diff --git a/pandora/event/models.py b/pandora/event/models.py
index d7e525d5..89f55700 100644
--- a/pandora/event/models.py
+++ b/pandora/event/models.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import re
 from django.db import models, transaction
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.db.models import Q
+from django.conf import settings
 import ox
 from ox.django import fields
 
@@ -68,6 +69,8 @@ class Event(models.Model):
         return False
      
     def get_matches(self):
+        layers = filter(lambda l: l['type'] == 'event' or l.get('hasEvents'),
+                        settings.CONFIG['layers'])
         super_matches = []
         q = Q(name_find__contains=" " + self.name)|Q(name_find__contains="|%s"%self.name)
         for name in self.alternativeNames:
@@ -81,7 +84,7 @@ class Event(models.Model):
         for name in self.alternativeNames:
             q = q|Q(value__icontains=" " + name)|Q(value__startswith=name)
         matches = []
-        for a in Annotation.objects.filter(q):
+        for a in Annotation.objects.filter(layer__in=layers).filter(q):
             value = a.value.lower()
             for name in super_matches:
                 value = value.replace(name.lower(), '')
diff --git a/pandora/place/models.py b/pandora/place/models.py
index 57c7beaa..745e5e62 100644
--- a/pandora/place/models.py
+++ b/pandora/place/models.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import re
 from django.db import models, transaction
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User, Group
 from django.db.models import Q
+from django.conf import settings
 import ox
 from ox.django import fields
 
@@ -82,6 +83,8 @@ class Place(models.Model):
         return j
 
     def get_matches(self):
+        layers = filter(lambda l: l['type'] == 'place' or l.get('hasPlaces'),
+                        settings.CONFIG['layers'])
         super_matches = []
         q = Q(name_find__contains=" " + self.name)|Q(name_find__contains="|%s"%self.name)
         for name in self.alternativeNames:
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@ class Place(models.Model):
         for name in self.alternativeNames:
             q = q|Q(value__icontains=" " + name)|Q(value__istartswith=name)
         matches = []
-        for a in Annotation.objects.filter(q):
+        for a in Annotation.objects.filter(layer__in=layers).filter(q):
             value = a.value.lower()
             for name in super_matches:
                 value = value.replace(name.lower(), '')
diff --git a/static/js/pandora/placesDialog.js b/static/js/pandora/placesDialog.js
index 71a64024..05f87d98 100644
--- a/static/js/pandora/placesDialog.js
+++ b/static/js/pandora/placesDialog.js
@@ -27,13 +27,17 @@ pandora.ui.placesDialog = function() {
             getMatches: function(names, callback) {
                 // fixme: the results of this are of course
                 // not identical to actual place matches
+                var key = pandora.site.layers.filter(function(layer) {
+                        return layer.type == 'place' || layer.hasPlaces;
+                    }).map(function(layer) {
+                        return layer.id;
+                    })[0],
+                    operator = Ox.getObjectById(pandora.site.layers, key).type == 'place' ?
+                        '==' : '=';
                 pandora.api.findClips({
                     query: {
                         conditions: names.map(function(name) {
-                            //FIXME: this should be more generic
-                            return Ox.getObjectById(pandora.site.layers, 'subtitles')
-                                ? {key: 'subtitles', value: name, operator: '='}
-                                : {key: 'places', value: name, operator: '=='};
+                            return {key: key, value: name, operator: operator};
                         }),
                         operator: names.length == 1 ? '&' : '|'
                     }