diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index c6fb1e4..234a2e6 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@
 	"github.com/garyburd/redigo/redis"
 	"github.com/golang/snappy"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
+	"golang.org/x/oauth2/google"
 	"google.golang.org/appengine"
+	"google.golang.org/appengine/remote_api"
 	"google.golang.org/appengine/search"
 
 	"github.com/golang/gddo/doc"
@@ -59,6 +61,8 @@
 	Pool interface {
 		Get() redis.Conn
 	}
+
+	AppEngineContext context.Context
 }
 
 // Package represents the content of a package both for the search index and
@@ -117,8 +121,21 @@
 	}
 }
 
-// New creates a gddo database
-func New(serverUri string, idleTimeout time.Duration, logConn bool) (*Database, error) {
+func newAppEngineContext(host string) (context.Context, error) {
+	client, err := google.DefaultClient(context.TODO(),
+		"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/appengine.apis",
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return remote_api.NewRemoteContext(host, client)
+}
+
+// New creates a gddo database. serverUri, idleTimeout, and logConn configure
+// the use of redis. gaeEndpoint is the target of the App Engine remoteapi
+// endpoint.
+func New(serverUri string, idleTimeout time.Duration, logConn bool, gaeEndpoint string) (*Database, error) {
 	pool := &redis.Pool{
 		Dial:        newDBDialer(serverUri, logConn),
 		MaxIdle:     10,
@@ -131,7 +148,12 @@
 	}
 	c.Close()
 
-	return &Database{Pool: pool}, nil
+	gaeCtx, err := newAppEngineContext(gaeEndpoint)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &Database{Pool: pool, AppEngineContext: gaeCtx}, nil
 }
 
 // Exists returns true if package with import path exists in the database.
@@ -174,7 +196,7 @@
     for term, x in pairs(update) do
         if x == 1 then
             redis.call('SREM', 'index:' .. term, id)
-        elseif x == 2 then 
+        elseif x == 2 then
             redis.call('SADD', 'index:' .. term, id)
         end
     end
@@ -209,7 +231,8 @@
 	return err
 }
 
-var bgCtx = appengine.BackgroundContext // replaced by tests
+// TODO(stephenmw): bgCtx is not necessary anymore.
+var bgCtx = context.Background // replaced by tests
 
 // Put adds the package documentation to the database.
 func (db *Database) Put(pdoc *doc.Package, nextCrawl time.Time, hide bool) error {
@@ -278,12 +301,12 @@
 	ctx := bgCtx()
 
 	if score > 0 {
-		if err := PutIndex(ctx, pdoc, id, score, n); err != nil {
+		if err := db.PutIndex(ctx, pdoc, id, score, n); err != nil {
 			log.Printf("Cannot put %q in index: %v", pdoc.ImportPath, err)
 		}
 
 		if old != nil {
-			if err := updateImportsIndex(c, ctx, old, pdoc); err != nil {
+			if err := db.updateImportsIndex(c, ctx, old, pdoc); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
@@ -342,7 +365,7 @@
 	return id, numImported, nil
 }
 
-func updateImportsIndex(c redis.Conn, ctx context.Context, oldDoc, newDoc *doc.Package) error {
+func (db *Database) updateImportsIndex(c redis.Conn, ctx context.Context, oldDoc, newDoc *doc.Package) error {
 	// Create a map to store any import change since last time we indexed the package.
 	changes := make(map[string]bool)
 	for _, p := range oldDoc.Imports {
@@ -365,7 +388,7 @@
 			return err
 		}
 		if id != "" {
-			PutIndex(ctx, nil, id, -1, n)
+			db.PutIndex(ctx, nil, id, -1, n)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -449,13 +472,13 @@
     end
 
     local nextCrawl = redis.call('HGET', 'pkg:' .. id, 'crawl')
-    if not nextCrawl then 
+    if not nextCrawl then
         nextCrawl = redis.call('ZSCORE', 'nextCrawl', id)
         if not nextCrawl then
             nextCrawl = 0
         end
     end
-    
+
     return {gob, nextCrawl}
 `)
 
@@ -1238,3 +1261,13 @@
 	log.Printf("%d packages are reindexed", npkgs)
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (db *Database) Search(ctx context.Context, q string) ([]Package, error) {
+	// TODO(stephenmw): merge ctx with AppEngineContext
+	return searchAE(db.AppEngineContext, q)
+}
+
+func (db *Database) PutIndex(ctx context.Context, pdoc *doc.Package, id string, score float64, importCount int) error {
+	// TODO(stephenmw): merge ctx with AppEngineContext
+	return putIndex(db.AppEngineContext, pdoc, id, score, importCount)
+}
diff --git a/database/indexae.go b/database/indexae.go
index 4259025..e86fa73 100644
--- a/database/indexae.go
+++ b/database/indexae.go
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@
 	return fields, meta, nil
 }
 
-// PutIndex creates or updates a package entry in the search index. id identifies the document in the index.
-// If pdoc is non-nil, PutIndex will update the package's name, path and synopsis supplied by pdoc.
-// pdoc must be non-nil for a package's first call to PutIndex.
-// PutIndex updates the Score to score, if non-negative.
-func PutIndex(c context.Context, pdoc *doc.Package, id string, score float64, importCount int) error {
+// putIndex creates or updates a package entry in the search index. id identifies the document in the index.
+// If pdoc is non-nil, putIndex will update the package's name, path and synopsis supplied by pdoc.
+// pdoc must be non-nil for a package's first call to putIndex.
+// putIndex updates the Score to score, if non-negative.
+func putIndex(c context.Context, pdoc *doc.Package, id string, score float64, importCount int) error {
 	if id == "" {
 		return errors.New("indexae: no id assigned")
 	}
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Search searches the packages index for a given query. A path-like query string
+// searchAE searches the packages index for a given query. A path-like query string
 // will be passed in unchanged, whereas single words will be stemmed.
-func Search(c context.Context, q string) ([]Package, error) {
+func searchAE(c context.Context, q string) ([]Package, error) {
 	index, err := search.Open("packages")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/gddo-server/config.go b/gddo-server/config.go
index c335fe3..fbda23e 100644
--- a/gddo-server/config.go
+++ b/gddo-server/config.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
 	ConfigDBServer      = "db-server"
 	ConfigDBIdleTimeout = "db-idle-timeout"
 	ConfigDBLog         = "db-log"
+	ConfigGAERemoteAPI  = "remoteapi-endpoint"
 
 	// Display Config
 	ConfigSidebar        = "sidebar"
@@ -75,9 +77,22 @@
 	// Read from config.
 	readViperConfig(ctx)
 
+	// Set defaults based on other configs
+	setDefaults()
+
 	log.Info(ctx, "config values loaded", "values", viper.AllSettings())
 }
 
+// setDefaults sets defaults for configuration options that depend on other
+// configuration options. This allows for smart defaults but allows for
+// overrides.
+func setDefaults() {
+	// ConfigGAERemoteAPI is based on project.
+	project := viper.GetString(ConfigProject)
+	defaultEndpoint := fmt.Sprintf("serviceproxy-dot-%s.appspot.com", project)
+	viper.SetDefault(ConfigGAERemoteAPI, defaultEndpoint)
+}
+
 func buildFlags() *pflag.FlagSet {
 	flags := pflag.NewFlagSet("default", pflag.ExitOnError)
 
@@ -102,6 +117,7 @@
 	flags.Duration(ConfigDBIdleTimeout, 250*time.Second, "Close Redis connections after remaining idle for this duration.")
 	flags.Bool(ConfigDBLog, false, "Log database commands")
 	flags.String(ConfigMemcacheAddr, "", "Address in the format host:port gddo uses to point to the memcache backend.")
+	flags.String(ConfigGAERemoteAPI, "", "Remoteapi endpoint for App Engine Search. Defaults to serviceproxy-dot-${project}.appspot.com.")
 
 	return flags
 }
diff --git a/gddo-server/main.go b/gddo-server/main.go
index a6d9eac..f48b6c1 100644
--- a/gddo-server/main.go
+++ b/gddo-server/main.go
@@ -573,8 +573,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	ctx := appengine.NewContext(req)
-	pkgs, err := database.Search(ctx, q)
+	pkgs, err := db.Search(req.Context(), q)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -633,8 +632,7 @@
 
 	if pkgs == nil {
 		var err error
-		ctx := appengine.NewContext(req)
-		pkgs, err = database.Search(ctx, q)
+		pkgs, err = db.Search(req.Context(), q)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -911,6 +909,7 @@
 		viper.GetString(ConfigDBServer),
 		viper.GetDuration(ConfigDBIdleTimeout),
 		viper.GetBool(ConfigDBLog),
+		viper.GetString(ConfigGAERemoteAPI),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Error opening database: %v", err)