diff --git a/nomad/search_endpoint.go b/nomad/search_endpoint.go
index e0ad2dee4..14aa98cb9 100644
--- a/nomad/search_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/search_endpoint.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	memdb "github.com/hashicorp/go-memdb"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/acl"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/state"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
 )
@@ -18,8 +17,13 @@ const (
 var (
 	// ossContexts are the oss contexts which are searched to find matches
 	// for a given prefix
-	ossContexts = []structs.Context{structs.Allocs, structs.Jobs, structs.Nodes,
-		structs.Evals, structs.Deployments}
+	ossContexts = []structs.Context{
+		structs.Allocs,
+		structs.Jobs,
+		structs.Nodes,
+		structs.Evals,
+		structs.Deployments,
+	}
 )
 
 // Search endpoint is used to look up matches for a given prefix and context
@@ -114,28 +118,11 @@ func (s *Search) PrefixSearch(args *structs.SearchRequest, reply *structs.Search
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Require either node:read or namespace:read-job
-	nodeRead := true
-	jobRead := true
-	if aclObj != nil {
-		nodeRead = aclObj.AllowNodeRead()
-		jobRead = aclObj.AllowNsOp(args.RequestNamespace(), acl.NamespaceCapabilityReadJob)
-		if !nodeRead && !jobRead {
-			return structs.ErrPermissionDenied
-		}
+	namespace := args.RequestNamespace()
 
-		// Reject requests that explicitly specify a disallowed context. This
-		// should give the user better feedback then simply filtering out all
-		// results and returning an empty list.
-		if !nodeRead && args.Context == structs.Nodes {
-			return structs.ErrPermissionDenied
-		}
-		if !jobRead {
-			switch args.Context {
-			case structs.Allocs, structs.Deployments, structs.Evals, structs.Jobs:
-				return structs.ErrPermissionDenied
-			}
-		}
+	// Require either node:read or namespace:read-job
+	if !anySearchPerms(aclObj, namespace, args.Context) {
+		return structs.ErrPermissionDenied
 	}
 
 	reply.Matches = make(map[structs.Context][]string)
@@ -149,27 +136,10 @@ func (s *Search) PrefixSearch(args *structs.SearchRequest, reply *structs.Search
 
 			iters := make(map[structs.Context]memdb.ResultIterator)
 
-			contexts := allContexts
-			if args.Context != structs.All {
-				contexts = []structs.Context{args.Context}
-			}
+			contexts := searchContexts(aclObj, namespace, args.Context)
 
 			for _, ctx := range contexts {
-				if ctx == structs.Nodes && !nodeRead {
-					// Not allowed to search nodes
-					continue
-				}
-
-				if !jobRead {
-					switch ctx {
-					case structs.Allocs, structs.Deployments, structs.Evals, structs.Jobs:
-						// Not allowed to read jobs
-						continue
-					}
-				}
-
-				iter, err := getResourceIter(ctx, args.RequestNamespace(), roundUUIDDownIfOdd(args.Prefix, args.Context), ws, state)
-
+				iter, err := getResourceIter(ctx, namespace, roundUUIDDownIfOdd(args.Prefix, args.Context), ws, state)
 				if err != nil {
 					e := err.Error()
 					switch {
diff --git a/nomad/search_endpoint_oss.go b/nomad/search_endpoint_oss.go
index 8eb7b859e..43abf38f5 100644
--- a/nomad/search_endpoint_oss.go
+++ b/nomad/search_endpoint_oss.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	memdb "github.com/hashicorp/go-memdb"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/acl"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/state"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
 )
@@ -28,3 +29,69 @@ func getEnterpriseResourceIter(context structs.Context, namespace, prefix string
 	// open source contexts.
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("context must be one of %v or 'all' for all contexts; got %q", allContexts, context)
 }
+
+// anySearchPerms returns true if the provided ACL has access to any
+// capabilities required for prefix searching. Returns true if aclObj is nil.
+func anySearchPerms(aclObj *acl.ACL, namespace string, context structs.Context) bool {
+	if aclObj == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	nodeRead := aclObj.AllowNodeRead()
+	jobRead := aclObj.AllowNsOp(namespace, acl.NamespaceCapabilityReadJob)
+	if !nodeRead && !jobRead {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// Reject requests that explicitly specify a disallowed context. This
+	// should give the user better feedback then simply filtering out all
+	// results and returning an empty list.
+	if !nodeRead && context == structs.Nodes {
+		return false
+	}
+	if !jobRead {
+		switch context {
+		case structs.Allocs, structs.Deployments, structs.Evals, structs.Jobs:
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
+// searchContexts returns the contexts the aclObj is valid for. If aclObj is
+// nil all contexts are returned.
+func searchContexts(aclObj *acl.ACL, namespace string, context structs.Context) []structs.Context {
+	var all []structs.Context
+
+	switch context {
+	case structs.All:
+		all = make([]structs.Context, len(allContexts))
+		copy(all, allContexts)
+	default:
+		all = []structs.Context{context}
+	}
+
+	// If ACLs aren't enabled return all contexts
+	if aclObj == nil {
+		return all
+	}
+
+	jobRead := aclObj.AllowNsOp(namespace, acl.NamespaceCapabilityReadJob)
+
+	// Filter contexts down to those the ACL grants access to
+	available := make([]structs.Context, 0, len(all))
+	for _, c := range all {
+		switch c {
+		case structs.Allocs, structs.Jobs, structs.Evals, structs.Deployments:
+			if jobRead {
+				available = append(available, c)
+			}
+		case structs.Nodes:
+			if aclObj.AllowNodeRead() {
+				available = append(available, c)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return available
+}
diff --git a/nomad/search_endpoint_test.go b/nomad/search_endpoint_test.go
index 84b6a050f..6f55bba10 100644
--- a/nomad/search_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/nomad/search_endpoint_test.go
@@ -136,10 +136,12 @@ func TestSearch_PrefixSearch_ACL(t *testing.T) {
 		req.SecretID = validToken.SecretID
 		var resp structs.SearchResponse
 		assert.Nil(msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Search.PrefixSearch", req, &resp))
-		assert.Equal(uint64(1001), resp.Index)
 		assert.Len(resp.Matches[structs.Jobs], 1)
 		assert.Equal(job.ID, resp.Matches[structs.Jobs][0])
 
+		// Index of job - not node - because node context is filtered out
+		assert.Equal(uint64(1000), resp.Index)
+
 		// Nodes filtered out since token only has access to namespace:read-job
 		assert.Len(resp.Matches[structs.Nodes], 0)
 	}
@@ -153,10 +155,10 @@ func TestSearch_PrefixSearch_ACL(t *testing.T) {
 		req.SecretID = validToken.SecretID
 		var resp structs.SearchResponse
 		assert.Nil(msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Search.PrefixSearch", req, &resp))
-		assert.Equal(uint64(1001), resp.Index)
 		assert.Len(resp.Matches[structs.Jobs], 1)
 		assert.Equal(job.ID, resp.Matches[structs.Jobs][0])
 		assert.Len(resp.Matches[structs.Nodes], 1)
+		assert.Equal(uint64(1001), resp.Index)
 	}
 
 	// Try with a management token