diff --git a/ckan/lib/search/index.py b/ckan/lib/search/index.py
index b040242e450..5447da625a1 100644
--- a/ckan/lib/search/index.py
+++ b/ckan/lib/search/index.py
@@ -145,7 +145,11 @@ def index_package(self, pkg_dict, defer_commit=False):
         # add groups
         groups = pkg_dict.pop('groups', [])
 
-        pkg_dict['capacity'] = 'public'
+        # we use the capacity to make things private in the search index
+        if pkg_dict['private']:
+            pkg_dict['capacity'] = 'private'
+        else:
+            pkg_dict['capacity'] = 'public'
 
         pkg_dict['groups'] = [group['name'] for group in groups]