diff --git a/src/kibana/components/validate_query/lib/from_user.js b/src/kibana/components/validate_query/lib/from_user.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b1982a35d205d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kibana/components/validate_query/lib/from_user.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+define(function (require) {
+  var _ = require('lodash');
+
+  /**
+   * Take text from the user and make it into a query object
+   * @param {text} user's query input
+   * @returns {object}
+   */
+  return function (text) {
+    var matchAll = {query_string: {query: '*'}};
+
+    // If we get an empty object, treat it as a *
+    if (_.isObject(text)) {
+      if (Object.keys(text).length) {
+        return text;
+      } else {
+        return matchAll;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Nope, not an object.
+    text = (text || '').trim();
+    if (text.length === 0) return matchAll;
+
+    if (text[0] === '{') {
+      try {
+        return JSON.parse(text);
+      } catch (e) {
+        return {query_string: {query: text}};
+      }
+    } else {
+      return {query_string: {query: text}};
+    }
+  };
+});
diff --git a/src/kibana/components/validate_query/lib/to_user.js b/src/kibana/components/validate_query/lib/to_user.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..44d4c81ec15b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kibana/components/validate_query/lib/to_user.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+define(function (require) {
+  var _ = require('lodash');
+
+  /**
+   * Take text from the model and present it to the user as a string
+   * @param {text} model value
+   * @returns {string}
+   */
+  return function (text) {
+    if (_.isString(text)) return text;
+    if (_.isObject(text)) {
+      if (text.query_string) return text.query_string.query;
+      return JSON.stringify(text);
+    }
+    return text.toString();
+  };
+});
diff --git a/src/kibana/directives/validate_query.js b/src/kibana/components/validate_query/validate_query.js
similarity index 77%
rename from src/kibana/directives/validate_query.js
rename to src/kibana/components/validate_query/validate_query.js
index dd09c4a2352fd..ce4a329c743f6 100644
--- a/src/kibana/directives/validate_query.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/validate_query/validate_query.js
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 define(function (require) {
   var _ = require('lodash');
   var $ = require('jquery');
+  var fromUser = require('components/validate_query/lib/from_user');
+  var toUser = require('components/validate_query/lib/to_user');
+
   require('services/debounce');
 
   require('modules')
@@ -105,37 +108,6 @@ define(function (require) {
             trailing: true
           });
 
-          // What should I make with the input from the user?
-          var fromUser = function (text) {
-
-            // If we get an empty object, treat it as a *
-            if (_.isObject(text)) {
-              if (Object.keys(text).length) {
-                return text;
-              } else {
-                return {query_string: {query: '*'}};
-              }
-            }
-
-            // Nope, not an object.
-            text = (text || '').trim();
-            try {
-              return JSON.parse(text);
-            } catch (e) {
-              return {query_string: {query: text || '*'}};
-            }
-          };
-
-          // How should I present the data back to the user in the input field?
-          var toUser = function (text) {
-            if (_.isString(text)) return text;
-            if (_.isObject(text)) {
-              if (text.query_string) return text.query_string.query;
-              return JSON.stringify(text);
-            }
-            return undefined;
-          };
-
           ngModel.$parsers.push(fromUser);
           ngModel.$formatters.push(toUser);
 
diff --git a/src/kibana/plugins/discover/controllers/discover.js b/src/kibana/plugins/discover/controllers/discover.js
index 32e7b706ce935..c5bc1ae2ab7ba 100644
--- a/src/kibana/plugins/discover/controllers/discover.js
+++ b/src/kibana/plugins/discover/controllers/discover.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ define(function (require) {
   require('components/timepicker/timepicker');
   require('directives/fixed_scroll');
   require('directives/validate_json');
-  require('directives/validate_query');
+  require('components/validate_query/validate_query');
   require('filters/moment');
   require('components/courier/courier');
   require('components/index_patterns/index_patterns');
diff --git a/test/unit/specs/directives/validate_query.js b/test/unit/specs/directives/validate_query.js
index f1c15e8f22e62..c847b1cff5fae 100644
--- a/test/unit/specs/directives/validate_query.js
+++ b/test/unit/specs/directives/validate_query.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ define(function (require) {
   var sinon = require('test_utils/auto_release_sinon');
 
   // Load the kibana app dependencies.
-  require('directives/validate_query');
+  require('components/validate_query/validate_query');
 
   var $rootScope;
   var $timeout;
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ define(function (require) {
   var cycleIndex = 0;
   var mockValidateQuery;
   var markup = '<input ng-model="mockModel" validate-query="mockQueryInput" input-focus type="text">';
+  var fromUser = require('components/validate_query/lib/from_user');
+  var toUser = require('components/validate_query/lib/to_user');
+
 
   var validEsResponse = function () {
     return Promise.resolve({ valid: true });
@@ -152,5 +155,45 @@ define(function (require) {
         checkClass('ng-valid');
       });
     });
+
+    describe('user input parser', function () {
+      it('should return the input if passed an object', function () {
+        expect(fromUser({foo: 'bar'})).to.eql({foo: 'bar'});
+      });
+
+      it('unless the object is empty, that implies a *', function () {
+        expect(fromUser({})).to.eql({query_string: {query: '*'}});
+      });
+
+      it('should treat an empty string as a *', function () {
+        expect(fromUser('')).to.eql({query_string: {query: '*'}});
+      });
+
+      it('should treat input that does not start with { as a query string', function () {
+        expect(fromUser('foo')).to.eql({query_string: {query: 'foo'}});
+        expect(fromUser('400')).to.eql({query_string: {query: '400'}});
+        expect(fromUser('true')).to.eql({query_string: {query: 'true'}});
+      });
+
+      it('should parse valid JSON', function () {
+        expect(fromUser('{}')).to.eql({});
+        expect(fromUser('{a:b}')).to.eql({query_string: {query: '{a:b}'}});
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('model presentation formatter', function () {
+      it('should present objects as strings', function () {
+        expect(toUser({foo: 'bar'})).to.be('{"foo":"bar"}');
+      });
+
+      it('should present string as strings', function () {
+        expect(toUser('foo')).to.be('foo');
+      });
+
+      it('should present numbers as strings', function () {
+        expect(toUser(400)).to.be('400');
+      });
+    });
+
   });
 });