diff --git a/internal/controller/search.go b/internal/controller/search.go
index 09016136..038f9b8c 100644
--- a/internal/controller/search.go
+++ b/internal/controller/search.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ type liveFenceSwitches struct {
 	obj    geojson.Object
 	cmd    string
 	roam   roamSwitches
-	knn    bool
 	groups map[string]string
 }
 
@@ -119,19 +118,6 @@ func (c *Controller) cmdSearchArgs(
 			err = errInvalidNumberOfArguments
 			return
 		}
-		umeters := true
-		if vs, smeters, ok = tokenval(vs); !ok || smeters == "" {
-			umeters = false
-			if cmd == "nearby" {
-				// possible that this is KNN search
-				s.knn = s.searchScanBaseTokens.ulimit && // must be true
-					!s.searchScanBaseTokens.usparse // must be false
-			}
-			if !s.knn {
-				err = errInvalidArgument(slat)
-				return
-			}
-		}
 		var lat, lon, meters float64
 		if lat, err = strconv.ParseFloat(slat, 64); err != nil {
 			err = errInvalidArgument(slat)
@@ -141,7 +127,25 @@ func (c *Controller) cmdSearchArgs(
 			err = errInvalidArgument(slon)
 			return
 		}
-		if umeters {
+		// radius is optional for nearby, but mandatory for others
+		if cmd == "nearby" {
+			if vs, smeters, ok = tokenval(vs); ok && smeters != "" {
+				if meters, err = strconv.ParseFloat(smeters, 64); err != nil {
+					err = errInvalidArgument(smeters)
+					return
+				}
+				if meters < 0 {
+					err = errInvalidArgument(smeters)
+					return
+				}
+			} else {
+				meters = -1
+			}
+		} else {
+			if vs, smeters, ok = tokenval(vs); !ok || smeters == "" {
+				err = errInvalidNumberOfArguments
+				return
+			}
 			if meters, err = strconv.ParseFloat(smeters, 64); err != nil {
 				err = errInvalidArgument(smeters)
 				return
@@ -151,12 +155,7 @@ func (c *Controller) cmdSearchArgs(
 				return
 			}
 		}
-		if s.knn {
-			s.obj = geojson.NewPoint(geometry.Point{X: lon, Y: lat})
-		} else {
-			s.obj = geojson.NewCircle(geometry.Point{X: lon, Y: lat},
-				meters, defaultCircleSteps)
-		}
+		s.obj = geojson.NewCircle(geometry.Point{X: lon, Y: lat}, meters, defaultCircleSteps)
 	case "object":
 		if s.clip {
 			err = errInvalidArgument("cannnot clip with object")
@@ -388,21 +387,10 @@ func (c *Controller) cmdNearby(msg *server.Message) (res resp.Value, err error)
 				fields:          fields,
 				distance:        distance,
 				noLock:          true,
-				ignoreGlobMatch: s.knn,
-			})
-		}
-		if s.knn {
-			c.nearestNeighbors(&s, sw, s.obj, &matched, iter)
-		} else {
-			sw.col.Intersects(s.obj, s.sparse, func(
-				id string, o geojson.Object, fields []float64,
-			) bool {
-				if c.hasExpired(s.key, id) {
-					return true
-				}
-				return iter(id, o, fields, nil)
+				ignoreGlobMatch: true,
 			})
 		}
+		c.nearestNeighbors(&s, sw, s.obj, &matched, iter)
 	}
 	sw.writeFoot()
 	if msg.OutputType == server.JSON {
@@ -437,6 +425,9 @@ func (c *Controller) nearestNeighbors(
 			return true
 		}
 		dist := o.Distance(target)
+		if s.obj.(*geojson.Circle).Meters > 0 && dist > s.obj.(*geojson.Circle).Meters {
+			return false
+		}
 		items = append(items, iterItem{id: id, o: o, fields: fields, dist: dist})
 		if !keepGoing {
 			return false
diff --git a/tests/keys_search_test.go b/tests/keys_search_test.go
index 88480615..ba532adb 100644
--- a/tests/keys_search_test.go
+++ b/tests/keys_search_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package tests
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
 
 func subTestSearch(t *testing.T, mc *mockServer) {
 	runStep(t, mc, "KNN", keys_KNN_test)
@@ -17,16 +19,10 @@ func keys_KNN_test(mc *mockServer) error {
 		{"SET", "mykey", "3", "POINT", 12, 19}, {"OK"},
 		{"SET", "mykey", "4", "POINT", -5, 5}, {"OK"},
 		{"SET", "mykey", "5", "POINT", 33, 21}, {"OK"},
-		{"NEARBY", "mykey", "LIMIT", 10, "DISTANCE", "POINTS", "POINT", 20, 20}, {
-			"" +
-				"[0 [" +
-				("" +
-					"[2 [19 19] 152808.67164036975] " +
-					"[3 [12 19] 895945.1409106685] " +
-					"[5 [33 21] 1448929.5916252395] " +
-					"[1 [5 5] 2327116.1069888202] " +
-					"[4 [-5 5] 3227402.6159841116]") +
-				"]]"},
+		{"NEARBY", "mykey", "LIMIT", 10, "POINTS", "POINT", 20, 20}, {
+			"[0 [[2 [19 19]] [3 [12 19]] [5 [33 21]] [1 [5 5]] [4 [-5 5]]]]"},
+		{"NEARBY", "mykey", "LIMIT", 10, "IDS", "POINT", 20, 20, 4000000}, {"[0 [2 3 5 1 4]]"},
+		{"NEARBY", "mykey", "LIMIT", 10, "IDS", "POINT", 20, 20, 1500000}, {"[0 [2 3 5]]"},
 	})
 }