diff --git a/superdesk/eve_backend.py b/superdesk/eve_backend.py
index ff7ab0b174..6a430f44a3 100644
--- a/superdesk/eve_backend.py
+++ b/superdesk/eve_backend.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def find_one(self, endpoint_name, req, **lookup):
         backend = self._backend(endpoint_name)
         item = backend.find_one(endpoint_name, req=req, **lookup)
         search_backend = self._lookup_backend(endpoint_name, fallback=True)
-        if search_backend:
+        if search_backend and app.config.get("BACKEND_FIND_ONE_SEARCH_TEST", False):
             # set the parent for the parent child in elastic search
             self._set_parent(endpoint_name, item, lookup)
             item_search = search_backend.find_one(endpoint_name, req=req, **lookup)
diff --git a/superdesk/tests/__init__.py b/superdesk/tests/__init__.py
index fef6b1947b..dbd1d2d93f 100644
--- a/superdesk/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/superdesk/tests/__init__.py
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ def update_config(conf):
 
     # auth server
     conf["AUTH_SERVER_SHARED_SECRET"] = "some secret"
+
+    # todo: only activate it for specific tests
+    conf["BACKEND_FIND_ONE_SEARCH_TEST"] = True
+
     return conf