diff --git a/bahmnicore-api/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/PatientDaoImpl.java b/bahmnicore-api/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/PatientDaoImpl.java
index 4b0dc4000c..de89c6605a 100644
--- a/bahmnicore-api/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/PatientDaoImpl.java
+++ b/bahmnicore-api/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/PatientDaoImpl.java
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ private PatientResponse toPatientResponse(PatientResponseMapper patientResponseM
     }
 
     private List<Patient> getPatientsByNameAndGender(String name, String gender, Integer length) {
+        if(isNullOrEmpty(name, gender)) {
+            return new ArrayList<>();
+        }
+
         HibernatePatientDAO patientDAO = new HibernatePatientDAO();
         patientDAO.setSessionFactory(sessionFactory);
         List<Patient> patients = new ArrayList<Patient>();
@@ -139,6 +143,10 @@ && checkGender(personName.getPerson(), gender)
         return patients;
     }
 
+    private Boolean isNullOrEmpty(String name, String gender) {
+        return (name == null || name.trim().isEmpty()) && (gender == null || gender.isEmpty());
+    }
+
 
     private Boolean checkGender(Person person, String gender) {
         if(gender != null && !gender.isEmpty()){
diff --git a/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/BahmniPatientDaoImplLuceneIT.java b/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/BahmniPatientDaoImplLuceneIT.java
index 29dc45426d..580103a0ae 100644
--- a/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/BahmniPatientDaoImplLuceneIT.java
+++ b/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/dao/impl/BahmniPatientDaoImplLuceneIT.java
@@ -248,4 +248,18 @@ public void shouldSearchSimilarPatientByPatientNameAndGender() {
         assertEquals(patient1.getMiddleName(), "Peeter");
         assertEquals(patient1.getFamilyName(), "Sinha");
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldReturnEmptyListIfAllSearchTermsAreEmpty() {
+        List<PatientResponse> patients = patientDao.getSimilarPatientsUsingLuceneSearch("", "", "c36006e5-9fbb-4f20-866b-0ece245615a1", 5);
+
+        assertEquals(0, patients.size());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldReturnResultsIfOneFieldIsSet() {
+        List<PatientResponse> patients = patientDao.getSimilarPatientsUsingLuceneSearch("", "F", "c36006e5-9fbb-4f20-866b-0ece245615a1", 5);
+
+        assertEquals(5, patients.size());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/service/impl/BahmniPatientServiceImplTest.java b/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/service/impl/BahmniPatientServiceImplTest.java
index 3bff7677c5..2a6eba22c6 100644
--- a/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/service/impl/BahmniPatientServiceImplTest.java
+++ b/bahmnicore-api/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/service/impl/BahmniPatientServiceImplTest.java
@@ -76,11 +76,10 @@ public void shouldGetPatientByPartialIdentifier() throws Exception {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void shouldCallgetSimilarPatientsUsingLuceneSearch() {
+    public void shouldCallGetSimilarPatientsUsingLuceneSearch() {
         HttpServletRequest request = mock(HttpServletRequest.class);
         when(requestContext.getRequest()).thenReturn(request);
         when(request.getParameterMap()).thenReturn(new HashMap<>());
-
         PatientSearchParameters patientSearchParameters = new PatientSearchParameters(requestContext);
         patientSearchParameters.setName("John");
         patientSearchParameters.setGender("M");
diff --git a/bahmnicore-omod/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/web/v1_0/controller/search/BahmniPatientSearchController.java b/bahmnicore-omod/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/web/v1_0/controller/search/BahmniPatientSearchController.java
index 6e5b0ba76f..9885526517 100644
--- a/bahmnicore-omod/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/web/v1_0/controller/search/BahmniPatientSearchController.java
+++ b/bahmnicore-omod/src/main/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/web/v1_0/controller/search/BahmniPatientSearchController.java
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
 package org.bahmni.module.bahmnicore.web.v1_0.controller.search;
 
 import org.bahmni.module.bahmnicore.contract.patient.PatientSearchParameters;
-import org.bahmni.module.bahmnicore.contract.patient.mapper.PatientResponseMapper;
 import org.bahmni.module.bahmnicore.contract.patient.response.PatientResponse;
 import org.bahmni.module.bahmnicore.service.BahmniPatientService;
-import org.openmrs.Patient;
-import org.openmrs.PatientIdentifier;
-import org.openmrs.Person;
-import org.openmrs.api.context.Context;
-import org.openmrs.module.bahmniemrapi.visitlocation.BahmniVisitLocationServiceImpl;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RequestContext;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RestConstants;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RestUtil;
@@ -21,7 +15,6 @@
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMethod;
-import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestParam;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseBody;
 
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
diff --git a/bahmnicore-omod/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/web/v1_0/controller/search/BahmniPatientSearchControllerIT.java b/bahmnicore-omod/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/web/v1_0/controller/search/BahmniPatientSearchControllerIT.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a64bd1bb2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bahmnicore-omod/src/test/java/org/bahmni/module/bahmnicore/web/v1_0/controller/search/BahmniPatientSearchControllerIT.java
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package org.bahmni.module.bahmnicore.web.v1_0.controller.search;
+
+import org.bahmni.module.bahmnicore.web.v1_0.BaseIntegrationTest;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletRequest;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletResponse;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+public class BahmniPatientSearchControllerIT extends BaseIntegrationTest {
+
+    @Before
+    public void setup() throws Exception {
+        executeDataSet("apiTestData.xml");
+        updateSearchIndex();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldReturnPatientDetailsWhenUsingLuceneSearch() throws Exception {
+        MockHttpServletRequest request = newGetRequest("/rest/v1/bahmnicore/search/patient/lucene");
+        request.setParameter("loginLocationUuid", "c36006e5-9fbb-4f20-866b-0ece245615a1");
+        request.setParameter("q", "GAN200001");
+
+        MockHttpServletResponse response = handle(request);
+
+        assertEquals(200, response.getStatus());
+        assertTrue("Expected response to contain patient uuid", response.getContentAsString().contains("uuid"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldReturnPatientDetailsWhenUsingSimilarSearch() throws Exception {
+        MockHttpServletRequest request = newGetRequest("/rest/v1/bahmnicore/search/patient/similar");
+        request.setParameter("gender", "M");
+        request.setParameter("loginLocationUuid", "c36006e5-9fbb-4f20-866b-0ece245615a1");
+        request.setParameter("q", "John");
+
+        MockHttpServletResponse response = handle(request);
+
+        assertEquals(200, response.getStatus());
+        assertTrue("Expected response to contain list of results", response.getContentAsString().contains("pageOfResults"));
+        assertTrue("Expected response to contain patient uuid", response.getContentAsString().contains("uuid"));
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file