diff --git a/src/Search/Searchables/Assets.php b/src/Search/Searchables/Assets.php
index a4848314db9..7ae8a8b23a7 100644
--- a/src/Search/Searchables/Assets.php
+++ b/src/Search/Searchables/Assets.php
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ public function provide(): Collection
 
         // TODO: query scope support?
 
-        return $assets->filter($this->filter())->values()->map->reference();
+        if ($filter = $this->filter()) {
+            $assets = $assets->filter($filter);
+        }
+
+        return $assets->values()->map->reference();
     }
 
     public function contains($searchable): bool
@@ -41,7 +45,9 @@ public function contains($searchable): bool
             return false;
         }
 
-        return $this->filter()($searchable);
+        return ($filter = $this->filter())
+            ? $filter($searchable)
+            : true;
     }
 
     public function find(array $keys): Collection
diff --git a/src/Search/Searchables/Entries.php b/src/Search/Searchables/Entries.php
index f9a1a808051..e3a14a622db 100644
--- a/src/Search/Searchables/Entries.php
+++ b/src/Search/Searchables/Entries.php
@@ -33,15 +33,15 @@ public function provide(): Collection|LazyCollection
 
         $this->applyQueryScope($query);
 
-        if ($this->hasFilter()) {
+        if ($filter = $this->filter()) {
             return $query
                 ->lazy(config('statamic.search.chunk_size'))
-                ->filter($this->filter())
+                ->filter($filter)
                 ->values()
                 ->map->reference();
         }
 
-        $query->where('status', 'published');
+        $query->whereStatus('published');
 
         return $query->pluck('reference');
     }
@@ -60,12 +60,12 @@ public function contains($searchable): bool
             return false;
         }
 
-        if ($this->hasFilter()) {
-            return $this->filter()($searchable);
+        if ($filter = $this->filter()) {
+            return $filter($searchable);
         }
 
         $query = Entry::query()
-            ->where('status', 'published')
+            ->whereStatus('published')
             ->where('id', $searchable->id());
 
         $this->applyQueryScope($query);
@@ -77,9 +77,4 @@ public function find(array $ids): Collection
     {
         return Entry::query()->whereIn('id', $ids)->get();
     }
-
-    protected function defaultFilter()
-    {
-        return fn ($item) => $item->status() === 'published';
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Search/Searchables/Provider.php b/src/Search/Searchables/Provider.php
index 93252c2c346..cbfd747cad6 100644
--- a/src/Search/Searchables/Provider.php
+++ b/src/Search/Searchables/Provider.php
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 use Statamic\Facades\Search;
 use Statamic\Search\Index;
 use Statamic\Search\ProvidesSearchables;
-use Statamic\Support\Arr;
 
 abstract class Provider implements ProvidesSearchables
 {
@@ -66,11 +65,6 @@ protected function applyQueryScope($query)
         Scope::find($scope)->apply($query, []);
     }
 
-    protected function hasFilter()
-    {
-        return Arr::has($this->index->config(), 'filter');
-    }
-
     protected function filter()
     {
         $filter = $this->index->config()['filter'] ?? null;
@@ -84,6 +78,6 @@ protected function filter()
 
     protected function defaultFilter()
     {
-        return fn () => true;
+        return null;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Search/Searchables/Terms.php b/src/Search/Searchables/Terms.php
index 601a0ba65bd..60c32681e07 100644
--- a/src/Search/Searchables/Terms.php
+++ b/src/Search/Searchables/Terms.php
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ public function provide(): Collection|LazyCollection
 
         $this->applyQueryScope($query);
 
-        if ($this->hasFilter()) {
+        if ($filter = $this->filter()) {
             return $query
                 ->lazy(config('statamic.search.chunk_size'))
-                ->filter($this->filter())
+                ->filter($filter)
                 ->values()
                 ->map->reference();
         }
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ public function contains($searchable): bool
             return false;
         }
 
-        if ($this->hasFilter()) {
-            return $this->filter()($searchable);
+        if ($filter = $this->filter()) {
+            return $filter($searchable);
         }
 
         $query = Term::query()->where('reference', $searchable->reference());
diff --git a/src/Search/Searchables/Users.php b/src/Search/Searchables/Users.php
index e14cf1659b4..c6a98f053da 100644
--- a/src/Search/Searchables/Users.php
+++ b/src/Search/Searchables/Users.php
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ public function provide(): Collection|LazyCollection
 
         $this->applyQueryScope($query);
 
-        if ($this->hasFilter()) {
+        if ($filter = $this->filter()) {
             return $query
                 ->lazy(config('statamic.search.chunk_size'))
-                ->filter($this->filter())
+                ->filter($filter)
                 ->values()
                 ->map->reference();
         }
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ public function contains($searchable): bool
             return false;
         }
 
-        if ($this->hasFilter()) {
-            return $this->filter()($searchable);
+        if ($filter = $this->filter()) {
+            return $filter($searchable);
         }
 
         $query = User::query()->where('id', $searchable->id());