diff --git a/app/controllers/artist_versions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/artist_versions_controller.rb
index b47316805..bc371f08e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/artist_versions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/artist_versions_controller.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ class ArtistVersionsController < ApplicationController
   respond_to :html, :xml, :json
 
   def index
-    @artist_versions = ArtistVersion.search(params[:search]).order("id desc").paginate(params[:page])
+    @artist_versions = ArtistVersion.search(params[:search]).order("id desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@artist_versions)
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
index 00d858b31..833073da2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ private
   end
 
   def index_by_post
-    @posts = Post.commented_before(Time.now).tag_match(params[:tags]).paginate(params[:page], :limit => 5)
+    @posts = Post.commented_before(Time.now).tag_match(params[:tags]).paginate(params[:page], :limit => 5, :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@posts) do |format|
       format.html {render :action => "index_by_post"}
     end
   end
   
   def index_by_comment
-    @comments = Comment.search(params[:search]).order("comments.id DESC").paginate(params[:page])
+    @comments = Comment.search(params[:search]).order("comments.id DESC").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@comments) do |format|
       format.html {render :action => "index_by_comment"}
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/forum_posts_controller.rb b/app/controllers/forum_posts_controller.rb
index 8280101c5..ba0e20af3 100644
--- a/app/controllers/forum_posts_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/forum_posts_controller.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class ForumPostsController < ApplicationController
   
   def index
     @search = ForumPost.active.search(params[:search])
-    @forum_posts = @search.order("forum_posts.id DESC").paginate(params[:page])
+    @forum_posts = @search.order("forum_posts.id DESC").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@forum_posts)
   end
   
diff --git a/app/controllers/forum_topics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/forum_topics_controller.rb
index e1180efc5..2bfe1090e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/forum_topics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/forum_topics_controller.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class ForumTopicsController < ApplicationController
   
   def index
     @search = ForumTopic.active.search(params[:search])
-    @forum_topics = @search.order("is_sticky DESC, updated_at DESC").paginate(params[:page])
+    @forum_topics = @search.order("is_sticky DESC, updated_at DESC").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@forum_topics)
   end
   
diff --git a/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb b/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb
index 92269b6fe..febf097c2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb
@@ -63,8 +63,7 @@ private
   end
 
   def index_by_note
-    @search = Note.search(params[:search])
-    @notes = @search.order("id desc").paginate(params[:page])
+    @notes = Note.search(params[:search]).order("id desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@notes) do |format|
       format.html {render :action => "index_by_note"}
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/pool_versions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/pool_versions_controller.rb
index bbf5a5535..affadb80a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/pool_versions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/pool_versions_controller.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 class PoolVersionsController < ApplicationController
   def index
-    @search = PoolVersion.search(params[:search])
-    @pool_versions = @search.order("updated_at desc").paginate(params[:page])
+    @pool_versions = PoolVersion.search(params[:search]).order("updated_at desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/pools_controller.rb b/app/controllers/pools_controller.rb
index 31e283732..32c5c0f13 100644
--- a/app/controllers/pools_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/pools_controller.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ class PoolsController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def index
-    @search = Pool.active.search(params[:search])
-    @pools = @search.order("updated_at desc").paginate(params[:page])
+    @pools = Pool.active.search(params[:search]).order("updated_at desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@pools)
   end
   
diff --git a/app/controllers/post_versions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/post_versions_controller.rb
index 942bf3daf..0a00d8b56 100644
--- a/app/controllers/post_versions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/post_versions_controller.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ class PostVersionsController < ApplicationController
   respond_to :html, :xml, :json
 
   def index
-    @post_versions = PostVersion.search(params[:search]).order("updated_at desc").paginate(params[:page], :count => (params[:search].present? ? nil : 1_000_000))
+    @post_versions = PostVersion.search(params[:search]).order("updated_at desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@post_versions)
   end
   
diff --git a/app/controllers/tags_controller.rb b/app/controllers/tags_controller.rb
index 942a14ae0..791b355a7 100644
--- a/app/controllers/tags_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/tags_controller.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ class TagsController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def index
-    @tags = Tag.search(params[:search]).paginate(params[:page])
+    @tags = Tag.search(params[:search]).paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@tags)
   end
   
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index ed2a263bc..6a19f00d9 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def index
-    @search = User.search(params[:search])
-    @users = @search.order("users.id desc").paginate(params[:page])
+    @users = User.search(params[:search]).order("users.id desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@users)
   end
   
diff --git a/app/controllers/wiki_page_versions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/wiki_page_versions_controller.rb
index c90c25d56..cf0e260fe 100644
--- a/app/controllers/wiki_page_versions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/wiki_page_versions_controller.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ class WikiPageVersionsController < ApplicationController
   respond_to :json, :html, :xml
   
   def index
-    @search = WikiPageVersion.search(params[:search])
-    @wiki_page_versions = @search.order("id desc").paginate(params[:page])
+    @wiki_page_versions = WikiPageVersion.search(params[:search]).order("id desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@wiki_page_versions)
   end
   
diff --git a/app/controllers/wiki_pages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/wiki_pages_controller.rb
index c726a29c1..4224a6c91 100644
--- a/app/controllers/wiki_pages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/wiki_pages_controller.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ class WikiPagesController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def index
-    @search = WikiPage.search(params[:search])
-    @wiki_pages = @search.order("id desc").paginate(params[:page])
+    @wiki_pages = WikiPage.search(params[:search]).order("id desc").paginate(params[:page], :search_count => params[:search])
     respond_with(@wiki_pages) do |format|
       format.html do
         if @wiki_pages.count == 1
diff --git a/app/models/note_version.rb b/app/models/note_version.rb
index 7ab960b00..012bfa731 100644
--- a/app/models/note_version.rb
+++ b/app/models/note_version.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ class NoteVersion < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   def self.search(params)
     q = scoped
-    return q if params.blank?
+    params = {} if params.blank?
     
     if params[:updater_id]
       q = q.where("updater_id = ?", params[:updater_id].to_i)
diff --git a/app/models/pool.rb b/app/models/pool.rb
index eadb4c0d8..584f017f5 100644
--- a/app/models/pool.rb
+++ b/app/models/pool.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class Pool < ActiveRecord::Base
     
     def search(params)
       q = scoped
-      return q if params.blank?
+      params = {} if params.blank?
       
       if params[:name_matches].present?
         params[:name_matches] = params[:name_matches].tr(" ", "_")
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ class Pool < ActiveRecord::Base
         q = q.where("creator_id = ?", params[:creator_id].to_i)
       end
       
-      if params[:sort] == "updated_at"
-        q = q.order("updated_at desc")
-      else
+      if params[:sort] == "name"
         q = q.order("name")
+      else
+        q = q.order("updated_at desc")
       end
       
       q
diff --git a/app/models/post_version.rb b/app/models/post_version.rb
index 0873fc972..6d6156047 100644
--- a/app/models/post_version.rb
+++ b/app/models/post_version.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class PostVersion < ActiveRecord::Base
     
     def search(params)
       q = scoped
-      return q if params.blank?
+      params = {} if params.blank?
       
       if params[:updater_name].present?
         q = q.updater_name(params[:updater_name])
diff --git a/config/danbooru_default_config.rb b/config/danbooru_default_config.rb
index 45e3cd0cd..8b4116927 100644
--- a/config/danbooru_default_config.rb
+++ b/config/danbooru_default_config.rb
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ module Danbooru
     
     # After this many pages, the paginator will switch to sequential mode.
     def max_numbered_pages
-      10
+      1_000
     end
     
     # Max number of tag subscriptions per user
diff --git a/lib/danbooru/paginator/active_record_extension.rb b/lib/danbooru/paginator/active_record_extension.rb
index 1d6f97bec..5ed4bccb0 100644
--- a/lib/danbooru/paginator/active_record_extension.rb
+++ b/lib/danbooru/paginator/active_record_extension.rb
@@ -69,12 +69,33 @@ module Danbooru
         end
         
         def records_per_page
-          (@paginator_options.try(:[], :limit) || Danbooru.config.posts_per_page).to_i
+          option_for(:limit).to_i
+        end
+        
+        # When paginating large tables, we want to avoid doing an expensive count query
+        # when the result won't even be used. So when calling paginate you can pass in
+        # an optional :search_count key which points to the search params. If these params
+        # exist, then assume we're doing a search and don't override the default count
+        # behavior. Otherwise, just return some large number so the paginator skips the
+        # count.
+        def option_for(key)
+          case key
+          when :limit
+            @paginator_options.try(:[], :limit) || Danbooru.config.posts_per_page
+            
+          when :count
+            if @paginator_options.has_key?(:search_count) && @paginator_options[:search_count].blank?
+              1_000_000
+            else
+              nil
+            end
+            
+          end
         end
 
         # taken from kaminari (https://github.com/amatsuda/kaminari)
         def total_count
-          return @paginator_options[:count] if @paginator_options[:count]
+          return option_for(:count) if option_for(:count)
           
           c = except(:offset, :limit, :order)
           c = c.reorder(nil)