diff --git a/src/applications/conduit/controller/PhabricatorConduitConsoleController.php b/src/applications/conduit/controller/PhabricatorConduitConsoleController.php
--- a/src/applications/conduit/controller/PhabricatorConduitConsoleController.php
+++ b/src/applications/conduit/controller/PhabricatorConduitConsoleController.php
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
       return new Aphront404Response();
     }
 
+    $method->setViewer($viewer);
+
     $call_uri = '/api/'.$method->getAPIMethodName();
 
     $status = $method->getMethodStatus();
diff --git a/src/applications/conduit/method/ConduitAPIMethod.php b/src/applications/conduit/method/ConduitAPIMethod.php
--- a/src/applications/conduit/method/ConduitAPIMethod.php
+++ b/src/applications/conduit/method/ConduitAPIMethod.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
   extends Phobject
   implements PhabricatorPolicyInterface {
 
+  private $viewer;
 
   const METHOD_STATUS_STABLE      = 'stable';
   const METHOD_STATUS_UNSTABLE    = 'unstable';
@@ -46,8 +47,6 @@
   abstract protected function execute(ConduitAPIRequest $request);
 
 
-  public function __construct() {}
-
   public function getParamTypes() {
     $types = $this->defineParamTypes();
 
@@ -110,6 +109,8 @@
   }
 
   public function executeMethod(ConduitAPIRequest $request) {
+    $this->setViewer($request->getUser());
+
     return $this->execute($request);
   }
 
@@ -211,6 +212,15 @@
     return null;
   }
 
+  final public function setViewer(PhabricatorUser $viewer) {
+    $this->viewer = $viewer;
+    return $this;
+  }
+
+  final public function getViewer() {
+    return $this->viewer;
+  }
+
 /* -(  Paging Results  )----------------------------------------------------- */
 
 
diff --git a/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorSearchEngineAPIMethod.php b/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorSearchEngineAPIMethod.php
--- a/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorSearchEngineAPIMethod.php
+++ b/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorSearchEngineAPIMethod.php
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@
   }
 
   final public function getMethodDescription() {
-    // TODO: We don't currently have a real viewer in this method.
-    $viewer = PhabricatorUser::getOmnipotentUser();
+    $viewer = $this->getViewer();
 
     $engine = $this->newSearchEngine()
       ->setViewer($viewer);
@@ -76,7 +75,8 @@
 }
 ```
 
-These builtin and saved queries are available:
+You can use these keys to select builtin queries and your configured saved
+queries:
 EOTEXT
       );
 
diff --git a/src/applications/transactions/editengine/PhabricatorEditEngineAPIMethod.php b/src/applications/transactions/editengine/PhabricatorEditEngineAPIMethod.php
--- a/src/applications/transactions/editengine/PhabricatorEditEngineAPIMethod.php
+++ b/src/applications/transactions/editengine/PhabricatorEditEngineAPIMethod.php
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@
   }
 
   final public function getMethodDescription() {
-    // TODO: We don't currently have a real viewer in this method.
-    $viewer = PhabricatorUser::getOmnipotentUser();
+    $viewer = $this->getViewer();
 
     $engine = $this->newEditEngine()
       ->setViewer($viewer);