diff --git a/lib/search/index-class.js b/lib/search/index-class.js
index c05af9a2516..ac3ee15c902 100644
--- a/lib/search/index-class.js
+++ b/lib/search/index-class.js
@@ -366,7 +366,8 @@ Index.prototype.search = function(query, callback) {
 
   this.request({
     uri: '/search',
-    qs: query
+    qs: query,
+    useQuerystring: true // See #986.
   }, function(err, resp) {
     if (err) {
       callback(err, null, null, resp);
diff --git a/system-test/search.js b/system-test/search.js
index 7a2035f113a..c32855364c9 100644
--- a/system-test/search.js
+++ b/system-test/search.js
@@ -219,10 +219,13 @@ describe('Search', function() {
 
     before(function(done) {
       var questions = document.addField('question');
+      var answers = document.addField('answer');
 
       questions.addTextValue('Where did Ryan go?');
       questions.addTextValue('Where did Silvano go?');
 
+      answers.addTextValue('Where DIDN\'T they go?');
+
       document.create(done);
     });
 
@@ -231,10 +234,18 @@ describe('Search', function() {
     });
 
     it('should search document', function(done) {
-      index.search(query, function(err, results) {
+      var fields = ['question', 'answer'];
+
+      index.search({
+        query: query,
+        returnFields: fields,
+      }, function(err, results) {
         assert.ifError(err);
-        assert.equal(results.length, 1);
-        assert.equal(results[0].id, DOCUMENT_NAME);
+        assert.strictEqual(results.length, 1);
+
+        var document = results[0];
+        assert.strictEqual(document.id, DOCUMENT_NAME);
+        assert.strictEqual(Object.keys(document.fields).length, fields.length);
         done();
       });
     });
diff --git a/test/search/index-class.js b/test/search/index-class.js
index aad0a7aa4d7..a2f0041921b 100644
--- a/test/search/index-class.js
+++ b/test/search/index-class.js
@@ -306,6 +306,15 @@ describe('Index', function() {
       index.search(query, assert.ifError);
     });
 
+    it('should use default querystring module', function(done) {
+      index.request = function(reqOpts) {
+        assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.useQuerystring, true);
+        done();
+      };
+
+      index.search('', assert.ifError);
+    });
+
     it('should execute callback with error & API response', function(done) {
       var apiResponse = { a: 'b', c: 'd' };
       var error = new Error('Error.');