diff --git a/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/config/lunr-options.js b/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/config/lunr-options.js
index e18721b5a..9a86394e4 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/config/lunr-options.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/config/lunr-options.js
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
-const removeStemmerPlugin = lunr => builder => {
-  builder.pipeline.remove(lunr.stemmer);
-  builder.searchPipeline.remove(lunr.stemmer);
-};
-
 module.exports = {
   languages: [
     {
       name: 'en',
       filterNodes: node => node.context && node.context.MdxNode,
-      plugins: [removeStemmerPlugin],
     },
   ],
   fields: [
diff --git a/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/src/components/GlobalSearch/GlobalSearch.js b/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/src/components/GlobalSearch/GlobalSearch.js
index bd20ed658..2a3d39973 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/src/components/GlobalSearch/GlobalSearch.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-theme-carbon/src/components/GlobalSearch/GlobalSearch.js
@@ -36,11 +36,15 @@ const MAX_RESULT_LIST_SIZE = 8;
 
 const search = _throttle(queryString => {
   if (window.__LUNR__) {
-    const lunrIndex = window.__LUNR__.en;
-    const searchResults = lunrIndex.index
-      .search(`${queryString}*`)
-      .slice(0, MAX_RESULT_LIST_SIZE);
-    return searchResults.map(({ ref }) => lunrIndex.store[ref]);
+    try {
+      const lunrIndex = window.__LUNR__.en;
+      const searchResults = lunrIndex.index
+        .search(`${queryString}*`)
+        .slice(0, MAX_RESULT_LIST_SIZE);
+      return searchResults.map(({ ref }) => lunrIndex.store[ref]);
+    } catch {
+      console.error(`Lunr is having issues querying for '${queryString}'`);
+    }
   }
 }, 150);