diff --git a/lib/philomena/comments/query.ex b/lib/philomena/comments/query.ex
index 9e9c8986..de2fee03 100644
--- a/lib/philomena/comments/query.ex
+++ b/lib/philomena/comments/query.ex
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ defmodule Philomena.Comments.Query do
     |> Parser.parse(query_string, context)
   end
 
-  def compile(user, query_string) do
+  def compile(query_string, opts \\ []) do
+    user = Keyword.get(opts, :user)
     query_string = query_string || ""
 
     case user do
diff --git a/lib/philomena_web/controllers/api/json/search/comment_controller.ex b/lib/philomena_web/controllers/api/json/search/comment_controller.ex
index 5dbe5e4c..6942a4ff 100644
--- a/lib/philomena_web/controllers/api/json/search/comment_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/philomena_web/controllers/api/json/search/comment_controller.ex
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ defmodule PhilomenaWeb.Api.Json.Search.CommentController do
     user = conn.assigns.current_user
     filter = conn.assigns.current_filter
 
-    case Query.compile(user, params["q"] || "") do
+    case Query.compile(params["q"], user: user) do
       {:ok, query} ->
         comments =
           Comment
diff --git a/lib/philomena_web/controllers/comment_controller.ex b/lib/philomena_web/controllers/comment_controller.ex
index 99b14f25..d64f3e16 100644
--- a/lib/philomena_web/controllers/comment_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/philomena_web/controllers/comment_controller.ex
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ defmodule PhilomenaWeb.CommentController do
     conn = Map.put(conn, :params, params)
     user = conn.assigns.current_user
 
-    user
-    |> Query.compile(cq)
+    cq
+    |> Query.compile(user: user)
     |> render_index(conn, user)
   end