diff --git a/requirements-swh.txt b/requirements-swh.txt
--- a/requirements-swh.txt
+++ b/requirements-swh.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # Add here internal Software Heritage dependencies, one per line.
 swh.core[http] >= 0.3.0
+swh.indexer
 swh.journal >= 0.1.0
 swh.model
diff --git a/swh/search/elasticsearch.py b/swh/search/elasticsearch.py
--- a/swh/search/elasticsearch.py
+++ b/swh/search/elasticsearch.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 from elasticsearch.helpers import bulk, scan
 import msgpack
 
+from swh.indexer import codemeta
 from swh.model import model
 from swh.model.identifiers import origin_identifier
 from swh.search.interface import PagedResult
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@
     for field_name in ("intrinsic_metadata", "has_visits"):
         if field_name in origin:
             res[field_name] = origin.pop(field_name)
+    if "intrinsic_metadata" in res:
+        res["intrinsic_metadata"] = codemeta.expand(res["intrinsic_metadata"])
     return res
 
 
diff --git a/swh/search/tests/test_in_memory.py b/swh/search/tests/test_in_memory.py
--- a/swh/search/tests/test_in_memory.py
+++ b/swh/search/tests/test_in_memory.py
@@ -39,3 +39,7 @@
     @pytest.mark.skip("Not implemented in the in-memory search")
     def test_origin_intrinsic_metadata_paging(self):
         pass
+
+    @pytest.mark.skip("Not implemented in the in-memory search")
+    def test_origin_intrinsic_metadata_inconsistent_type(self):
+        pass
diff --git a/swh/search/tests/test_search.py b/swh/search/tests/test_search.py
--- a/swh/search/tests/test_search.py
+++ b/swh/search/tests/test_search.py
@@ -205,6 +205,75 @@
         assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
         assert actual_page.results == [origin3_barbaz]
 
+    def test_origin_intrinsic_metadata_inconsistent_type(self):
+        """Checks the same field can have a concrete value, an object, or an array
+        in different documents."""
+        origin1_foobar = {"url": "http://origin1"}
+        origin2_barbaz = {"url": "http://origin2"}
+        origin3_bazqux = {"url": "http://origin3"}
+
+        self.search.origin_update(
+            [
+                {
+                    **origin1_foobar,
+                    "intrinsic_metadata": {
+                        "@context": "https://doi.org/10.5063/schema/codemeta-2.0",
+                        "author": {"familyName": "Foo", "givenName": "Bar",},
+                    },
+                },
+            ]
+        )
+        self.search.flush()
+        self.search.origin_update(
+            [
+                {
+                    **origin2_barbaz,
+                    "intrinsic_metadata": {
+                        "@context": "https://doi.org/10.5063/schema/codemeta-2.0",
+                        "author": "Bar Baz",
+                    },
+                },
+                {
+                    **origin3_bazqux,
+                    "intrinsic_metadata": {
+                        "@context": "https://doi.org/10.5063/schema/codemeta-2.0",
+                        "author": ["Baz", "Qux"],
+                    },
+                },
+            ]
+        )
+        self.search.flush()
+
+        actual_page = self.search.origin_search(metadata_pattern="bar")
+        assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+        assert actual_page.results == [origin2_barbaz, origin1_foobar]
+
+        actual_page = self.search.origin_search(metadata_pattern="baz")
+        assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+        assert actual_page.results == [origin2_barbaz, origin3_bazqux]
+
+        actual_page = self.search.origin_search(metadata_pattern="foo")
+        assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+        assert actual_page.results == [origin1_foobar]
+
+        actual_page = self.search.origin_search(metadata_pattern="bar baz")
+        assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+        assert actual_page.results == [origin2_barbaz]
+
+        actual_page = self.search.origin_search(metadata_pattern="qux")
+        assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+        assert actual_page.results == [origin3_bazqux]
+
+        actual_page = self.search.origin_search(metadata_pattern="baz qux")
+        assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+        assert actual_page.results == [origin3_bazqux]
+
+        # FIXME: the following won't work because "foo" and "bar" are not in the
+        # same field.
+        # actual_page = self.search.origin_search(metadata_pattern="foo bar")
+        # assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+        # assert actual_page.results == [origin2_foobar]
+
     # TODO: add more tests with more codemeta terms
 
     # TODO: add more tests with edge cases