diff --git a/src/applications/search/fulltextstorage/PhabricatorElasticFulltextStorageEngine.php b/src/applications/search/fulltextstorage/PhabricatorElasticFulltextStorageEngine.php
--- a/src/applications/search/fulltextstorage/PhabricatorElasticFulltextStorageEngine.php
+++ b/src/applications/search/fulltextstorage/PhabricatorElasticFulltextStorageEngine.php
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@
     array $data, $method = 'GET') {
 
     $uri = $host->getURI($path);
-    $data = json_encode($data);
+    $data = phutil_json_encode($data);
     $future = new HTTPSFuture($uri, $data);
     if ($method != 'GET') {
       $future->setMethod($method);
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorMySQLSearchHost.php b/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorMySQLSearchHost.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorMySQLSearchHost.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorMySQLSearchHost.php
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@
     return 'mysql';
   }
 
+  public function getHealthRecord() {
+    if (!$this->healthRecord) {
+      $ref = PhabricatorDatabaseRef::getMasterDatabaseRefForApplication(
+        'search');
+      $this->healthRecord = $ref->getHealthRecord();
+    }
+    return $this->healthRecord;
+  }
+
   public function getConnectionStatus() {
     PhabricatorDatabaseRef::queryAll();
     $ref = PhabricatorDatabaseRef::getMasterDatabaseRefForApplication('search');
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchHost.php b/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchHost.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchHost.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchHost.php
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
   protected $disabled;
   protected $host;
   protected $port;
-  protected $hostRefs = array();
 
   const STATUS_OKAY = 'okay';
   const STATUS_FAIL = 'fail';
@@ -121,43 +120,4 @@
 
   abstract public function getConnectionStatus();
 
-  public static function reindexAbstractDocument(
-    PhabricatorSearchAbstractDocument $doc) {
-
-    $services = self::getAllServices();
-    $indexed = 0;
-    foreach (self::getWritableHostForEachService() as $host) {
-      $host->getEngine()->reindexAbstractDocument($doc);
-      $indexed++;
-    }
-    if ($indexed == 0) {
-      throw new PhabricatorClusterNoHostForRoleException('write');
-    }
-  }
-
-  public static function executeSearch(PhabricatorSavedQuery $query) {
-    $services = self::getAllServices();
-    foreach ($services as $service) {
-      $hosts = $service->getAllHostsForRole('read');
-      // try all hosts until one succeeds
-      foreach ($hosts as $host) {
-        $last_exception = null;
-        try {
-          $res = $host->getEngine()->executeSearch($query);
-          // return immediately if we get results without an exception
-          $host->didHealthCheck(true);
-          return $res;
-        } catch (Exception $ex) {
-          // try each server in turn, only throw if none succeed
-          $last_exception = $ex;
-          $host->didHealthCheck(false);
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    if ($last_exception) {
-      throw $last_exception;
-    }
-    return $res;
-  }
-
 }
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchService.php b/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchService.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchService.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/cluster/search/PhabricatorSearchService.php
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 
   public function setConfig($config) {
     $this->config = $config;
+    $this->setRoles(idx($config, 'roles', array()));
 
     if (!isset($config['hosts'])) {
       $config['hosts'] = array(
@@ -67,15 +68,6 @@
     return $this->config;
   }
 
-  public function setDisabled($disabled) {
-    $this->disabled = $disabled;
-    return $this;
-  }
-
-  public function getDisabled() {
-    return $this->disabled;
-  }
-
   public static function getConnectionStatusMap() {
     return array(
       self::STATUS_OKAY => array(
@@ -100,7 +92,7 @@
   }
 
   public function hasRole($role) {
-    return isset($this->roles[$role]) && $this->roles[$role] === true;
+    return isset($this->roles[$role]) && $this->roles[$role] !== false;
   }
 
   public function setRoles(array $roles) {
@@ -160,6 +152,12 @@
    * @return PhabricatorSearchHost[]
    */
   public function getAllHostsForRole($role) {
+    // if the role is explicitly set to false at the top level, then all hosts
+    // have the role disabled.
+    if (idx($this->config, $role) === false) {
+      return array();
+    }
+
     $hosts = array();
     foreach ($this->hosts as $host) {
       if ($host->hasRole($role)) {
@@ -225,8 +223,11 @@
     PhabricatorSearchAbstractDocument $doc) {
     $indexed = 0;
     foreach (self::getAllServices() as $service) {
-      $service->getEngine()->reindexAbstractDocument($doc);
-      $indexed++;
+      $hosts = $service->getAllHostsForRole('write');
+      if (count($hosts)) {
+        $service->getEngine()->reindexAbstractDocument($doc);
+        $indexed++;
+      }
     }
     if ($indexed == 0) {
       throw new PhabricatorClusterNoHostForRoleException('write');