diff --git a/lib/const_data/radicals.dart b/lib/const_data/radicals.dart
index 21937cc..003928f 100644
--- a/lib/const_data/radicals.dart
+++ b/lib/const_data/radicals.dart
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import 'package:collection/collection.dart';
+
 class RadkfileRadical {
   /// The formal variant of the radical
   ///
@@ -302,3 +304,7 @@ const Map<int, List<RadkfileRadical>> radicals = {
   ],
   17: [RadkfileRadical(formalVariant: '龠', strokeCount: 17)],
 };
+
+final Map<String, RadkfileRadical> radicalsByFormalVariant = {
+  for (final r in radicals.values.flattened) r.formalVariant: r,
+};
diff --git a/lib/search.dart b/lib/search.dart
index 7089d9e..8a44777 100644
--- a/lib/search.dart
+++ b/lib/search.dart
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import 'package:jadb/const_data/radicals.dart';
 import 'package:jadb/models/kanji_search/kanji_search_result.dart';
 import 'package:jadb/models/verify_tables.dart';
 import 'package:jadb/models/word_search/word_search_result.dart';
@@ -63,13 +64,15 @@ extension JaDBConnection on DatabaseExecutor {
   /// of the radicals, find their other radicals, and return those.
   /// This is used to figure out which remaining combinations of radicals
   /// the user can search for without getting zero results.
-  Future<List<String>> jadbSearchRemainingRadicals(List<String> radicals) =>
-      searchRemainingRadicalsWithDbConnection(this, radicals);
+  Future<List<RadkfileRadical>> jadbSearchRemainingRadicals(
+    List<RadkfileRadical> radicals,
+  ) => searchRemainingRadicalsWithDbConnection(this, radicals);
 
   /// Given a list of radicals, search which kanji contains all
   /// of the radicals, and return those.
-  Future<List<String>> jadbSearchKanjiByRadicals(List<String> radicals) =>
-      searchKanjiByRadicalsWithDbConnection(this, radicals);
+  Future<List<String>> jadbSearchKanjiByRadicals(
+    List<RadkfileRadical> radicals,
+  ) => searchKanjiByRadicalsWithDbConnection(this, radicals);
 
   /// Retrieve the version information for all datasources in the database.
   Future<DatasourceVersions> jadbGetDatasourceVersions() =>
diff --git a/lib/search/radical_search.dart b/lib/search/radical_search.dart
index e0bd4e1..abab301 100644
--- a/lib/search/radical_search.dart
+++ b/lib/search/radical_search.dart
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import 'package:jadb/const_data/radicals.dart';
 import 'package:jadb/table_names/radkfile.dart';
 import 'package:sqflite_common/sqlite_api.dart';
 
@@ -7,9 +8,9 @@ import 'package:sqflite_common/sqlite_api.dart';
 ///
 /// This can be used to limit the choices of additional radicals provided to a user,
 /// so that any choice they make will still yield at least one kanji.
-Future<List<String>> searchRemainingRadicalsWithDbConnection(
+Future<List<RadkfileRadical>> searchRemainingRadicalsWithDbConnection(
   DatabaseExecutor connection,
-  List<String> radicals,
+  List<RadkfileRadical> radicals,
 ) async {
   final distinctRadicals = radicals.toSet();
 
@@ -25,11 +26,14 @@ Future<List<String>> searchRemainingRadicalsWithDbConnection(
         HAVING COUNT(DISTINCT "radical") = ?
       )
     ''',
-    [...distinctRadicals, distinctRadicals.length],
+    [...distinctRadicals.map((r) => r.formalVariant), distinctRadicals.length],
   );
 
   final remainingRadicals = queryResult
       .map((row) => row['radical'] as String)
+      // TODO: maybe we should do some runtime checking here, just to throw a sensible error
+      //       if something goes horribly wrong?
+      .map((r) => radicalsByFormalVariant[r]!)
       .toList();
 
   return remainingRadicals;
@@ -38,7 +42,7 @@ Future<List<String>> searchRemainingRadicalsWithDbConnection(
 /// Returns a list of kanji that contain all of the input radicals.
 Future<List<String>> searchKanjiByRadicalsWithDbConnection(
   DatabaseExecutor connection,
-  List<String> radicals,
+  List<RadkfileRadical> radicals,
 ) async {
   final distinctRadicals = radicals.toSet();
 
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ Future<List<String>> searchKanjiByRadicalsWithDbConnection(
       GROUP BY "kanji"
       HAVING COUNT(DISTINCT "radical") = ?
     ''',
-    [...distinctRadicals, distinctRadicals.length],
+    [...distinctRadicals.map((r) => r.formalVariant), distinctRadicals.length],
   );
 
   final kanji = queryResult.map((row) => row['kanji'] as String).toList();
diff --git a/test/search/radical_search_test.dart b/test/search/radical_search_test.dart
index e05b44f..7c61f65 100644
--- a/test/search/radical_search_test.dart
+++ b/test/search/radical_search_test.dart
@@ -58,31 +58,26 @@ void main() {
     },
   );
 
-  test(
-    'All constant radicals are located in the correct stroke count group',
-    () {
-      for (final mapEntry in radicals.entries) {
-        final strokeCount = mapEntry.key;
-        final radicalsInGroup = mapEntry.value;
-        for (final radical in radicalsInGroup) {
-          expect(
-            strokeCount,
-            radical.strokeCount,
-            reason:
-                'Radical ${radical.formalVariant} should have stroke count $strokeCount but has ${radical.strokeCount}',
-          );
-        }
+  test('All constant radicals are located in the correct stroke count group', () {
+    for (final mapEntry in radicals.entries) {
+      final strokeCount = mapEntry.key;
+      final radicalsInGroup = mapEntry.value;
+      for (final radical in radicalsInGroup) {
+        expect(
+          strokeCount,
+          radical.strokeCount,
+          reason:
+              'Radical ${radical.formalVariant} should have stroke count $strokeCount but has ${radical.strokeCount}',
+        );
       }
-    },
-  );
+    }
+  });
 
   group('All radicals should return results', () {
     for (final radical in radicals.values.flattened) {
       test(' - $radical', () async {
         final connection = await setupDatabaseConnection();
-        final result = await connection.jadbSearchKanjiByRadicals([
-          radical.formalVariant,
-        ]);
+        final result = await connection.jadbSearchKanjiByRadicals([radical]);
         expect(result, isNotEmpty);
       });
     }