diff --git a/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilder.cs b/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilder.cs
index 980d74b..05b64ad 100644
--- a/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilder.cs
+++ b/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilder.cs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ namespace Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype.Infrastructure.Builders
     public sealed class SearchOptionsBuilder : ISearchOptionsBuilder
     {
         private readonly SearchOptions _searchOptions;
-        private readonly ISearchFilterExpressionsBuilder _searchFilterExpressionsBuilder;
+        private readonly ISearchFilterExpressionsBuilder? _searchFilterExpressionsBuilder;
 
         private SearchMode? _searchMode;
         private int? _size;
@@ -29,9 +29,12 @@ public sealed class SearchOptionsBuilder : ISearchOptionsBuilder
         /// <param name="searchFilterExpressionsBuilder">
         /// Builds the search filter expression required by Azure AI Search
         /// </param>
-        public SearchOptionsBuilder(ISearchFilterExpressionsBuilder searchFilterExpressionsBuilder)
+        public SearchOptionsBuilder(ISearchFilterExpressionsBuilder? searchFilterExpressionsBuilder = null)
         {
-            _searchFilterExpressionsBuilder = searchFilterExpressionsBuilder;
+            if (searchFilterExpressionsBuilder != null){
+                _searchFilterExpressionsBuilder = searchFilterExpressionsBuilder;
+            }
+
             _searchOptions = new SearchOptions();
         }
 
@@ -140,7 +143,7 @@ public SearchOptions Build()
             _searchFields?.ToList().ForEach(_searchOptions.SearchFields.Add);
             _facets?.ToList().ForEach(_searchOptions.Facets.Add);
 
-            if (_filters?.Count > 0)
+            if (_filters?.Count > 0 && _searchFilterExpressionsBuilder != null)
             {
                 _searchOptions.Filter =
                     _searchFilterExpressionsBuilder.BuildSearchFilterExpressions(
diff --git a/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Tests/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilderTests.cs b/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Tests/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilderTests.cs
index 141efa6..b94a5b0 100644
--- a/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Tests/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilderTests.cs
+++ b/Dfe.Data.SearchPrototype/Infrastructure/Tests/Builders/SearchOptionsBuilderTests.cs
@@ -131,5 +131,23 @@ public void Build_WithFilters_CallsFilterBuilder_WithComposedFilterRequests()
                 matchingFilterRequest.FilterValues.Should().BeEquivalentTo(filterRequest.FilterValues);
             }
         }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Build_WithFiltersNullSearchFilterExpressionsBuilder_ByPassesFilterBuilderCall()
+        {
+            // arrange
+            var serviceAdapterInputFilterRequest =
+                new List<FilterRequest>() { FilterRequestFake.Create(), FilterRequestFake.Create() };
+
+            ISearchOptionsBuilder searchOptionsBuilder =
+                new SearchOptionsBuilder(searchFilterExpressionsBuilder: null);
+
+            // act
+            SearchOptions searchOptions =
+                searchOptionsBuilder.WithFilters(serviceAdapterInputFilterRequest).Build();
+
+            // assert
+            searchOptions.Filter.Should().BeNull();
+        }
     }
 }