diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandler.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandler.coffee
index 0464fc2274..13bdad9927 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandler.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandler.coffee
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ settings = require("settings-sharelatex")
 ProjectLocator = require("../Project/ProjectLocator")
 U = require('underscore')
 Async = require('async')
+Project = require("../../models/Project").Project
+UserGetter = require "../User/UserGetter"
 
 oneMinInMs = 60 * 1000
 fiveMinsInMs = oneMinInMs * 5
@@ -26,6 +28,13 @@ module.exports = ReferencesSearchHandler =
 
 		return ids
 
+	_isFullIndex: (projectId, callback = (err, result) ->) ->
+		Project.findById projectId, {owner_ref: 1}, (err, project) ->
+			return callback(err) if err
+			UserGetter.getUser project.owner_ref, {features: 1}, (err, owner) ->
+				return callback(err) if err
+				callback(null, owner.features.references == true)
+
 	indexProjectReferences: (project, callback = (err) ->) ->
 		logger.log {projectId: project._id}, "try indexing references from project"
 		ids = ReferencesSearchHandler._findBibDocIds(project)
@@ -40,27 +49,33 @@ module.exports = ReferencesSearchHandler =
 				callback(err)
 		)
 
-	indexFile: (project_id, file_id, callback = (err)->) ->
-		logger.log {project_id, file_id}, "sending index request to references api"
-		target_url = "#{settings.apis.references.url}/project/#{project_id}"
-		file_url = ReferencesSearchHandler._buildDocUrl project_id, file_id
-		request.post {
-			url: target_url
-			json:
-				referencesUrl: file_url
-		}, (err, res, result) ->
+	indexFile: (projectId, fileId, callback = (err)->) ->
+		target_url = "#{settings.apis.references.url}/project/#{projectId}"
+		fileUrl = ReferencesSearchHandler._buildDocUrl projectId, fileId
+		logger.log {projectId, fileId}, "checking if file should be fully indexed"
+		ReferencesSearchHandler._isFullIndex projectId, (err, isFullIndex) ->
 			if err
+				logger.err {projectId, fileId, err}, "error checking if file should be fully indexed"
 				return callback(err)
-			if 200 <= res.statusCode < 300
-				return callback(null)
-			else
-				err = new Error("references api responded with non-success code: #{res.statusCode}")
-				logger.log {err, project_id, file_url}, "error updating references"
-				return callback(err)
+			logger.log {projectId, fileId, isFullIndex}, "sending index request to references api"
+			request.post {
+				url: target_url
+				json:
+					referencesUrl: fileUrl
+					fullIndex: isFullIndex == true
+			}, (err, res, result) ->
+				if err
+					return callback(err)
+				if 200 <= res.statusCode < 300
+					return callback(null)
+				else
+					err = new Error("references api responded with non-success code: #{res.statusCode}")
+					logger.log {err, projectId, fileUrl}, "error updating references"
+					return callback(err)
 
-	getKeys: (project_id, callback = (err, result)->) ->
-		logger.log {project_id}, "getting keys from remote references api"
-		url = "#{settings.apis.references.url}/project/#{project_id}/keys"
+	getKeys: (projectId, callback = (err, result)->) ->
+		logger.log {projectId}, "getting keys from remote references api"
+		url = "#{settings.apis.references.url}/project/#{projectId}/keys"
 		request.get {
 			url: url
 			json: true
@@ -71,8 +86,8 @@ module.exports = ReferencesSearchHandler =
 				return callback(null, result)
 			else
 				err = new Error("references api responded with non-success code: #{res.statusCode}")
-				logger.log {err, project_id}, "error getting references keys"
+				logger.log {err, projectId}, "error getting references keys"
 				return callback(err)
 
-	_buildDocUrl: (project_id, doc_id) ->
-		"#{settings.apis.web.url}/project/#{project_id}/doc/#{doc_id}"
+	_buildDocUrl: (projectId, docId) ->
+		"#{settings.apis.web.url}/project/#{projectId}/doc/#{docId}"
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandlerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandlerTests.coffee
index 987d2e81f7..14abc824fe 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandlerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/ReferencesSearch/ReferencesSearchHandlerTests.coffee
@@ -24,9 +24,46 @@ describe 'ReferencesSearchHandler', ->
 				get: sinon.stub()
 				post: sinon.stub()
 			}
+			'../../models/Project': @Project = {
+				Project: {
+					findById: sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, {owner_ref: '111'})
+				}
+			}
+			'../User/UserGetter': @UserGetter = {
+				getUser: sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, {features: {references: false}})
+			}
 
 	describe 'indexFile', ->
 
+		describe 'full index or not', ->
+
+			beforeEach ->
+				@request.post.callsArgWith(1, null, {statusCode: 200}, {})
+
+			describe 'when full index is not required', ->
+
+				beforeEach ->
+					@UserGetter.getUser.callsArgWith(2, null, {features: {references: false}})
+
+				it 'should set fullIndex to true', (done) ->
+					@handler.indexFile @project_id, @file_id, (err) =>
+						@request.post.calledOnce.should.equal true
+						options = @request.post.firstCall.args[0]
+						options.json.fullIndex.should.equal false
+						done()
+
+			describe 'when full index is required', ->
+
+				beforeEach ->
+					@UserGetter.getUser.callsArgWith(2, null, {features: {references: true}})
+
+				it 'should set fullIndex to true', (done) ->
+					@handler.indexFile @project_id, @file_id, (err) =>
+						@request.post.calledOnce.should.equal true
+						options = @request.post.firstCall.args[0]
+						options.json.fullIndex.should.equal true
+						done()
+
 		describe 'when index operation is successful', ->
 			beforeEach ->
 				@request.post.callsArgWith(1, null, {statusCode: 201}, {})