diff --git a/lib/nano.js b/lib/nano.js
index 9ca51376..31b15023 100644
--- a/lib/nano.js
+++ b/lib/nano.js
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ module.exports = exports = nano = function dbScope(cfg) {
 
   serverScope.config = cfg;
   cfg.requestDefaults = cfg.requestDefaults || {jar: false};
+  cfg.searchVendor = cfg.searchVendor || nano.SEARCH_CLOUDANT;
 
   var httpAgent = (typeof cfg.request === 'function') ? cfg.request :
     request.defaults(cfg.requestDefaults);
@@ -45,6 +46,13 @@ module.exports = exports = nano = function dbScope(cfg) {
   var log = typeof cfg.log === 'function' ? cfg.log : logger(cfg);
   var parseUrl = 'parseUrl' in cfg ? cfg.parseUrl : true;
 
+  function searchVendor(searchVendor) {
+    if (searchVendor) {
+      cfg.searchVendor = searchVendor;
+    }
+    return cfg.searchVendor;
+  }
+
   function maybeExtractDatabaseComponent() {
     if (!parseUrl) {
       return;
@@ -545,10 +553,37 @@ module.exports = exports = nano = function dbScope(cfg) {
     }
 
     // cloudant
-    function viewSearch(ddoc, viewName, qs, callback) {
+    function searchCloudant(ddoc, viewName, qs, callback) {
       return view(ddoc, viewName, {type: 'search'}, qs, callback);
     }
 
+    // couchdb-lucene
+    function searchLucene(ddoc, viewName, qs, callback) {
+      if (typeof qs.sort !== 'undefined') {
+        qs.sort = qs.sort
+          .replace(/^(")/g, '')
+          .replace(/(")$/g, '')
+          .replace(/^(-)/, '\\')
+          .replace('<number>', '<float>')
+          .replace('<score>', 'score');
+      }
+
+      return relax({
+        path: '_fti/local/' + dbName + '/_design/' + ddoc + '/' + viewName,
+        method: 'GET',
+        qs: qs
+      }, callback);
+    }
+
+    function viewSearch(ddoc, viewName, qs, callback) {
+      switch (cfg.searchVendor) {
+        case nano.SEARCH_LUCENE:
+          return searchLucene(ddoc, viewName, qs, callback);
+        default:
+          return searchCloudant(ddoc, viewName, qs, callback);
+      }
+    }
+    
     // http://docs.couchdb.org/en/latest/api/ddoc/render.html#get--db-_design-ddoc-_show-func
     function showDoc(ddoc, viewName, docName, qs, callback) {
       return view(ddoc, viewName + '/' + docName, {type: 'show'}, qs, callback);
@@ -763,7 +798,8 @@ module.exports = exports = nano = function dbScope(cfg) {
     auth: auth,
     session: session,
     updates: updates,
-    followUpdates: followUpdates
+    followUpdates: followUpdates,
+    searchVendor: searchVendor,
   });
 
   var db = maybeExtractDatabaseComponent();
@@ -784,6 +820,9 @@ module.exports = exports = nano = function dbScope(cfg) {
 nano.version = require('../package.json').version;
 nano.path    = __dirname;
 
+nano.SEARCH_CLOUDANT = 'cloudant';
+nano.SEARCH_LUCENE = 'lucene';
+
 function urlResolveFix(couchUrl, dbName) {
   if (/[^\/]$/.test(couchUrl)) {
     couchUrl += '/';