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 7d34a40a4e..ba8aad5dc5 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ function QuerysetService ($q, Rest, ProcessErrors, $rootScope, Wait, DjangoSearc
             }
             let paramString = exclude ? "not__" : "";
             let valueString = paramParts[1];
+
             if(keySplit.length === 1) {
                 if(searchTerm && !lessThanGreaterThan) {
                     if(singleSearchParam) {
@@ -407,9 +408,9 @@ function QuerysetService ($q, Rest, ProcessErrors, $rootScope, Wait, DjangoSearc
                 if (termParts.length === 1) {
                     termParams = searchWithoutKey(term, singleSearchParam);
                 } else if ((isAnsibleFactField && isAnsibleFactField(termParts)) || (isFilterableBaseField && isFilterableBaseField(termParts))) {
-                    termParams = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam });
+                    termParams = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam, searchTerm: true });
                 } else if (isRelatedField && isRelatedField(termParts)) {
-                    termParams = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam, related: true });
+                    termParams = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam, relatedSearchTerm: true });
                 } else {
                     termParams = searchWithoutKey(term, singleSearchParam);
                 }
@@ -458,9 +459,9 @@ function QuerysetService ($q, Rest, ProcessErrors, $rootScope, Wait, DjangoSearc
             if (termParts.length === 1) {
                 removed = searchWithoutKey(term, singleSearchParam);
             } else if ((isAnsibleFactField && isAnsibleFactField(termParts)) || (isFilterableBaseField && isFilterableBaseField(termParts))) {
-                removed = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam });
+                removed = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam, searchTerm: true });
             } else if (isRelatedField && isRelatedField(termParts)) {
-                removed = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam, related: true });
+                removed = this.encodeParam({ term, singleSearchParam, relatedSearchTerm: true });
             } else {
                 removed = searchWithoutKey(term, singleSearchParam);
             }
diff --git a/awx/ui/test/spec/smart-search/queryset.service-test.js b/awx/ui/test/spec/smart-search/queryset.service-test.js
index bd1f5ae833..eb8563c37d 100644
--- a/awx/ui/test/spec/smart-search/queryset.service-test.js
+++ b/awx/ui/test/spec/smart-search/queryset.service-test.js
@@ -58,6 +58,32 @@ describe('Service: QuerySet', () => {
         });
     });
 
+    describe('getSearchInputQueryset', () => {
+        it('creates the expected queryset', () =>{
+            spyOn(QuerySet, 'encodeParam').and.callThrough();
+
+            const term = 'name:foo';
+            const isFilterableBaseField = () => true;
+            const isRelatedField = () => false;
+
+            expect(QuerySet.getSearchInputQueryset(term, isFilterableBaseField, isRelatedField)).toEqual({ name__icontains_DEFAULT: 'foo' });
+            expect(QuerySet.encodeParam).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ term: "name:foo",  searchTerm: true, singleSearchParam: null });
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('removeTermsFromQueryset', () => {
+        it('creates the expected queryset', () =>{
+            spyOn(QuerySet, 'encodeParam').and.callThrough();
+
+            const queryset = { page_size: "20", order_by: "name", project__search_DEFAULT: "foo" };
+            const term = 'project:foo';
+            const isFilterableBaseField = () => false;
+            const isRelatedField = () => true;
+
+            expect(QuerySet.removeTermsFromQueryset(queryset, term, isFilterableBaseField, isRelatedField)).toEqual({ page_size: "20", order_by: "name" });
+            expect(QuerySet.encodeParam).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ term: 'project:foo',  relatedSearchTerm: true, singleSearchParam: null });
+        });
+    });
 
     describe('fn search', () => {
         let pattern = /\/api\/v2\/inventories\/(.+)\/groups\/*/,