diff --git a/usasearch.admin.inc b/usasearch.admin.inc
index 677d12d..e3548c1 100644
--- a/usasearch.admin.inc
+++ b/usasearch.admin.inc
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ function usasearch_admin() {
     '#default_value' => 'teaser',
     '#description' => t('Select a preferred view mode to define description shown in search results. The view mode will need to be enabled and configured for each content type. <strong>If the view mode is not available for a content type "Teaser" will be used.</strong>'),
   );
+  $form['usasearch_include_if_not_excluded'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Include by content type unless explicitly excluded.'),
+    '#description' => t('If a content type is enabled for indexing and there is no record of the node in the database as being excluded for indexing then index it.'),
+    '#default_value' => variable_get('usasearch_include_if_not_excluded', TRUE),
+  );
   return system_settings_form($form);
 }
 
diff --git a/usasearch.module b/usasearch.module
index 34af913..484f266 100644
--- a/usasearch.module
+++ b/usasearch.module
@@ -31,8 +31,12 @@ function usasearch_form_node_form_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id) {
   // Include/exclude node from usasearch index
   $node = $form['#node'];
   $usasearch_content_type_settings = variable_get("usasearch_node_include_{$node->type}", TRUE);
-  if(isset($node->nid) && $usasearch_content_type_settings == TRUE) {
+  if (isset($node->nid) && $usasearch_content_type_settings == TRUE) {
     $usasearch_node_settings = db_query("SELECT search_include FROM {digitalgovsearch} WHERE nid = :nid", array(':nid' => $node->nid))->fetchField();
+    if (is_null($usasearch_node_settings) || $usasearch_node_settings == '') {
+      // there was no entry in the database, or the search_include column was null
+      $usasearch_node_settings = variable_get('usasearch_include_if_not_excluded', TRUE);
+    }
   } else {
     $usasearch_node_settings = $usasearch_content_type_settings;
   }
diff --git a/usasearch_api/usasearch_api.module b/usasearch_api/usasearch_api.module
index 3abc35e..c6895c2 100644
--- a/usasearch_api/usasearch_api.module
+++ b/usasearch_api/usasearch_api.module
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ function usasearch_api_indexing_allowed ($node){
   $index_allowed = variable_get("usasearch_node_include_{$node->type}", TRUE);
   if ($index_allowed) {
     $index_allowed = db_query("SELECT search_include FROM {digitalgovsearch} WHERE nid = :nid", array(':nid' => $node->nid))->fetchField();
+    if (is_null($index_allowed) || $index_allowed == '') {
+      // there was no entry in the database, or the search_include column was null
+      $index_allowed = variable_get('usasearch_include_if_not_excluded', TRUE);
+    }
   }
   return $index_allowed;
 }