diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/backends/base.py b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/backends/base.py
index 55d7b39191..9ff3d6d1ee 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/backends/base.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/backends/base.py
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ class BaseSearchBackend(object):
     def delete(self, obj):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
-    def search(self, query_string, model_or_queryset, fields=None, filters=None,
+    def search(self, query, model_or_queryset, fields=None, filters=None,
                prefetch_related=None, operator=None, order_by_relevance=True):
         # Find model/queryset
         if isinstance(model_or_queryset, QuerySet):
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ class BaseSearchBackend(object):
             return EmptySearchResults()
 
         # Check that theres still a query string after the clean up
-        if query_string == "":
+        if query == "":
             return EmptySearchResults()
 
         # Only fields that are indexed as a SearchField can be passed in fields
@@ -287,6 +287,6 @@ class BaseSearchBackend(object):
 
         # Search
         search_query = self.query_compiler_class(
-            queryset, query_string, fields=fields, operator=operator, order_by_relevance=order_by_relevance
+            queryset, query, fields=fields, operator=operator, order_by_relevance=order_by_relevance
         )
         return self.results_class(self, search_query)
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/queryset.py b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/queryset.py
index 3471a48691..557e48ef2d 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/queryset.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/queryset.py
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ from wagtail.wagtailsearch.backends import get_search_backend
 
 
 class SearchableQuerySetMixin(object):
-    def search(self, query_string, fields=None,
+    def search(self, query, fields=None,
                operator=None, order_by_relevance=True, backend='default'):
         """
         This runs a search query on all the items in the QuerySet
         """
         search_backend = get_search_backend(backend)
-        return search_backend.search(query_string, self, fields=fields,
+        return search_backend.search(query, self, fields=fields,
                                      operator=operator, order_by_relevance=order_by_relevance)