diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/servlet/setup/UpdateKnowledgeBase.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/servlet/setup/UpdateKnowledgeBase.java
index 0e672035a..0366d5573 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/servlet/setup/UpdateKnowledgeBase.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/servlet/setup/UpdateKnowledgeBase.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.dao.jena.OntModelSelector;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.dao.jena.SimpleOntModelSelector;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.ontology.update.OntologyUpdateSettings;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.ontology.update.OntologyUpdater;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.lucene.LuceneSetup;
 
 /**
  * Invokes process to test whether the knowledge base needs any updating
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ public class UpdateKnowledgeBase implements ServletContextListener {
 			  
 			  try {
 				  if (ontologyUpdater.updateRequired()) {
+					  ctx.setAttribute(LuceneSetup.INDEX_REBUILD_REQUESTED_AT_STARTUP, Boolean.TRUE);
 					  doMiscAppMetadataReplacements(ctx.getRealPath(MISC_REPLACEMENTS_FILE), oms);
 					  System.out.println(ctx.getRealPath(MISC_REPLACEMENTS_FILE));
 				  }