diff --git a/datasette/app.py b/datasette/app.py
index e36e2e62..0b73d0e1 100644
--- a/datasette/app.py
+++ b/datasette/app.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from .utils import (
     Filters,
     CustomJSONEncoder,
     compound_keys_after_sql,
-    detect_fts_sql,
+    detect_fts,
     detect_spatialite,
     escape_css_string,
     escape_sqlite,
@@ -726,12 +726,7 @@ class TableView(RowTableShared):
         where_clauses, params = filters.build_where_clauses()
 
         # _search support:
-        fts_table = None
-        fts_sql = detect_fts_sql(table)
-        fts_rows = list(await self.execute(name, fts_sql))
-        if fts_rows:
-            fts_table = fts_rows[0][0]
-
+        fts_table = info[name]['tables'].get(table, {}).get('fts_table')
         search = special_args.get('_search')
         search_description = None
         if search and fts_table:
@@ -1252,6 +1247,9 @@ class Datasette:
                             # This can happen when running against a FTS virtual tables
                             # e.g. "select count(*) from some_fts;"
                             count = 0
+                        # Does this table have a FTS table?
+                        fts_table = detect_fts(conn, table)
+
                         # Figure out primary keys
                         table_info_rows = [
                             row for row in conn.execute(
@@ -1276,6 +1274,7 @@ class Datasette:
                             'count': count,
                             'label_column': label_column,
                             'hidden': table_metadata.get('hidden') or False,
+                            'fts_table': fts_table,
                         }
 
                     foreign_keys = get_all_foreign_keys(conn)
diff --git a/datasette/utils.py b/datasette/utils.py
index 863079bf..9cf4724e 100644
--- a/datasette/utils.py
+++ b/datasette/utils.py
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ def detect_spatialite(conn):
     return len(rows) > 0
 
 
-def detect_fts(conn, table, return_sql=False):
+def detect_fts(conn, table):
     "Detect if table has a corresponding FTS virtual table and return it"
     rows = conn.execute(detect_fts_sql(table)).fetchall()
     if len(rows) == 0:
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 5bd8c15b..40c23d00 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': [],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk', 'content'],
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk', 'f1', 'f2', 'f3'],
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         },
         'hidden': False,
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk1', 'pk2', 'content'],
@@ -72,6 +75,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk1', 'pk2'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk1', 'pk2', 'pk3', 'content'],
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk1', 'pk2', 'pk3'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk', 'foreign_key_with_custom_label'],
@@ -95,6 +100,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
             }],
         },
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk', 'foreign_key_with_label', 'foreign_key_with_no_label'],
@@ -114,6 +120,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
             }],
         },
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['id', 'content', 'content2'],
@@ -129,6 +136,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         },
         'hidden': False,
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['id']
     }, {
         'columns': ['id', 'content', 'content2'],
@@ -144,6 +152,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         },
         'hidden': False,
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['id']
     }, {
         'columns': ['group', 'having', 'and'],
@@ -152,6 +161,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': [],
     }, {
         'columns': ['id', 'content'],
@@ -179,6 +189,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
             'outgoing': [],
         },
         'label_column': 'content',
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['id'],
     }, {
         'columns': [
@@ -190,6 +201,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk1', 'pk2'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk', 'content'],
@@ -198,6 +210,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk'],
     }, {
         'columns': ['pk', 'distance', 'frequency'],
@@ -206,6 +219,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': False,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': ['pk'],
     },  {
         'columns': ['content', 'a', 'b', 'c'],
@@ -214,6 +228,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
         'hidden': True,
         'foreign_keys': {'incoming': [], 'outgoing': []},
         'label_column': None,
+        'fts_table': None,
         'primary_keys': [],
     }] == data['tables']