diff --git a/db-service/lib/search.js b/db-service/lib/search.js
index 67cd29635..61149b01c 100644
--- a/db-service/lib/search.js
+++ b/db-service/lib/search.js
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ const computeColumnsToBeSearched = (cqn, entity = { __searchableColumns: [] }) =
         if (
           cqn.SELECT.columns.length === 1 &&
           column.func === 'count' &&
-          (column.as === '_counted_' || column.as === '$count')
+          column.as === '$count'
         ) {
           return
         }
diff --git a/test/compliance/SELECT.test.js b/test/compliance/SELECT.test.js
index f9c881734..f2c50f8e5 100644
--- a/test/compliance/SELECT.test.js
+++ b/test/compliance/SELECT.test.js
@@ -1132,9 +1132,9 @@ describe('SELECT', () => {
       const query = SELECT.from('complex.associations.Authors')
       query.SELECT.count = true
       const result = await query
-      assert.strictEqual(result.$count, 1)
+      assert.equal(result.$count, 1)
       const renamed = result.map(row => ({ key: row.ID, fullName: row.name }))
-      assert.strictEqual(renamed.$count, 1)
+      assert.equal(renamed.$count, 1)
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/test/scenarios/sflight/lean-draft.test.js b/test/scenarios/sflight/lean-draft.test.js
index 22975a616..75f994110 100644
--- a/test/scenarios/sflight/lean-draft.test.js
+++ b/test/scenarios/sflight/lean-draft.test.js
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ describe('draft tests', () => {
       { auth: { username: 'user1', password: 'user1' } },
     )
     expect(res.status).to.be.eq(200)
-    expect(res.data['@odata.count']).to.be.eq(1)
+    expect(res.data['@odata.count']).eqls(1)
     firstRow = res.data.value[0]
     expect(firstRow.IsActiveEntity).to.be.eq(true)
     expect(firstRow.HasActiveEntity).to.be.eq(false)