diff --git a/MatterControlLib/LuceneHelpSearch.cs b/MatterControlLib/HelpIndex.cs
similarity index 64%
rename from MatterControlLib/LuceneHelpSearch.cs
rename to MatterControlLib/HelpIndex.cs
index c5d1fe94a..a4ce01129 100644
--- a/MatterControlLib/LuceneHelpSearch.cs
+++ b/MatterControlLib/HelpIndex.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,32 @@
-
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2019, Lars Brubaker, John Lewin
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
+   list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+   and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
+ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
+ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
+(INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
+ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+(INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
+SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+
+The views and conclusions contained in the software and documentation are those
+of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing official policies,
+either expressed or implied, of the FreeBSD Project.
+*/
+
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO.Compression;
@@ -22,12 +50,12 @@ using Newtonsoft.Json;
 
 namespace MatterControlLib
 {
-	public class LuceneHelpSearch
+	public static class HelpIndex
 	{
 		private static IndexWriter writer;
 		private static StandardAnalyzer analyzer;
 
-		static LuceneHelpSearch()
+		static HelpIndex()
 		{
 			// Ensures index backwards compatibility
 			var AppLuceneVersion = LuceneVersion.LUCENE_48;
@@ -35,37 +63,32 @@ namespace MatterControlLib
 			var indexLocation = System.IO.Path.Combine(ApplicationDataStorage.Instance.ApplicationTempDataPath, "LuceneIndex");
 			System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(indexLocation);
 
-			var dir = FSDirectory.Open(indexLocation);
-
 			// create an analyzer to process the text
 			analyzer = new StandardAnalyzer(AppLuceneVersion);
 
 			// create an index writer
-			var indexConfig = new IndexWriterConfig(AppLuceneVersion, analyzer);
-
-			writer = new IndexWriter(dir, indexConfig);
-
-			// If the index lacks a reasonable number of documents, rebuild it from the zip file
-			if (writer.MaxDoc < 10)
-			{
-				ApplicationController.Instance.Tasks.Execute(
-					"Preparing help index".Localize(),
-					null,
-					(progress, cancellationToken) =>
-					{
-						string relativePath = System.IO.Path.Combine("OemSettings", "help-docs.zip");
-
-						IndexZipFile(relativePath, progress, cancellationToken);
-
-						return Task.CompletedTask;
-					});
-			}
+			writer = new IndexWriter(
+				FSDirectory.Open(indexLocation),
+				new IndexWriterConfig(AppLuceneVersion, analyzer));
 		}
 
-		public LuceneHelpSearch()
+		public static bool IndexExists => writer.MaxDoc > 0;
+
+		public static Task RebuildIndex()
 		{
-		}
+			// If the index lacks a reasonable number of documents, rebuild it from the zip file
+			return ApplicationController.Instance.Tasks.Execute(
+				"Preparing help index".Localize(),
+				null,
+				(progress, cancellationToken) =>
+				{
+					string relativePath = System.IO.Path.Combine("OemSettings", "help-docs.zip");
 
+					IndexZipFile(relativePath, progress, cancellationToken);
+
+					return Task.CompletedTask;
+				});
+		}
 
 		private static void ProcessHelpTree(HelpArticle context, Dictionary<string, HelpArticle> helpArticles)
 		{
@@ -150,9 +173,14 @@ namespace MatterControlLib
 			writer.Commit();
 		}
 
-		public IEnumerable<HelpSearchResult> Search(string text)
+		public static IEnumerable<HelpSearchResult> Search(string text)
 		{
-			//var parser = new QueryParser(LuceneVersion.LUCENE_48, "body", analyzer);
+			// If the index lacks a reasonable number of documents, rebuild it from the zip file
+			if (writer.MaxDoc < 10)
+			{
+				RebuildIndex();
+			}
+
 			var parser = new MultiFieldQueryParser(LuceneVersion.LUCENE_48, new[] { "body", "name" }, analyzer);
 			var query = parser.Parse(text);
 
diff --git a/MatterControlLib/PartPreviewWindow/SearchPanel.cs b/MatterControlLib/PartPreviewWindow/SearchPanel.cs
index 334ffc17b..8f8cb1b94 100644
--- a/MatterControlLib/PartPreviewWindow/SearchPanel.cs
+++ b/MatterControlLib/PartPreviewWindow/SearchPanel.cs
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ namespace MatterHackers.MatterControl.PartPreviewWindow
 
 				var searchHits = await Task.Run(() =>
 				{
-					var searcher = new LuceneHelpSearch();
-					return searcher.Search(searchBox.searchInput.Text);
+					return HelpIndex.Search(searchBox.searchInput.Text);
 				});
 
 				searchResults.CloseAllChildren();
diff --git a/MatterControlLib/SetupWizard/HelpTreePanel.cs b/MatterControlLib/SetupWizard/HelpTreePanel.cs
index 35e1d869a..8c75409ab 100644
--- a/MatterControlLib/SetupWizard/HelpTreePanel.cs
+++ b/MatterControlLib/SetupWizard/HelpTreePanel.cs
@@ -73,13 +73,11 @@ namespace MatterHackers.MatterControl
 			AddGuides();
 			CreateMousePage();
 			CreateKeyBindingsPage();
-
-			searcher = new LuceneHelpSearch();
 		}
 
 		protected override void PerformSearch(string filter)
 		{
-			searchHits = new HashSet<string>(searcher.Search(filter).Select(d => d.Path));
+			searchHits = new HashSet<string>(HelpIndex.Search(filter).Select(d => d.Path));
 
 			base.PerformSearch(filter);
 		}
@@ -355,7 +353,6 @@ namespace MatterHackers.MatterControl
 		private TreeNode rootNode;
 
 		private Dictionary<string, HelpArticleTreeNode> nodesByPath = new Dictionary<string, HelpArticleTreeNode>();
-		private LuceneHelpSearch searcher;
 		private IEnumerable<HelpSearchResult> searchResults;
 		private HashSet<string> searchHits;