compiled.body.query.bool.filter[0].geo_distance.distance, expected, 'distance set to default boundary circle radius');
+    t.end();
+  });
+
   test('boundary.circle lat/lon/radius - overrides point.lat/lon when set', function(t) {
     var clean = {
       'point.lat': 29.49136,
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js b/test/unit/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js
index 4df32711..223cf9fa 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitizer/_geo_reverse.js
@@ -84,31 +84,11 @@ module.exports.tests.success_conditions = (test, common) => {
 
   });
 
-  test('boundary.circle.radius not specified should use default', (t) => {
-    const raw = {
-      'point.lat': '12.121212',
-      'point.lon': '21.212121'
-    };
-    const clean = {};
-    const errorsAndWarnings = sanitize(raw, clean);
-
-    t.equals(raw['boundary.circle.lat'], 12.121212);
-    t.equals(raw['boundary.circle.lon'], 21.212121);
-    t.equals(raw['boundary.circle.radius'], defaults['boundary:circle:radius'], 'should be from defaults');
-    t.equals(clean['boundary.circle.lat'], 12.121212);
-    t.equals(clean['boundary.circle.lon'], 21.212121);
-    t.equals(clean['boundary.circle.radius'], parseFloat(defaults['boundary:circle:radius']), 'should be same as raw');
-
-    t.deepEquals(errorsAndWarnings, { errors: [], warnings: [] });
-    t.end();
-
-  });
-
 };
 
 module.exports.all = (tape, common) => {
   function test(name, testFunction) {
-    return tape(`SANTIZE _geo_reverse ${name}`, testFunction);
+    return tape(`SANITIZE _geo_reverse ${name}`, testFunction);
   }
 
   for( const testCase in module.exports.tests ){
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitizer/nearby.js b/test/unit/sanitizer/nearby.js
index 1ba41f67..72be019a 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitizer/nearby.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitizer/nearby.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ var defaultClean =  { 'point.lat': 0,
                       'point.lon': 0,
                       'boundary.circle.lat': 0,
                       'boundary.circle.lon': 0,
-                      'boundary.circle.radius': parseFloat(defaults['boundary:circle:radius']),
                       size: 10,
                       private: false
                     };
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitizer/reverse.js b/test/unit/sanitizer/reverse.js
index 430d3ffa..c7125743 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitizer/reverse.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitizer/reverse.js
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ var reverse  = require('../../../sanitizer/reverse'),
                       'point.lon': 0,
                       'boundary.circle.lat': 0,
                       'boundary.circle.lon': 0,
-                      'boundary.circle.radius': parseFloat(defaults['boundary:circle:radius']),
                       size: 10,
                       private: false
                     };