diff --git a/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.js b/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.js
index cd316593dde9e..f1b333daef269 100644
--- a/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.js
+++ b/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.js
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ function getFieldsForTypes(searchFields, types) {
 
   if (!searchFields || !searchFields.length) {
     return {
-      all_fields: true
+      lenient: true,
+      fields: ['*'],
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.test.js b/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.test.js
index 1d0a8063be992..09673397455af 100644
--- a/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.test.js
+++ b/src/legacy/server/saved_objects/service/lib/search_dsl/query_params.test.js
@@ -235,7 +235,8 @@ describe('searchDsl/queryParams', () => {
                 {
                   simple_query_string: {
                     query: 'us*',
-                    all_fields: true
+                    lenient: true,
+                    fields: ['*'],
                   }
                 }
               ]
@@ -265,7 +266,8 @@ describe('searchDsl/queryParams', () => {
                 {
                   simple_query_string: {
                     query: 'us*',
-                    all_fields: true
+                    lenient: true,
+                    fields: ['*'],
                   }
                 }
               ]
@@ -294,7 +296,8 @@ describe('searchDsl/queryParams', () => {
                 {
                   simple_query_string: {
                     query: 'us*',
-                    all_fields: true
+                    lenient: true,
+                    fields: ['*'],
                   }
                 }
               ]
@@ -323,7 +326,8 @@ describe('searchDsl/queryParams', () => {
                 {
                   simple_query_string: {
                     query: 'us*',
-                    all_fields: true
+                    lenient: true,
+                    fields: ['*'],
                   }
                 }
               ]
@@ -767,7 +771,8 @@ describe('searchDsl/queryParams', () => {
               must: [
                 {
                   simple_query_string: {
-                    all_fields: true,
+                    lenient: true,
+                    fields: ['*'],
                     default_operator: 'AND',
                     query: 'foo',
                   },