diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/impl/SearchMapper.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/impl/SearchMapper.java
index b2a7799d29..4c83e71520 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/impl/SearchMapper.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/impl/SearchMapper.java
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ public class SearchMapper
         {
             for (Template aTemplate:templates)
             {
+                ParameterCheck.mandatoryString("template name", aTemplate.getName());
+                ParameterCheck.mandatoryString("template template", aTemplate.getTemplate());
                 sp.addQueryTemplate(aTemplate.getName(), aTemplate.getTemplate());
             }
         }
@@ -270,6 +272,7 @@ public class SearchMapper
         {
             for (FilterQuery fq:filterQueries)
             {
+                ParameterCheck.mandatoryString("filterQueries query", fq.getQuery());
                 sp.addFilterQuery(fq.getQuery());
             }
         }
@@ -286,7 +289,17 @@ public class SearchMapper
         {
             for (FacetQuery fq:facetQueries)
             {
-                sp.addFacetQuery(fq.getQuery());
+                ParameterCheck.mandatoryString("facetQuery query", fq.getQuery());
+                String query = fq.getQuery();
+                String label = fq.getLabel()!=null?fq.getLabel():query;
+
+                if (query.startsWith("{!afts"))
+                {
+                    throw new InvalidArgumentException(InvalidArgumentException.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_ID,
+                                new Object[] { ": Facet queries should not start with !afts" });
+                }
+                query = "{!afts key='"+label+"'}"+query;
+                sp.addFacetQuery(query);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/SearchMapperTests.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/SearchMapperTests.java
index 2471c9d947..b6fff4032e 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/SearchMapperTests.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/search/SearchMapperTests.java
@@ -312,13 +312,21 @@ public class SearchMapperTests
         //Doesn't error
         searchMapper.fromFacetQuery(searchParameters, null);
 
-        searchMapper.fromFacetQuery(searchParameters, Arrays.asList(new FacetQuery("ping", null), new FacetQuery("pong", "table"), new FacetQuery("pang", "tennis")));
-        assertEquals(3 ,searchParameters.getFacetQueries().size());
-        assertEquals("ping" ,searchParameters.getFacetQueries().get(0));
-        assertEquals("pong" ,searchParameters.getFacetQueries().get(1));
-        assertEquals("pang" ,searchParameters.getFacetQueries().get(2));
+        searchMapper.fromFacetQuery(searchParameters, Arrays.asList(new FacetQuery("ping", null), new FacetQuery("pong", "table")));
+        assertEquals(2 ,searchParameters.getFacetQueries().size());
+        assertEquals("{!afts key='ping'}ping" ,searchParameters.getFacetQueries().get(0));
+        assertEquals("{!afts key='table'}pong" ,searchParameters.getFacetQueries().get(1));
 
-        //label isn't used at the moment
+        try
+        {
+            searchMapper.fromFacetQuery(searchParameters, Arrays.asList(new FacetQuery("ping", null),new FacetQuery("{!afts}pang", "tennis")));
+            fail();
+        }
+        catch (InvalidArgumentException iae)
+        {
+            //Cannot start with afts
+            assertNotNull(iae);
+        }
     }