diff --git a/src/database/adapters/__init__.py b/src/database/adapters/__init__.py
index 28999369..4b9b54ef 100644
--- a/src/database/adapters/__init__.py
+++ b/src/database/adapters/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import math
 from typing import Optional, Type, TypeVar, List
 from datetime import date, datetime, timedelta
 import secrets
@@ -437,12 +438,19 @@ class EntryAdapters:
 
     @staticmethod
     def search_with_embeddings(
-        user: KhojUser, embeddings: Tensor, max_results: int = 10, file_type_filter: str = None, raw_query: str = None
+        user: KhojUser,
+        embeddings: Tensor,
+        max_results: int = 10,
+        file_type_filter: str = None,
+        raw_query: str = None,
+        max_distance: float = math.inf,
     ):
         relevant_entries = EntryAdapters.apply_filters(user, raw_query, file_type_filter)
         relevant_entries = relevant_entries.filter(user=user).annotate(
             distance=CosineDistance("embeddings", embeddings)
         )
+        relevant_entries = relevant_entries.filter(distance__lte=max_distance)
+
         if file_type_filter:
             relevant_entries = relevant_entries.filter(file_type=file_type_filter)
         relevant_entries = relevant_entries.order_by("distance")
diff --git a/src/khoj/routers/api.py b/src/khoj/routers/api.py
index 4e050eee..fbdfbd63 100644
--- a/src/khoj/routers/api.py
+++ b/src/khoj/routers/api.py
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ async def search(
     n: Optional[int] = 5,
     t: Optional[SearchType] = SearchType.All,
     r: Optional[bool] = False,
-    score_threshold: Optional[Union[float, None]] = None,
+    max_distance: Optional[Union[float, None]] = None,
     dedupe: Optional[bool] = True,
     client: Optional[str] = None,
     user_agent: Optional[str] = Header(None),
@@ -375,12 +375,12 @@ async def search(
     # initialize variables
     user_query = q.strip()
     results_count = n or 5
-    score_threshold = score_threshold if score_threshold is not None else -math.inf
+    max_distance = max_distance if max_distance is not None else math.inf
     search_futures: List[concurrent.futures.Future] = []
 
     # return cached results, if available
     if user:
-        query_cache_key = f"{user_query}-{n}-{t}-{r}-{score_threshold}-{dedupe}"
+        query_cache_key = f"{user_query}-{n}-{t}-{r}-{max_distance}-{dedupe}"
         if query_cache_key in state.query_cache[user.uuid]:
             logger.debug(f"Return response from query cache")
             return state.query_cache[user.uuid][query_cache_key]
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ async def search(
                     t,
                     question_embedding=encoded_asymmetric_query,
                     rank_results=r or False,
-                    score_threshold=score_threshold,
+                    max_distance=max_distance,
                 )
             ]
 
@@ -431,7 +431,6 @@ async def search(
                     results_count,
                     state.search_models.image_search,
                     state.content_index.image,
-                    score_threshold=score_threshold,
                 )
             ]
 
@@ -454,11 +453,10 @@ async def search(
                     # Collate results
                     results += text_search.collate_results(hits, dedupe=dedupe)
 
-            if r:
-                results = text_search.rerank_and_sort_results(results, query=defiltered_query)[:results_count]
-            else:
                 # Sort results across all content types and take top results
-                results = sorted(results, key=lambda x: float(x.score))[:results_count]
+                results = text_search.rerank_and_sort_results(results, query=defiltered_query, rank_results=r)[
+                    :results_count
+                ]
 
     # Cache results
     if user:
@@ -583,6 +581,7 @@ async def chat(
     request: Request,
     q: str,
     n: Optional[int] = 5,
+    d: Optional[float] = 0.15,
     client: Optional[str] = None,
     stream: Optional[bool] = False,
     user_agent: Optional[str] = Header(None),
@@ -599,7 +598,7 @@ async def chat(
     meta_log = (await ConversationAdapters.aget_conversation_by_user(user)).conversation_log
 
     compiled_references, inferred_queries, defiltered_query = await extract_references_and_questions(
-        request, meta_log, q, (n or 5), conversation_command
+        request, meta_log, q, (n or 5), (d or math.inf), conversation_command
     )
 
     if conversation_command == ConversationCommand.Default and is_none_or_empty(compiled_references):
@@ -663,6 +662,7 @@ async def extract_references_and_questions(
     meta_log: dict,
     q: str,
     n: int,
+    d: float,
     conversation_type: ConversationCommand = ConversationCommand.Default,
 ):
     user = request.user.object if request.user.is_authenticated else None
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ async def extract_references_and_questions(
                     request=request,
                     n=n_items,
                     r=True,
-                    score_threshold=-5.0,
+                    max_distance=d,
                     dedupe=False,
                 )
             )
diff --git a/src/khoj/search_type/image_search.py b/src/khoj/search_type/image_search.py
index d7f486af..214118fc 100644
--- a/src/khoj/search_type/image_search.py
+++ b/src/khoj/search_type/image_search.py
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ def extract_metadata(image_name):
 
 
 async def query(
-    raw_query, count, search_model: ImageSearchModel, content: ImageContent, score_threshold: float = -math.inf
+    raw_query, count, search_model: ImageSearchModel, content: ImageContent, score_threshold: float = math.inf
 ):
     # Set query to image content if query is of form file:/path/to/file.png
     if raw_query.startswith("file:") and pathlib.Path(raw_query[5:]).is_file():
@@ -167,7 +167,8 @@ async def query(
     # Compute top_k ranked images based on cosine-similarity b/w query and all image embeddings.
     with timer("Search Time", logger):
         image_hits = {
-            result["corpus_id"]: {"image_score": result["score"], "score": result["score"]}
+            # Map scores to distance metric by multiplying by -1
+            result["corpus_id"]: {"image_score": -1 * result["score"], "score": -1 * result["score"]}
             for result in util.semantic_search(query_embedding, content.image_embeddings, top_k=count)[0]
         }
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ async def query(
     ]
 
     # Filter results by score threshold
-    hits = [hit for hit in hits if hit["image_score"] >= score_threshold]
+    hits = [hit for hit in hits if hit["image_score"] <= score_threshold]
 
     # Sort the images based on their combined metadata, image scores
     return sorted(hits, key=lambda hit: hit["score"], reverse=True)
diff --git a/src/khoj/search_type/text_search.py b/src/khoj/search_type/text_search.py
index ba2fc9ec..041c385f 100644
--- a/src/khoj/search_type/text_search.py
+++ b/src/khoj/search_type/text_search.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ async def query(
     type: SearchType = SearchType.All,
     question_embedding: Union[torch.Tensor, None] = None,
     rank_results: bool = False,
-    score_threshold: float = -math.inf,
+    max_distance: float = math.inf,
 ) -> Tuple[List[dict], List[Entry]]:
     "Search for entries that answer the query"
 
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ async def query(
             max_results=top_k,
             file_type_filter=file_type,
             raw_query=raw_query,
+            max_distance=max_distance,
         ).all()
         hits = await sync_to_async(list)(hits)  # type: ignore[call-arg]
 
@@ -177,12 +178,16 @@ def deduplicated_search_responses(hits: List[SearchResponse]):
             )
 
 
-def rerank_and_sort_results(hits, query):
+def rerank_and_sort_results(hits, query, rank_results):
+    # If we have more than one result and reranking is enabled
+    rank_results = rank_results and len(list(hits)) > 1
+
     # Score all retrieved entries using the cross-encoder
-    hits = cross_encoder_score(query, hits)
+    if rank_results:
+        hits = cross_encoder_score(query, hits)
 
     # Sort results by cross-encoder score followed by bi-encoder score
-    hits = sort_results(rank_results=True, hits=hits)
+    hits = sort_results(rank_results=rank_results, hits=hits)
 
     return hits
 
@@ -217,9 +222,9 @@ def cross_encoder_score(query: str, hits: List[SearchResponse]) -> List[SearchRe
     with timer("Cross-Encoder Predict Time", logger, state.device):
         cross_scores = state.cross_encoder_model.predict(query, hits)
 
-    # Store cross-encoder scores in results dictionary for ranking
+    # Convert cross-encoder scores to distances and pass in hits for reranking
     for idx in range(len(cross_scores)):
-        hits[idx]["cross_score"] = cross_scores[idx]
+        hits[idx]["cross_score"] = -1 * cross_scores[idx]
 
     return hits
 
@@ -227,7 +232,7 @@ def cross_encoder_score(query: str, hits: List[SearchResponse]) -> List[SearchRe
 def sort_results(rank_results: bool, hits: List[dict]) -> List[dict]:
     """Order results by cross-encoder score followed by bi-encoder score"""
     with timer("Rank Time", logger, state.device):
-        hits.sort(key=lambda x: x["score"], reverse=True)  # sort by bi-encoder score
+        hits.sort(key=lambda x: x["score"])  # sort by bi-encoder score
         if rank_results:
-            hits.sort(key=lambda x: x["cross_score"], reverse=True)  # sort by cross-encoder score
+            hits.sort(key=lambda x: x["cross_score"])  # sort by cross-encoder score
     return hits