diff --git a/lib/api/messages.js b/lib/api/messages.js
index e1809cf6..87b43fba 100644
--- a/lib/api/messages.js
+++ b/lib/api/messages.js
@@ -508,6 +508,8 @@ module.exports = (db, server, messageHandler, userHandler, storageHandler, setti
 
     const searchSchema = Joi.object().keys({
         user: Joi.string().hex().lowercase().length(24).required(),
+        q: Joi.string().trim().empty('').max(1024).optional(),
+
         mailbox: Joi.string().hex().length(24).empty(''),
         thread: Joi.string().hex().length(24).empty(''),
 
@@ -540,7 +542,6 @@ module.exports = (db, server, messageHandler, userHandler, storageHandler, setti
             res.charSet('utf-8');
 
             const schema = searchSchema.keys({
-                q: Joi.string().trim().empty('').max(1024).optional(),
                 threadCounters: booleanSchema.default(false),
                 limit: Joi.number().default(20).min(1).max(250),
                 order: Joi.any().empty('').allow('asc', 'desc').optional(),
@@ -591,8 +592,6 @@ module.exports = (db, server, messageHandler, userHandler, storageHandler, setti
                 query = prepared.query;
             }
 
-            console.log('SEARCH FILTER', JSON.stringify(filter));
-
             let total = await getFilteredMessageCount(filter);
             log.verbose('API', 'Searching %s', JSON.stringify(filter));
 
diff --git a/lib/search-query.js b/lib/search-query.js
index d6541f45..69e62a3f 100644
--- a/lib/search-query.js
+++ b/lib/search-query.js
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ function parseSearchQuery(queryStr) {
 const getMongoDBQuery = async (db, user, queryStr) => {
     const parsed = parseSearchQuery(queryStr);
 
+    let hasTextFilter = false;
+
     let walkTree = async node => {
         if (Array.isArray(node)) {
             let branches = [];
@@ -185,6 +187,8 @@ const getMongoDBQuery = async (db, user, queryStr) => {
                 branch = { $not: branch };
             }
 
+            hasTextFilter = true;
+
             return branch;
         } else if (node.keywords) {
             let branches = [];
@@ -298,7 +302,14 @@ const getMongoDBQuery = async (db, user, queryStr) => {
     };
 
     if (parsed && parsed.length) {
-        return Object.assign({ user: null }, await walkTree(Array.isArray(parsed) ? { $and: parsed } : parsed), { user });
+        let filter = await walkTree(Array.isArray(parsed) ? { $and: parsed } : parsed);
+
+        let extras = { user };
+        if (hasTextFilter) {
+            extras.searchable = true;
+        }
+
+        return Object.assign({ user: null }, filter, extras);
     }
 
     return { user: false };
diff --git a/lib/tasks/search-apply.js b/lib/tasks/search-apply.js
index f71545fc..5561ccaa 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/search-apply.js
+++ b/lib/tasks/search-apply.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const log = require('npmlog');
 const db = require('../db');
 const util = require('util');
 const prepareSearchFilter = require('../prepare-search-filter');
+const { getMongoDBQuery } = require('../search-query');
 const ObjectId = require('mongodb').ObjectId;
 
 let run = async (task, data, options) => {
@@ -22,7 +23,17 @@ let run = async (task, data, options) => {
         action.moveTo = new ObjectId(action.moveTo);
     }
 
-    const { query, filter } = await prepareSearchFilter(db, user, data);
+    let query;
+    let filter;
+
+    if (data.q) {
+        filter = await getMongoDBQuery(db, user, data.q);
+        query = data.q;
+    } else {
+        let prepared = await prepareSearchFilter(db, user, data);
+        filter = prepared.filter;
+        query = prepared.query;
+    }
 
     try {
         // getMailboxAsync throws if mailbox is missing or wrong owner