diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js
index 877222da11..10ae7ef3c8 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js
@@ -264,13 +264,13 @@ export default ['$q', 'Rest', 'ProcessErrors', '$rootScope', 'Wait', 'DjangoSear
 
                         this.error(response.data, response.status);
 
-                        return response;
+                        throw response;
                     }.bind(this));
             },
             error(data, status) {
-                ProcessErrors($rootScope, data, status, null, {
+                ProcessErrors($rootScope, null, status, null, {
                     hdr: 'Error!',
-                    msg: 'Call to ' + this.url + '. GET returned: ' + status
+                    msg: "Invalid search term entered."
                 });
             }
         };
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
index 6c10c1d752..ff4c54b52c 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
@@ -182,8 +182,11 @@ export default ['$stateParams', '$scope', '$state', 'QuerySet', 'GetBasePath', '
                     else {
                         encodeParams.searchTerm = true;
                     }
+                    removed = qs.encodeParam(encodeParams);
+                }
+                else {
+                    removed = setDefaults(termParts[termParts.length-1]);
                 }
-                removed = qs.encodeParam(encodeParams);
             }
             removeFromQuerySet(queryset);
             if(!$scope.querySet) {