diff --git a/backend/src/monarch_py/datamodels/solr.py b/backend/src/monarch_py/datamodels/solr.py
index 8433bb326..0bd42287c 100644
--- a/backend/src/monarch_py/datamodels/solr.py
+++ b/backend/src/monarch_py/datamodels/solr.py
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ class SolrQuery(BaseModel):
     boost: Optional[str] = None
     sort: Optional[str] = None
     hl: bool = False
+    hl_method: Optional[str] = None  # e.g. "unified" — reads offsets from postings (storeOffsetsWithPositions)
 
     def add_field_filter_query(self, field: str, value: Union[list, str, None]):
         if not value or len(value) == 0:
@@ -141,6 +142,8 @@ def _solrize(self, value):
             return "defType"
         elif value == "q_op":
             return "q.op"
+        elif value == "hl_method":
+            return "hl.method"
         elif value is True:
             return "true"
         elif value is False:
diff --git a/backend/src/monarch_py/implementations/solr/solr_query_utils.py b/backend/src/monarch_py/implementations/solr/solr_query_utils.py
index 99811f6cc..7be324eb8 100644
--- a/backend/src/monarch_py/implementations/solr/solr_query_utils.py
+++ b/backend/src/monarch_py/implementations/solr/solr_query_utils.py
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ def build_association_query(
         query.q = q
         query.def_type = "edismax"
         query.hl = True
+        # Unified highlighter reads offsets from the postings (storeOffsetsWithPositions),
+        # so highlighting no longer needs term vectors on the _t fields.
+        query.hl_method = "unified"
         query.query_fields = association_search_query_fields()
     if sort:
         query.sort = ", ".join(sort)