diff --git a/src/backend/app/db/models.py b/src/backend/app/db/models.py
index 212d475ee..24c990dba 100644
--- a/src/backend/app/db/models.py
+++ b/src/backend/app/db/models.py
@@ -1163,15 +1163,15 @@ async def one(cls, db: Connection, project_id: int, minimal: bool = False) -> Se
     async def all(
         cls,
         db: Connection,
-        skip: int = 0,
-        limit: int = 100,
+        skip: Optional[int] = None,
+        limit: Optional[int] = None,
         user_id: Optional[int] = None,
         hashtags: Optional[list[str]] = None,
         search: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> Optional[list[Self]]:
         """Fetch all projects with optional filters for user, hashtags, and search."""
         filters = []
-        params = {"offset": skip, "limit": limit}
+        params = {"offset": skip, "limit": limit} if skip and limit else {}
 
         # Filter by user_id (project author)
         if user_id:
@@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ async def all(
 
         # Filter by search term (project name using ILIKE for case-insensitive match)
         if search:
-            filters.append("slug ILIKE %(search)s")
+            filters.append("p.slug ILIKE %(search)s")
             params["search"] = f"%{search}%"
 
         # Base query with optional filtering
@@ -1210,9 +1210,15 @@ async def all(
                 p.id, project_org.id
             ORDER BY
                 p.created_at DESC
+        """
+        sql += (
+            """
             OFFSET %(offset)s
             LIMIT %(limit)s;
         """
+            if skip and limit
+            else ";"
+        )
 
         async with db.cursor(row_factory=class_row(cls)) as cur:
             await cur.execute(sql, params)
diff --git a/src/backend/app/projects/project_crud.py b/src/backend/app/projects/project_crud.py
index cc24d6fdc..71d5e95db 100644
--- a/src/backend/app/projects/project_crud.py
+++ b/src/backend/app/projects/project_crud.py
@@ -853,8 +853,8 @@ def generate_project_basemap(
 
 async def get_pagination(page: int, count: int, results_per_page: int, total: int):
     """Pagination result for splash page."""
-    total_pages = (count + results_per_page - 1) // results_per_page
-    has_next = (page * results_per_page) < count  # noqa: N806
+    total_pages = (total + results_per_page - 1) // results_per_page
+    has_next = (page * results_per_page) < total  # noqa: N806
     has_prev = page > 1  # noqa: N806
 
     pagination = project_schemas.PaginationInfo(
@@ -883,26 +883,19 @@ async def get_paginated_projects(
     if hashtags:
         hashtags = hashtags.split(",")
 
-    # Calculate pagination offsets
-    skip = (page - 1) * results_per_page
-    limit = results_per_page
-
     # Get subset of projects
     projects = await DbProject.all(
-        db, skip=skip, limit=limit, user_id=user_id, hashtags=hashtags, search=search
+        db, user_id=user_id, hashtags=hashtags, search=search
     )
-
-    # Count total number of projects for pagination
-    async with db.cursor() as cur:
-        await cur.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM projects")
-        total_project_count = await cur.fetchone()
-        total_project_count = total_project_count[0]
+    start_index = (page - 1) * results_per_page
+    end_index = start_index + results_per_page
+    paginated_projects = projects[start_index:end_index]
 
     pagination = await get_pagination(
-        page, len(projects), results_per_page, total_project_count
+        page, len(paginated_projects), results_per_page, len(projects)
     )
 
-    return {"results": projects, "pagination": pagination}
+    return {"results": paginated_projects, "pagination": pagination}
 
 
 async def get_project_users_plus_contributions(db: Connection, project_id: int):
diff --git a/src/backend/app/projects/project_routes.py b/src/backend/app/projects/project_routes.py
index 1c27420ae..3ade2b7b4 100644
--- a/src/backend/app/projects/project_routes.py
+++ b/src/backend/app/projects/project_routes.py
@@ -144,10 +144,11 @@ async def read_project_summaries(
     results_per_page: int = Query(13, le=100),
     user_id: Optional[int] = None,
     hashtags: Optional[str] = None,
+    search: Optional[str] = None,
 ):
     """Get a paginated summary of projects."""
     return await project_crud.get_paginated_projects(
-        db, page, results_per_page, user_id, hashtags
+        db, page, results_per_page, user_id, hashtags, search
     )