diff --git a/searx/autocomplete.py b/searx/autocomplete.py
index 31cb209c2711ca70952f7dd0dd77795e52a584d8..f9e493749edbf35a837b20fc980be7fda006ed3b 100644
--- a/searx/autocomplete.py
+++ b/searx/autocomplete.py
@@ -130,9 +130,10 @@ def duckduckgo(query, lang):
     # duckduckgo autocompleter
     url = 'https://ac.duckduckgo.com/ac/?{0}&type=list'
 
-    resp = loads(get(url.format(urlencode(dict(q=query)))).text)
-    if len(resp) > 1:
-        return resp[1]
+    resp = get(url.format(urlencode(dict(q=query))))
+    if resp.status_code == 200 and resp.text:
+        res = loads(resp.text)
+        return res[1] if len(res) == 2 else []
     return []
 
 
diff --git a/searx/settings.yml b/searx/settings.yml
index 046f092bc7068e10298d903adeb57647b81040cc..07b2fefe415aa83f8220908ffa2c8e19efe24cb3 100644
--- a/searx/settings.yml
+++ b/searx/settings.yml
@@ -283,10 +283,12 @@ engines:
   - name : google
     engine : google
     shortcut : go
+    weight : 5
 
   - name : google images
     engine : google_images
     shortcut : goi
+    disabled: True
 
   - name : google news
     engine : google_news