diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/api.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/api.py
index bbde4fc98230..f658155eb812 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/api.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/api.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
 from django.core.cache import cache
+from django.core.paginator import Paginator
 from meilisearch import Client as MeilisearchClient
 from meilisearch.errors import MeilisearchError
 from meilisearch.models.task import TaskInfo
@@ -21,10 +22,9 @@
 from common.djangoapps.student.roles import GlobalStaff
 from rest_framework.request import Request
 from common.djangoapps.student.role_helpers import get_course_roles
+from openedx.core.djangoapps.content.course_overviews.models import CourseOverview
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.content.search.models import get_access_ids_for_request
-
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.content_libraries import api as lib_api
-from xmodule.modulestore import ModuleStoreEnum
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 
 from .documents import (
@@ -292,9 +292,7 @@ def rebuild_index(status_cb: Callable[[str], None] | None = None) -> None:
 
     # Get the list of courses
     status_cb("Counting courses...")
-    with store.branch_setting(ModuleStoreEnum.Branch.draft_preferred):
-        all_courses = store.get_courses()
-    num_courses = len(all_courses)
+    num_courses = CourseOverview.objects.count()
 
     # Some counters so we can track our progress as indexing progresses:
     num_contexts = num_courses + num_libraries
@@ -358,30 +356,33 @@ def rebuild_index(status_cb: Callable[[str], None] | None = None) -> None:
 
         ############## Courses ##############
         status_cb("Indexing courses...")
-        for course in all_courses:
-            status_cb(
-                f"{num_contexts_done + 1}/{num_contexts}. Now indexing course {course.display_name} ({course.id})"
-            )
-            docs = []
-
-            # Pre-fetch the course with all of its children:
-            course = store.get_course(course.id, depth=None)
-
-            def add_with_children(block):
-                """ Recursively index the given XBlock/component """
-                doc = searchable_doc_for_course_block(block)
-                doc.update(searchable_doc_tags(block.usage_key))
-                docs.append(doc)  # pylint: disable=cell-var-from-loop
-                _recurse_children(block, add_with_children)  # pylint: disable=cell-var-from-loop
-
-            # Index course children
-            _recurse_children(course, add_with_children)
-
-            if docs:
-                # Add all the docs in this course at once (usually faster than adding one at a time):
-                _wait_for_meili_task(client.index(temp_index_name).add_documents(docs))
-            num_contexts_done += 1
-            num_blocks_done += len(docs)
+        # To reduce memory usage on large instances, split up the CourseOverviews into pages of 1,000 courses:
+        paginator = Paginator(CourseOverview.objects.only('id', 'display_name'), 1000)
+        for p in paginator.page_range:
+            for course in paginator.page(p).object_list:
+                status_cb(
+                    f"{num_contexts_done + 1}/{num_contexts}. Now indexing course {course.display_name} ({course.id})"
+                )
+                docs = []
+
+                # Pre-fetch the course with all of its children:
+                course = store.get_course(course.id, depth=None)
+
+                def add_with_children(block):
+                    """ Recursively index the given XBlock/component """
+                    doc = searchable_doc_for_course_block(block)
+                    doc.update(searchable_doc_tags(block.usage_key))
+                    docs.append(doc)  # pylint: disable=cell-var-from-loop
+                    _recurse_children(block, add_with_children)  # pylint: disable=cell-var-from-loop
+
+                # Index course children
+                _recurse_children(course, add_with_children)
+
+                if docs:
+                    # Add all the docs in this course at once (usually faster than adding one at a time):
+                    _wait_for_meili_task(client.index(temp_index_name).add_documents(docs))
+                num_contexts_done += 1
+                num_blocks_done += len(docs)
 
     status_cb(f"Done! {num_blocks_done} blocks indexed across {num_contexts_done} courses and libraries.")
 
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py
index cd1acc31b7d9..1c78b28506fe 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/content/search/tests/test_api.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from common.djangoapps.student.tests.factories import UserFactory
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.content_libraries import api as library_api
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.content_tagging import api as tagging_api
+from openedx.core.djangoapps.content.course_overviews.api import CourseOverview
 from openedx.core.djangolib.testing.utils import skip_unless_cms
 from xmodule.modulestore.tests.django_utils import TEST_DATA_SPLIT_MODULESTORE, ModuleStoreTestCase
 
@@ -106,6 +107,8 @@ def setUp(self):
             "content": {},
             "access_id": course_access.id,
         }
+        # Make sure the CourseOverview for the course is created:
+        CourseOverview.get_from_id(self.course.id)
 
         # Create a content library:
         self.library = library_api.create_library(