diff --git a/synapse/handlers/search.py b/synapse/handlers/search.py
index d5c395061..8864a921f 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/search.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/search.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from twisted.internet import defer
 from ._base import BaseHandler
 
 from synapse.api.constants import (
-    EventTypes, KnownRoomEventKeys, Membership, SearchConstraintTypes
+    EventTypes, Membership,
 )
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError
 from synapse.events.utils import serialize_event
@@ -29,45 +29,6 @@ import logging
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-KEYS_TO_ALLOWED_CONSTRAINT_TYPES = {
-    KnownRoomEventKeys.CONTENT_BODY: [SearchConstraintTypes.FTS],
-    KnownRoomEventKeys.CONTENT_MSGTYPE: [SearchConstraintTypes.EXACT],
-    KnownRoomEventKeys.CONTENT_NAME: [
-        SearchConstraintTypes.FTS,
-        SearchConstraintTypes.EXACT,
-        SearchConstraintTypes.SUBSTRING,
-    ],
-    KnownRoomEventKeys.CONTENT_TOPIC: [SearchConstraintTypes.FTS],
-    KnownRoomEventKeys.SENDER: [SearchConstraintTypes.EXACT],
-    KnownRoomEventKeys.ORIGIN_SERVER_TS: [SearchConstraintTypes.RANGE],
-    KnownRoomEventKeys.ROOM_ID: [SearchConstraintTypes.EXACT],
-}
-
-
-class RoomConstraint(object):
-    def __init__(self, search_type, keys, value):
-        self.search_type = search_type
-        self.keys = keys
-        self.value = value
-
-    @classmethod
-    def from_dict(cls, d):
-        search_type = d["type"]
-        keys = d["keys"]
-
-        for key in keys:
-            if key not in KEYS_TO_ALLOWED_CONSTRAINT_TYPES:
-                raise SynapseError(400, "Unrecognized key %r", key)
-
-            if search_type not in KEYS_TO_ALLOWED_CONSTRAINT_TYPES[key]:
-                raise SynapseError(
-                    400,
-                    "Disallowed constraint type %r for key %r", search_type, key
-                )
-
-        return cls(search_type, keys, d["value"])
-
-
 class SearchHandler(BaseHandler):
 
     def __init__(self, hs):
@@ -121,22 +82,20 @@ class SearchHandler(BaseHandler):
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def search(self, user, content):
-        constraint_dicts = content["search_categories"]["room_events"]["constraints"]
-        constraints = [RoomConstraint.from_dict(c)for c in constraint_dicts]
-
-        fts = False
-        for c in constraints:
-            if c.search_type == SearchConstraintTypes.FTS:
-                if fts:
-                    raise SynapseError(400, "Only one constraint can be FTS")
-                fts = True
+        try:
+            search_term = content["search_categories"]["room_events"]["search_term"]
+            keys = content["search_categories"]["room_events"]["keys"]
+        except KeyError:
+            raise SynapseError(400, "Invalid search query")
 
         rooms = yield self.store.get_rooms_for_user_where_membership_is(
-            user.to_string(), membership_list=[Membership.JOIN, Membership.LEAVE],
+            user.to_string(),
+            membership_list=[Membership.JOIN],
+            # membership_list=[Membership.JOIN, Membership.LEAVE, Membership.Ban],
         )
         room_ids = set(r.room_id for r in rooms)
 
-        rank_map, event_map = yield self.store.search_msgs(room_ids, constraints)
+        rank_map, event_map = yield self.store.search_msgs(room_ids, search_term, keys)
 
         allowed_events = yield self._filter_events_for_client(
             user.to_string(), event_map.values()
diff --git a/synapse/storage/search.py b/synapse/storage/search.py
index 5843f8087..7a30ce25e 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/search.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/search.py
@@ -16,38 +16,28 @@
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
 from _base import SQLBaseStore
-from synapse.api.constants import KnownRoomEventKeys, SearchConstraintTypes
 from synapse.storage.engines import PostgresEngine
 
 
 class SearchStore(SQLBaseStore):
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def search_msgs(self, room_ids, constraints):
+    def search_msgs(self, room_ids, search_term, keys):
         clauses = []
         args = []
-        fts = None
 
         clauses.append(
             "room_id IN (%s)" % (",".join(["?"] * len(room_ids)),)
         )
         args.extend(room_ids)
 
-        for c in constraints:
-            local_clauses = []
-            if c.search_type == SearchConstraintTypes.FTS:
-                fts = c.value
-                for key in c.keys:
-                    local_clauses.append("key = ?")
-                    args.append(key)
-            elif c.search_type == SearchConstraintTypes.EXACT:
-                for key in c.keys:
-                    if key == KnownRoomEventKeys.ROOM_ID:
-                        for value in c.value:
-                            local_clauses.append("room_id = ?")
-                            args.append(value)
-            clauses.append(
-                "(%s)" % (" OR ".join(local_clauses),)
-            )
+        local_clauses = []
+        for key in keys:
+            local_clauses.append("key = ?")
+            args.append(key)
+
+        clauses.append(
+            "(%s)" % (" OR ".join(local_clauses),)
+        )
 
         if isinstance(self.database_engine, PostgresEngine):
             sql = (
@@ -67,7 +57,7 @@ class SearchStore(SQLBaseStore):
         sql += " ORDER BY rank DESC"
 
         results = yield self._execute(
-            "search_msgs", self.cursor_to_dict, sql, *([fts] + args)
+            "search_msgs", self.cursor_to_dict, sql, *([search_term] + args)
         )
 
         events = yield self._get_events([r["event_id"] for r in results])