diff --git a/archivebox/core/mixins.py b/archivebox/core/mixins.py
index b361790a..d1203745 100644
--- a/archivebox/core/mixins.py
+++ b/archivebox/core/mixins.py
@@ -14,12 +14,10 @@ class SearchResultsAdminMixin(object):
         if not search_term:
             return qs, use_distinct
         try:
-            snapshot_ids = query_search_index(search_term)
+            qsearch = query_search_index(search_term)
         except Exception as err:
             messages.add_message(request, messages.WARNING, f'Error from the search backend, only showing results from default admin search fields - Error: {err}')
         else:
-            qsearch = queryset.filter(pk__in=snapshot_ids)
             qs |= qsearch
-
         finally:
             return qs, use_distinct
diff --git a/archivebox/main.py b/archivebox/main.py
index 7d13a5c4..d533d58d 100644
--- a/archivebox/main.py
+++ b/archivebox/main.py
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ def remove(filter_str: Optional[str]=None,
     to_remove = snapshots.count()
 
     remove_from_sql_main_index(snapshots=snapshots, out_dir=out_dir)
-    flush_search_index(snapshot_ids=(str(pk) for pk in snapshots.values_list('pk',flat=True)))
+    flush_search_index(snapshots=snapshots)
     all_snapshots = load_main_index(out_dir=out_dir)
     log_removal_finished(all_snapshots.count(), to_remove)
     
diff --git a/archivebox/search/__init__.py b/archivebox/search/__init__.py
index 59bb6fe5..15efffb0 100644
--- a/archivebox/search/__init__.py
+++ b/archivebox/search/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-from typing import List, Union, Generator
+from typing import List, Union
 from pathlib import Path
 from importlib import import_module
 
+from django.db.models import QuerySet
 
 from archivebox.index.schema import Link
 from archivebox.util import enforce_types
@@ -39,16 +40,24 @@ def write_search_index(link: Link, texts: Union[List[str], None]=None, out_dir:
             backend.index(snapshot_id=str(snap.id), texts=texts)
 
 @enforce_types
-def query_search_index(text: str) -> List[str]:  
+def query_search_index(query: str, out_dir: Path=OUTPUT_DIR) -> QuerySet:  
     if search_backend_enabled():
+        setup_django(out_dir, check_db=True)
+        from core.models import Snapshot
+
         backend = import_backend()
-        return backend.search(text)
+        snapshot_ids = backend.search(query)
+        # TODO preserve ordering from backend
+        qsearch = Snapshot.objects.filter(pk__in=snapshot_ids)
+        return qsearch
     else:
         return []
 
 @enforce_types
-def flush_search_index(snapshot_ids: Generator[str, None, None]):
-    if not indexing_enabled() or not snapshot_ids:
+def flush_search_index(snapshots: QuerySet):
+    if not indexing_enabled() or not snapshots:
         return
     backend = import_backend()
+    snapshot_ids=(str(pk) for pk in snapshots.values_list('pk',flat=True))
+
     backend.flush(snapshot_ids)