diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/lucene/LuceneSearcher.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/lucene/LuceneSearcher.java
index 53045a4fb..8d0a16004 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/lucene/LuceneSearcher.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/lucene/LuceneSearcher.java
@@ -311,8 +311,6 @@ public class LuceneSearcher implements Searcher {
             log.error("LuceneSearcher expects to get a LuceneQuery");
             throw new Error("LuceneSearcher expects to get a LuceneQuery");
         }
-        if( queryIn == null )
-            return null;
 
         LuceneHighlighter highlighter = null;
         try {