diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a439e0dcd..c3c89b6f1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -159,9 +159,9 @@ index: preconditions md asmfx asmprelaunch compress
 # in the form of OKVS data structures, plus game counts in the form of source files
 #
 	[ -f build/index ] || $(PARALLEL) ::: \
-	    '(grep "^00" < build/GAMES.CONF | bin/buildsearch.sh src/index/count00.a build/HGR.TITLES.LOG build/DHGR.TITLES.LOG > build/SEARCH00.IDX)' \
+	    '(grep "^00" < build/GAMES.CONF | bin/buildsearch.sh src/index/count00.a build/HGR.TITLES.LOG /dev/null > build/SEARCH00.IDX)' \
 	    '(grep "^0" < build/GAMES.CONF | bin/buildsearch.sh src/index/count01.a build/HGR.TITLES.LOG build/DHGR.TITLES.LOG > build/SEARCH01.IDX)' \
-	    '(grep "^.0" < build/GAMES.CONF | bin/buildsearch.sh src/index/count10.a build/HGR.TITLES.LOG build/DHGR.TITLES.LOG > build/SEARCH10.IDX)' \
+	    '(grep "^.0" < build/GAMES.CONF | bin/buildsearch.sh src/index/count10.a build/HGR.TITLES.LOG /dev/null > build/SEARCH10.IDX)' \
 	    '(bin/buildsearch.sh src/index/count11.a build/HGR.TITLES.LOG build/DHGR.TITLES.LOG < build/GAMES.CONF > build/SEARCH11.IDX)'
 #
 # add IDX files to the combined index file and generate
diff --git a/bin/buildsearch.sh b/bin/buildsearch.sh
index ad42454f7..27a47d579 100755
--- a/bin/buildsearch.sh
+++ b/bin/buildsearch.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ source=$(mktemp)
  count=0
  while IFS="=" read -r key value; do
      count=$((count+1))
-     dhgr=$(echo "$key" | cut -c3)     # 'has DHGR title screen' flag (0 or 1)
+     if [ -z "$dhgrlog" ]; then
+         dhgr="0"
+     else
+         dhgr=$(echo "$key" | cut -c3)     # 'has DHGR title screen' flag (0 or 1)
+     fi
      cheat=$(echo "$key" | cut -c4)    # 'cheat category' (0..5)
      key=$(echo "$key" | cut -d"," -f2)
      if [ "$dhgr" -eq "0" ]; then