diff --git a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OFulltext.scala b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OFulltext.scala
index beb1ca82..18501aad 100644
--- a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OFulltext.scala
+++ b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OFulltext.scala
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ object OFulltext {
         } yield ()
 
       def findItems(q: Query, ftsQ: String, batch: Batch): F[Vector[ListItem]] =
-        findItemsFts(q, ftsQ, batch, itemSearch.findItems)
+        findItemsFts(q, ftsQ, batch.first, itemSearch.findItems)
+          .drop(batch.offset.toLong)
           .take(batch.limit.toLong)
           .compile
           .toVector
@@ -70,28 +71,33 @@ object OFulltext {
           ftsQ: String,
           batch: Batch
       ): F[Vector[ListItemWithTags]] =
-        findItemsFts(q, ftsQ, batch, itemSearch.findItemsWithTags)
+        findItemsFts(q, ftsQ, batch.first, itemSearch.findItemsWithTags)
+          .drop(batch.offset.toLong)
           .take(batch.limit.toLong)
           .compile
           .toVector
 
-      private def findItemsFts[A](
+      private def findItemsFts[A: ItemId](
           q: Query,
           ftsQ: String,
           batch: Batch,
           search: (Query, Batch) => F[Vector[A]]
       ): Stream[F, A] = {
-        val fq = FtsQuery(ftsQ, q.collective, Nil, batch.limit, batch.offset)
+
+        val sqlResult = search(q, batch)
+        val fq        = FtsQuery(ftsQ, q.collective, Set.empty, batch.limit, batch.offset)
 
         val qres =
           for {
-            items <-
+            items <- sqlResult
+            ids  = items.map(a => ItemId[A].itemId(a))
+            ftsQ = fq.copy(items = ids.toSet)
+            ftsR <-
               fts
-                .search(fq)
+                .search(ftsQ)
                 .map(_.results.map(_.itemId))
                 .map(_.toSet)
-            sq = q.copy(itemIds = Some(items))
-            res <- search(sq, batch)
+            res = items.filter(a => ftsR.contains(ItemId[A].itemId(a)))
           } yield res
 
         Stream.eval(qres).flatMap { v =>
@@ -100,6 +106,23 @@ object OFulltext {
           else results ++ findItemsFts(q, ftsQ, batch.next, search)
         }
       }
-
     })
+
+  trait ItemId[A] {
+    def itemId(a: A): Ident
+  }
+  object ItemId {
+    def apply[A](implicit ev: ItemId[A]): ItemId[A] = ev
+
+    def from[A](f: A => Ident): ItemId[A] =
+      new ItemId[A] {
+        def itemId(a: A) = f(a)
+      }
+
+    implicit val listItemId: ItemId[ListItem] =
+      ItemId.from(_.id)
+
+    implicit val listItemWithTagsId: ItemId[ListItemWithTags] =
+      ItemId.from(_.item.id)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala
index a1bec931..b678b27f 100644
--- a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala
+++ b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package docspell.ftsclient
 
 import fs2.Stream
+import cats.implicits._
+import cats.effect._
+import org.log4s.getLogger
 import docspell.common._
 
 /** The fts client is the interface for docspell to a fulltext search
@@ -90,3 +93,29 @@ trait FtsClient[F[_]] {
   def clear(logger: Logger[F], collective: Ident): F[Unit]
 
 }
+
+object FtsClient {
+
+  def none[F[_]: Sync] =
+    new FtsClient[F] {
+      private[this] val logger = Logger.log4s[F](getLogger)
+
+      def initialize: F[Unit] =
+        logger.info("Full-text search is disabled!")
+
+      def search(q: FtsQuery): F[FtsResult] =
+        logger.warn("Full-text search is disabled!") *> FtsResult.empty.pure[F]
+
+      def updateIndex(logger: Logger[F], data: Stream[F, TextData]): F[Unit] =
+        logger.warn("Full-text search is disabled!")
+
+      def indexData(logger: Logger[F], data: Stream[F, TextData]): F[Unit] =
+        logger.warn("Full-text search is disabled!")
+
+      def clearAll(logger: Logger[F]): F[Unit] =
+        logger.warn("Full-text search is disabled!")
+
+      def clear(logger: Logger[F], collective: Ident): F[Unit] =
+        logger.warn("Full-text search is disabled!")
+    }
+}
diff --git a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsQuery.scala b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsQuery.scala
index ca0d68a7..276d7589 100644
--- a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsQuery.scala
+++ b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsQuery.scala
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import docspell.common._
 final case class FtsQuery(
     q: String,
     collective: Ident,
-    items: List[Ident],
+    items: Set[Ident],
     limit: Int,
     offset: Int
 ) {
diff --git a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsResult.scala b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsResult.scala
index 8aa85dd3..cec71a51 100644
--- a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsResult.scala
+++ b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsResult.scala
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ final case class FtsResult(
 
 object FtsResult {
 
+  val empty =
+    FtsResult(Duration.millis(0), 0, 0.0, Map.empty, Nil)
+
   sealed trait MatchData
   case class AttachmentData(attachId: Ident) extends MatchData
   case object ItemData                       extends MatchData
diff --git a/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/QueryData.scala b/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/QueryData.scala
index 8c877c3b..b2638ac3 100644
--- a/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/QueryData.scala
+++ b/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/QueryData.scala
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ object QueryData {
     val items = fq.items.map(_.id).mkString(" ")
     val collQ = s"""${Field.collectiveId.name}:"${fq.collective.id}""""
     val filterQ = fq.items match {
-      case Nil =>
+      case s if s.isEmpty =>
         collQ
       case _ =>
         (collQ :: List(s"""${Field.itemId.name}:($items)""")).mkString(" AND ")
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
index bb6728da..fe3fc586 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ package docspell.joex
 import cats.implicits._
 import cats.effect._
 import emil.javamail._
+import fs2.concurrent.SignallingRef
+import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext
+import org.http4s.client.Client
+import org.http4s.client.blaze.BlazeClientBuilder
 import docspell.common._
 import docspell.backend.ops._
 import docspell.joex.hk._
@@ -15,10 +19,8 @@ import docspell.joexapi.client.JoexClient
 import docspell.store.Store
 import docspell.store.queue._
 import docspell.store.records.RJobLog
+import docspell.ftsclient.FtsClient
 import docspell.ftssolr.SolrFtsClient
-import fs2.concurrent.SignallingRef
-import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext
-import org.http4s.client.blaze.BlazeClientBuilder
 
 final class JoexAppImpl[F[_]: ConcurrentEffect: ContextShift: Timer](
     cfg: Config,
@@ -78,7 +80,7 @@ object JoexAppImpl {
       nodeOps <- ONode(store)
       joex    <- OJoex(client, store)
       upload  <- OUpload(store, queue, cfg.files, joex)
-      fts     <- SolrFtsClient(cfg.fullTextSearch.solr, httpClient)
+      fts     <- createFtsClient(cfg)(httpClient)
       javaEmil =
         JavaMailEmil(blocker, Settings.defaultSettings.copy(debug = cfg.mailDebug))
       sch <- SchedulerBuilder(cfg.scheduler, blocker, store)
@@ -137,4 +139,10 @@ object JoexAppImpl {
       app = new JoexAppImpl(cfg, nodeOps, store, queue, pstore, termSignal, sch, psch)
       appR <- Resource.make(app.init.map(_ => app))(_.shutdown)
     } yield appR
+
+  private def createFtsClient[F[_]: ConcurrentEffect: ContextShift](
+      cfg: Config
+  )(client: Client[F]): Resource[F, FtsClient[F]] =
+    if (cfg.fullTextSearch.enabled) SolrFtsClient(cfg.fullTextSearch.solr, client)
+    else Resource.pure[F, FtsClient[F]](FtsClient.none[F])
 }
diff --git a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/RestAppImpl.scala b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/RestAppImpl.scala
index 25820e1f..220bf066 100644
--- a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/RestAppImpl.scala
+++ b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/RestAppImpl.scala
@@ -39,5 +39,6 @@ object RestAppImpl {
   private def createFtsClient[F[_]: ConcurrentEffect: ContextShift](
       cfg: Config
   )(client: Client[F]): Resource[F, FtsClient[F]] =
-    SolrFtsClient(cfg.fullTextSearch.solr, client)
+    if (cfg.fullTextSearch.enabled) SolrFtsClient(cfg.fullTextSearch.solr, client)
+    else Resource.pure[F, FtsClient[F]](FtsClient.none[F])
 }
diff --git a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/webapp/Flags.scala b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/webapp/Flags.scala
index 0dea6b6f..0ceb466c 100644
--- a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/webapp/Flags.scala
+++ b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/webapp/Flags.scala
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ case class Flags(
     baseUrl: LenientUri,
     signupMode: SignupConfig.Mode,
     docspellAssetPath: String,
-    integrationEnabled: Boolean
+    integrationEnabled: Boolean,
+    fullTextSearchEnabled: Boolean
 )
 
 object Flags {
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ object Flags {
       cfg.baseUrl,
       cfg.backend.signup.mode,
       s"/app/assets/docspell-webapp/${BuildInfo.version}",
-      cfg.integrationEndpoint.enabled
+      cfg.integrationEndpoint.enabled,
+      cfg.fullTextSearch.enabled
     )
 
   implicit val jsonEncoder: Encoder[Flags] =
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
index eaedb6c2..abb6202d 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
@@ -199,6 +199,9 @@ object QItem {
 
     def next: Batch =
       Batch(offset + limit, limit)
+
+    def first: Batch =
+      Batch(0, limit)
   }
 
   object Batch {
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/Flags.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/Flags.elm
index 2be9c862..16fd0122 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/Flags.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/Flags.elm
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ type alias Config =
     , signupMode : String
     , docspellAssetPath : String
     , integrationEnabled : Bool
+    , fullTextSearchEnabled : Bool
     }