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 a673d0e783..cb42b09984 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
@@ -194,15 +194,18 @@ export default ['$stateParams', '$scope', '$state', 'GetBasePath', 'QuerySet', '
                         }
                         else {
                             let root = termParts[0].split(".")[0].replace(/^-/, '');
-                            if(_.has($scope.models[$scope.list.name].base, root)) {
-                                if($scope.models[$scope.list.name].base[root].type && $scope.models[$scope.list.name].base[root].type === 'field') {
+                            if(_.has($scope.models[$scope.list.name].base, root) || root === "ansible_facts") {
+                                if(_.has($scope.models[$scope.list.name].base[root], "type") && $scope.models[$scope.list.name].base[root].type === 'field'){
+                                    // Intent is to land here for searching on the base model.
                                     params = _.merge(params, qs.encodeParam({term: term, relatedSearchTerm: true, singleSearchParam: $scope.singleSearchParam ? $scope.singleSearchParam : false}), combineSameSearches);
                                 }
                                 else {
+                                    // Intent is to land here when performing ansible_facts searches
                                     params = _.merge(params, qs.encodeParam({term: term, searchTerm: true, singleSearchParam: $scope.singleSearchParam ? $scope.singleSearchParam : false}), combineSameSearches);
                                 }
                             }
                             else if(_.contains($scope.models[$scope.list.name].related, root)) {
+                                // Intent is to land here for related searches
                                 params = _.merge(params, qs.encodeParam({term: term, relatedSearchTerm: true, singleSearchParam: $scope.singleSearchParam ? $scope.singleSearchParam : false}), combineSameSearches);
                             }
                             // Its not a search term or a related search term - treat it as a string