diff --git a/control-base/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/control/data/SearchOptionsHandler.java b/control-base/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/control/data/SearchOptionsHandler.java
index 3f97690f24..e56d8983d8 100755
--- a/control-base/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/control/data/SearchOptionsHandler.java
+++ b/control-base/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/control/data/SearchOptionsHandler.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import fi.nls.oskari.control.ActionHandler;
 import fi.nls.oskari.control.ActionParameters;
 import fi.nls.oskari.domain.User;
+import fi.nls.oskari.search.channel.SearchAutocomplete;
 import fi.nls.oskari.search.channel.SearchableChannel;
 import fi.nls.oskari.service.OskariComponentManager;
 import fi.nls.oskari.util.JSONHelper;
@@ -52,7 +53,13 @@ public void handleAction(final ActionParameters params) throws ActionException {
             JSONObject json = new JSONObject();
             JSONHelper.putValue(json, "id", channel.getId());
             JSONHelper.putValue(json, "isDefault", channel.isDefaultChannel());
-            JSONHelper.putValue(json, "locale", channel.getUILabels().optJSONObject(params.getLocale().getLanguage()));
+            JSONHelper.putValue(json, "isSuggestions", channel instanceof SearchAutocomplete);
+            JSONObject labels = channel.getUILabels();
+            if (labels.has(params.getLocale().getLanguage())) {
+                JSONHelper.putValue(json, "locale", channel.getUILabels().optJSONObject(params.getLocale().getLanguage()));
+            } else {
+                JSONHelper.putValue(json, "locale", channel.getUILabels().optJSONObject(PropertyUtil.getDefaultLanguage()));
+            }
             channelsJSONArray.put(json);
         }
         JSONObject response = new JSONObject();
diff --git a/service-search/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/search/channel/SearchChannel.java b/service-search/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/search/channel/SearchChannel.java
index a3c888c140..c3b1abfd0e 100755
--- a/service-search/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/search/channel/SearchChannel.java
+++ b/service-search/src/main/java/fi/nls/oskari/search/channel/SearchChannel.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public abstract class SearchChannel extends OskariComponent implements Searchabl
     // store encountered types here to only log about possible configs for new types
     private Set<String> types = new HashSet<String>();
     private int maxCount = 100;
+    private JSONObject uiLabels = null;
 
     public String getId() {
         return getName();
@@ -69,8 +70,46 @@ public ChannelSearchResult reverseGeocode(SearchCriteria searchCriteria) throws
     }
 
     public JSONObject getUILabels() {
+        if (uiLabels != null) {
+            return uiLabels;
+        }
+        String defaultLang = PropertyUtil.getDefaultLanguage();
+        uiLabels = new JSONObject();
+        final Object labelObj = PropertyUtil.getLocalizableProperty("search.channel." + getName() + ".label", getId());
+        if (labelObj instanceof String) {
+            // single value configured
+            JSONHelper.putValue(uiLabels, defaultLang, JSONHelper.createJSONObject("name", labelObj));
+        } else if (labelObj instanceof Map) {
+            // localized values configured
+            Map<String, String> values = (Map<String, String>) labelObj;
+            values.keySet().forEach(lang ->
+                    JSONHelper.putValue(uiLabels, lang, JSONHelper.createJSONObject("name", values.get(lang))));
+        }
+        // inject descriptions
+        final Object descObj = PropertyUtil.getLocalizableProperty("search.channel." + getName() + ".desc");
+        if (descObj instanceof String) {
+            // single value configured
+            JSONObject langBlock = uiLabels.optJSONObject(defaultLang);
+            if (langBlock != null) {
+                JSONHelper.putValue(langBlock, "desc", descObj);
+            }
+        } else if (descObj instanceof Map) {
+            // localized values configured
+            Map<String, String> values = (Map<String, String>) descObj;
+            values.keySet().forEach(lang -> {
+                JSONObject langBlock = uiLabels.optJSONObject(lang);
+                if (langBlock != null) {
+                    JSONHelper.putValue(langBlock, "desc", values.get(lang));
+                }
+            });
+        }
+        if (uiLabels.keys().hasNext()) {
+            return uiLabels;
+        }
+        // fallback to channel id
         JSONObject name = JSONHelper.createJSONObject("name", getId());
-        return JSONHelper.createJSONObject(PropertyUtil.getDefaultLanguage(), name);
+        JSONHelper.putValue(uiLabels, defaultLang, name);
+        return uiLabels;
     }
 
     public boolean isValidSearchTerm(SearchCriteria criteria) {