diff --git a/api/thing.py b/api/thing.py
index 0babb871..5b8a52e1 100644
--- a/api/thing.py
+++ b/api/thing.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 # ===============================================================================
+from typing import Optional
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Query, Request
 from fastapi_pagination.ext.sqlalchemy import paginate
 from sqlalchemy import select
@@ -153,18 +154,26 @@ async def get_water_wells(
     user: viewer_dependency,
     session: session_dependency,
     request: Request,
-    sort: str = None,
-    order: str = None,
+    sort: Optional[str] = None,
+    order: Optional[str] = None,
     filter_: str = Query(alias="filter", default=None),
-    query: str = None,
-    name: str = None,
+    query: Optional[str] = None,
+    name: Optional[str] = None,
+    include_contacts: bool = False,
 ) -> CustomPage[WellResponse]:
     """
     Retrieve all wells from the database.
     """
     thing_type = request.url.path.split("/")[2].replace("-", " ")
     return get_db_things(
-        filter_, order, query, session, sort, name=name, thing_type=thing_type
+        filter_,
+        order,
+        query,
+        session,
+        sort,
+        name=name,
+        thing_type=thing_type,
+        include_contacts=include_contacts,
     )
 
 
@@ -348,11 +357,11 @@ async def get_thing_id_links(
 async def get_things(
     user: viewer_dependency,
     session: session_dependency,
-    # thing_id: int = None,
-    within: str = None,
-    query: str = None,
-    sort: str = None,
-    order: str = None,
+    within: Optional[str] = None,
+    query: Optional[str] = None,
+    sort: Optional[str] = None,
+    order: Optional[str] = None,
+    include_contacts: bool = False,
     filter_: str = Query(
         default=None,
         alias="filter",
@@ -369,6 +378,7 @@ async def get_things(
         session,
         sort,
         within=within,
+        include_contacts=include_contacts,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/services/thing_helper.py b/services/thing_helper.py
index 68218a95..652a893c 100644
--- a/services/thing_helper.py
+++ b/services/thing_helper.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import logging
 import time
 from datetime import datetime
-from typing import Sequence
+from typing import Sequence, Optional
 from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo
 
 from fastapi import Request, HTTPException
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
     ThingIdLink,
     MonitoringFrequencyHistory,
     StatusHistory,
+    search,
 )
 from services.audit_helper import audit_add
 from services.crud_helper import model_patcher
@@ -116,13 +117,18 @@ def get_db_things(
     query,
     session,
     sort,
-    thing_type: str = None,
-    within: str = None,
-    name: str = None,
+    thing_type: Optional[str] = None,
+    within: Optional[str] = None,
+    name: Optional[str] = None,
+    include_contacts: bool = False,
 ) -> list:
 
     if query:
-        sql = select(Thing).where(make_query(Thing, query))
+        sql = search(
+            select(Thing),
+            query,
+            vector=Thing.search_vector,
+        )
     else:
         sql = select(Thing)
 
@@ -135,6 +141,13 @@ def get_db_things(
         # add all eager loads for generic thing query until/unless GET /thing is deprecated
         sql = sql.options(*WATER_WELL_LOADER_OPTIONS)
 
+    if include_contacts:
+        sql = sql.options(
+            selectinload(Thing.contact_associations).selectinload(
+                ThingContactAssociation.contact
+            )
+        )
+
     if name:
         sql = sql.where(Thing.name == name)