diff --git a/include/searcher.h b/include/searcher.h
index 9362f8b6e..52b65bb2e 100644
--- a/include/searcher.h
+++ b/include/searcher.h
@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@ class Searcher
    *
    * @param reader The Reader for the zim containing the fulltext index.
    * @param humanReaderName The human readable name of the reader.
+   * @return true if the reader has been added.
+   *         false if the reader cannot be added (no embedded fulltext index present)
    */
-  void add_reader(Reader* reader, const std::string& humanReaderName);
+  bool add_reader(Reader* reader, const std::string& humanReaderName);
 
   /**
    * Start a search on the zim associated to the Searcher.
diff --git a/src/searcher.cpp b/src/searcher.cpp
index c7c6222f3..61f97d686 100644
--- a/src/searcher.cpp
+++ b/src/searcher.cpp
@@ -118,10 +118,14 @@ Searcher::~Searcher()
   delete internal;
 }
 
-void Searcher::add_reader(Reader* reader, const std::string& humanReadableName)
+bool Searcher::add_reader(Reader* reader, const std::string& humanReadableName)
 {
+  if (!reader->hasFulltextIndex()) {
+      return false;
+  }
   this->readers.push_back(reader);
   this->humanReaderNames.push_back(humanReadableName);
+  return true;
 }
 
 /* Search strings in the database */
@@ -166,7 +170,9 @@ void Searcher::search(std::string& search,
       std::vector<const zim::File*> zims;
       for (auto current = this->readers.begin(); current != this->readers.end();
            current++) {
-        zims.push_back((*current)->getZimFileHandler());
+        if ( (*current)->hasFulltextIndex() ) {
+            zims.push_back((*current)->getZimFileHandler());
+        }
       }
       zim::Search* search = new zim::Search(zims);
       search->set_query(unaccentedSearch);