diff --git a/pkg/api/alerting.go b/pkg/api/alerting.go
index b80cf4cff70..3a42b33c5f3 100644
--- a/pkg/api/alerting.go
+++ b/pkg/api/alerting.go
@@ -116,12 +116,12 @@ func (hs *HTTPServer) GetAlerts(c *contextmodel.ReqContext) response.Response {
 			Permission:   dashboards.PERMISSION_VIEW,
 		}
 
-		err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(c.Req.Context(), &searchQuery)
+		hits, err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(c.Req.Context(), &searchQuery)
 		if err != nil {
 			return response.Error(500, "List alerts failed", err)
 		}
 
-		for _, d := range searchQuery.Result {
+		for _, d := range hits {
 			if d.Type == model.DashHitDB && d.ID > 0 {
 				dashboardIDs = append(dashboardIDs, d.ID)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/api/common_test.go b/pkg/api/common_test.go
index 63fd69a80bd..6919bad8576 100644
--- a/pkg/api/common_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/common_test.go
@@ -320,9 +320,8 @@ type setUpConf struct {
 
 type mockSearchService struct{ ExpectedResult model.HitList }
 
-func (mss *mockSearchService) SearchHandler(_ context.Context, q *search.Query) error {
-	q.Result = mss.ExpectedResult
-	return nil
+func (mss *mockSearchService) SearchHandler(_ context.Context, q *search.Query) (model.HitList, error) {
+	return mss.ExpectedResult, nil
 }
 func (mss *mockSearchService) SortOptions() []model.SortOption { return nil }
 
diff --git a/pkg/api/folder.go b/pkg/api/folder.go
index 57e7881dc49..ab233d61f6d 100644
--- a/pkg/api/folder.go
+++ b/pkg/api/folder.go
@@ -350,13 +350,14 @@ func (hs *HTTPServer) searchFolders(c *contextmodel.ReqContext) ([]*folder.Folde
 		Page:         c.QueryInt64("page"),
 	}
 
-	if err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(c.Req.Context(), &searchQuery); err != nil {
+	hits, err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(c.Req.Context(), &searchQuery)
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	folders := make([]*folder.Folder, 0)
 
-	for _, hit := range searchQuery.Result {
+	for _, hit := range hits {
 		folders = append(folders, &folder.Folder{
 			ID:    hit.ID,
 			UID:   hit.UID,
diff --git a/pkg/api/playlist_play.go b/pkg/api/playlist_play.go
index c06649b5b54..5a33185d855 100644
--- a/pkg/api/playlist_play.go
+++ b/pkg/api/playlist_play.go
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ func (hs *HTTPServer) populateDashboardsByTag(ctx context.Context, orgID int64,
 			OrgId:        orgID,
 		}
 
-		if err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(ctx, &searchQuery); err == nil {
-			for _, item := range searchQuery.Result {
+		hits, err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(ctx, &searchQuery)
+		if err == nil {
+			for _, item := range hits {
 				result = append(result, dtos.PlaylistDashboard{
 					Id:    item.ID,
 					Slug:  item.Slug,
diff --git a/pkg/api/search.go b/pkg/api/search.go
index 0eb478fc05a..3c7cd61ae51 100644
--- a/pkg/api/search.go
+++ b/pkg/api/search.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func (hs *HTTPServer) Search(c *contextmodel.ReqContext) response.Response {
 		Sort:          sort,
 	}
 
-	err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(c.Req.Context(), &searchQuery)
+	hits, err := hs.SearchService.SearchHandler(c.Req.Context(), &searchQuery)
 	if err != nil {
 		return response.Error(500, "Search failed", err)
 	}
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ func (hs *HTTPServer) Search(c *contextmodel.ReqContext) response.Response {
 	defer c.TimeRequest(metrics.MApiDashboardSearch)
 
 	if !c.QueryBool("accesscontrol") {
-		return response.JSON(http.StatusOK, searchQuery.Result)
+		return response.JSON(http.StatusOK, hits)
 	}
 
-	return hs.searchHitsWithMetadata(c, searchQuery.Result)
+	return hs.searchHitsWithMetadata(c, hits)
 }
 
 func (hs *HTTPServer) searchHitsWithMetadata(c *contextmodel.ReqContext, hits model.HitList) response.Response {
diff --git a/pkg/services/search/service.go b/pkg/services/search/service.go
index bed792f18b4..838f61e6e59 100644
--- a/pkg/services/search/service.go
+++ b/pkg/services/search/service.go
@@ -40,12 +40,10 @@ type Query struct {
 	FolderIds     []int64
 	Permission    dashboards.PermissionType
 	Sort          string
-
-	Result model.HitList
 }
 
 type Service interface {
-	SearchHandler(context.Context, *Query) error
+	SearchHandler(context.Context, *Query) (model.HitList, error)
 	SortOptions() []model.SortOption
 }
 
@@ -57,19 +55,18 @@ type SearchService struct {
 	dashboardService dashboards.DashboardService
 }
 
-func (s *SearchService) SearchHandler(ctx context.Context, query *Query) error {
+func (s *SearchService) SearchHandler(ctx context.Context, query *Query) (model.HitList, error) {
 	starredQuery := star.GetUserStarsQuery{
 		UserID: query.SignedInUser.UserID,
 	}
 	staredDashIDs, err := s.starService.GetByUser(ctx, &starredQuery)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// No starred dashboards will be found
 	if query.IsStarred && len(staredDashIDs.UserStars) == 0 {
-		query.Result = model.HitList{}
-		return nil
+		return model.HitList{}, nil
 	}
 
 	// filter by starred dashboard IDs when starred dashboards are requested and no UID or ID filters are specified to improve query performance
@@ -98,7 +95,7 @@ func (s *SearchService) SearchHandler(ctx context.Context, query *Query) error {
 
 	hits, err := s.dashboardService.SearchDashboards(ctx, &dashboardQuery)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	if query.Sort == "" {
@@ -114,17 +111,15 @@ func (s *SearchService) SearchHandler(ctx context.Context, query *Query) error {
 
 	// filter for starred dashboards if requested
 	if !query.IsStarred {
-		query.Result = hits
-	} else {
-		query.Result = model.HitList{}
-		for _, dashboard := range hits {
-			if dashboard.IsStarred {
-				query.Result = append(query.Result, dashboard)
-			}
+		return hits, nil
+	}
+	result := model.HitList{}
+	for _, dashboard := range hits {
+		if dashboard.IsStarred {
+			result = append(result, dashboard)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return nil
+	return result, nil
 }
 
 func sortedHits(unsorted model.HitList) model.HitList {
diff --git a/pkg/services/search/service_test.go b/pkg/services/search/service_test.go
index a85aa857f81..58177e5e1a9 100644
--- a/pkg/services/search/service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/search/service_test.go
@@ -44,20 +44,20 @@ func TestSearch_SortedResults(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	err := svc.SearchHandler(context.Background(), query)
+	hits, err := svc.SearchHandler(context.Background(), query)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	// Assert results are sorted.
-	assert.Equal(t, "FOLDER", query.Result[0].Title)
-	assert.Equal(t, "AABB", query.Result[1].Title)
-	assert.Equal(t, "BBAA", query.Result[2].Title)
-	assert.Equal(t, "bbAAa", query.Result[3].Title)
-	assert.Equal(t, "CCAA", query.Result[4].Title)
+	assert.Equal(t, "FOLDER", hits[0].Title)
+	assert.Equal(t, "AABB", hits[1].Title)
+	assert.Equal(t, "BBAA", hits[2].Title)
+	assert.Equal(t, "bbAAa", hits[3].Title)
+	assert.Equal(t, "CCAA", hits[4].Title)
 
 	// Assert tags are sorted.
-	assert.Equal(t, "AA", query.Result[3].Tags[0])
-	assert.Equal(t, "BB", query.Result[3].Tags[1])
-	assert.Equal(t, "EE", query.Result[3].Tags[2])
+	assert.Equal(t, "AA", hits[3].Tags[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, "BB", hits[3].Tags[1])
+	assert.Equal(t, "EE", hits[3].Tags[2])
 }
 
 func TestSearch_StarredResults(t *testing.T) {
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@ func TestSearch_StarredResults(t *testing.T) {
 		SignedInUser: &user.SignedInUser{},
 	}
 
-	err := svc.SearchHandler(context.Background(), query)
+	hits, err := svc.SearchHandler(context.Background(), query)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	// Assert only starred dashboards are returned
-	assert.Equal(t, 2, query.Result.Len())
-	assert.Equal(t, "A", query.Result[0].Title)
-	assert.Equal(t, "C", query.Result[1].Title)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, hits.Len())
+	assert.Equal(t, "A", hits[0].Title)
+	assert.Equal(t, "C", hits[1].Title)
 }