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 d00ec0c242..1571ab936d 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/queryset.service.js
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export default ['$q', 'Rest', 'ProcessErrors', '$rootScope', 'Wait', 'DjangoSear
                     }
                     else if(params.relatedSearchTerm) {
                         if(params.singleSearchParam) {
-                            paramString += keySplit[0] + '__search';
+                            paramString += keySplit[0];
                         }
                         else {
                             paramString += keySplit[0] + '__search_DEFAULT';
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 6f5488ad1d..a673d0e783 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
@@ -193,7 +193,22 @@ export default ['$stateParams', '$scope', '$state', 'GetBasePath', 'QuerySet', '
                             params = _.merge(params, searchWithoutKey(term), combineSameSearches);
                         }
                         else {
-                            params = _.merge(params, qs.encodeParam({term: term, searchTerm: true, singleSearchParam: $scope.singleSearchParam ? $scope.singleSearchParam : false}), combineSameSearches);
+                            let root = termParts[0].split(".")[0].replace(/^-/, '');
+                            if(_.has($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') {
+                                    params = _.merge(params, qs.encodeParam({term: term, relatedSearchTerm: true, singleSearchParam: $scope.singleSearchParam ? $scope.singleSearchParam : false}), combineSameSearches);
+                                }
+                                else {
+                                    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)) {
+                                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
+                            else {
+                                params = _.merge(params, searchWithoutKey(term), combineSameSearches);
+                            }
                         }
                     }