diff --git a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
index c0cf0f62..58799bc6 100644
--- a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def results
 
     # Render the response in HTML or JSON format
     respond_to do |format|
-      format.json { render json: { results: @results, pagination: @pagination, errors: @errors } }
+      format.json { render json: { results: @results, hits: hit_count, errors: @errors } }
       format.turbo_stream { render :results }
       format.html { render :results }
     end
@@ -53,6 +53,15 @@ def results
 
   private
 
+  # This returns the total result count from whichever instance variable is present
+  def hit_count
+    if @pagination_load_more_enabled
+      @load_more&.[](:total_hits) || 0
+    else
+      @pagination&.[](:hits) || 0
+    end
+  end
+
   # Sleep to simulate latency for testing loading indicators when responses are fast
   def sleep_if_too_fast
     start_time = Time.now
diff --git a/test/controllers/search_controller_test.rb b/test/controllers/search_controller_test.rb
index 0062ed31..95b19c82 100644
--- a/test/controllers/search_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/search_controller_test.rb
@@ -1264,6 +1264,34 @@ def source_filter_count(controller)
       get "/results?q=test&format=json&format_token=#{secret_value}", headers: { 'HTTP_USER_AGENT' => quepid_ua }
       assert_response :success
       assert_equal 'application/json; charset=utf-8', response.content_type
+      response_json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      assert_equal %w[results hits errors], response_json.keys
+      assert_instance_of Array, response_json['results']
+      assert_instance_of Integer, response_json['hits']
+    end
+  end
+
+  test 'results in JSON format will report zero hit count in the face of missing data' do
+    SearchController.any_instance.stubs(:load_timdex_results).returns(nil)
+    secret_value = 'sooper_sekret'
+    quepid_ua = 'Quepid/1.0 (Web Scraper)'
+    # Test @pagination pathway
+    ClimateControl.modify FORMAT_TOKEN: secret_value do
+      get "/results?q=test&tab=timdex&format=json&format_token=#{secret_value}",
+          headers: { 'HTTP_USER_AGENT' => quepid_ua }
+      assert_response :success
+      response_json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      assert_equal %w[results hits errors], response_json.keys
+      assert_equal 0, response_json['hits']
+    end
+    # Test @load_more pathway
+    ClimateControl.modify(FORMAT_TOKEN: secret_value, FEATURE_PAGINATION_LOAD_MORE: 'true') do
+      get "/results?q=test&tab=timdex&format=json&format_token=#{secret_value}",
+          headers: { 'HTTP_USER_AGENT' => quepid_ua }
+      assert_response :success
+      response_json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      assert_equal %w[results hits errors], response_json.keys
+      assert_equal 0, response_json['hits']
     end
   end
 
@@ -1276,6 +1304,25 @@ def source_filter_count(controller)
       get "/results?q=test&format=json&format_token=#{secret_value}", headers: { 'HTTP_USER_AGENT' => quepid_ua }
       assert_response :success
       assert_equal 'application/json; charset=utf-8', response.content_type
+      response_json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      assert_equal %w[results hits errors], response_json.keys
+      assert_instance_of Array, response_json['results']
+      assert_instance_of Integer, response_json['hits']
+    end
+  end
+
+  test 'results can be returned in JSON format when env is set while load-more pagination is enabled' do
+    secret_value = 'sooper_sekret'
+    quepid_ua = 'Quepid/1.0 (Web Scraper)'
+    ClimateControl.modify(FORMAT_TOKEN: secret_value, FEATURE_PAGINATION_LOAD_MORE: 'true') do
+      mock_timdex_search_with_hits(10)
+      get "/results?q=test&format=json&format_token=#{secret_value}", headers: { 'HTTP_USER_AGENT' => quepid_ua }
+      assert_response :success
+      assert_equal 'application/json; charset=utf-8', response.content_type
+      response_json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      assert_equal %w[results hits errors], response_json.keys
+      assert_instance_of Array, response_json['results']
+      assert_instance_of Integer, response_json['hits']
     end
   end