diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/solr/SolrIndexer.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/solr/SolrIndexer.java
index bf7837413..48ce7c454 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/solr/SolrIndexer.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/solr/SolrIndexer.java
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ public class SolrIndexer implements IndexerIface {
     @Override
     public void removeFromIndex(String uri) throws IndexingException {
         if( uri != null ){            
-            try {                        
-                server.deleteByQuery( individualToSolrDoc.getQueryForId(uri));
+            try {
+                server.deleteById(individualToSolrDoc.getIdForUri(uri));
                 log.debug("deleted " + " " + uri);                                       
             } catch (SolrServerException e) {
                 log.error( "could not delete individual " + uri, e);