diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetBuilder.cs b/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetBuilder.cs
index 18cd5e311f..0ffd9f3447 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetBuilder.cs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Examine
                 var values = new Dictionary<string, IEnumerable<object>>
                 {
                     {"icon", c.ContentType.Icon.Yield()},
-                    {UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName, new object[] {c.Published ? 1 : 0}},   //Always add invariant published value
+                    {UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName, new object[] {c.Published ? "y" : "n"}},   //Always add invariant published value
                     {"id", new object[] {c.Id}},
                     {UmbracoExamineIndex.NodeKeyFieldName, new object[] {c.Key}},
                     {"parentID", new object[] {c.Level > 1 ? c.ParentId : -1}},
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Examine
                         values[$"nodeName_{lowerCulture}"] = PublishedValuesOnly
                             ? c.GetPublishName(culture).Yield()
                             : c.GetCultureName(culture).Yield();
-                        values[$"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_{lowerCulture}"] = (c.IsCulturePublished(culture) ? 1 : 0).Yield<object>();
+                        values[$"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_{lowerCulture}"] = (c.IsCulturePublished(culture) ? "y" : "n").Yield<object>();
                         values[$"updateDate_{lowerCulture}"] = PublishedValuesOnly
                             ? c.GetPublishDate(culture).Yield<object>()
                             : c.GetUpdateDate(culture).Yield<object>();
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetValidator.cs b/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetValidator.cs
index bcceafc272..9555566c53 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetValidator.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Examine/ContentValueSetValidator.cs
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Examine
                 if (!valueSet.Values.TryGetValue(UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName, out var published))
                     return ValueSetValidationResult.Failed;
 
-                if (!published[0].Equals(1))
+                if (!published[0].Equals("y"))
                     return ValueSetValidationResult.Failed;
 
                 //deal with variants, if there are unpublished variants than we need to remove them from the value set
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Examine
                     //so this valueset is for a content that varies by culture, now check for non-published cultures and remove those values
                     foreach(var publishField in valueSet.Values.Where(x => x.Key.StartsWith($"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_")).ToList())
                     {
-                        if (publishField.Value.Count <= 0 || !publishField.Value[0].Equals(1))
+                        if (publishField.Value.Count <= 0 || !publishField.Value[0].Equals("y"))
                         {
                             //this culture is not published, so remove all of these culture values
                             var cultureSuffix = publishField.Key.Substring(publishField.Key.LastIndexOf('_'));
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/UmbracoExamine/UmbracoContentValueSetValidatorTests.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/UmbracoExamine/UmbracoContentValueSetValidatorTests.cs
index 08db6b35e0..8bdb0c71c7 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/UmbracoExamine/UmbracoContentValueSetValidatorTests.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/UmbracoExamine/UmbracoContentValueSetValidatorTests.cs
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.UmbracoExamine
                 {
                     ["hello"] = "world",
                     ["path"] = "-1,555",
-                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = 1
+                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = "y"
                 }));
             Assert.AreEqual(ValueSetValidationResult.Valid, result);
         }
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.UmbracoExamine
                 {
                     ["hello"] = "world",
                     ["path"] = "-1,555",
-                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = 0
+                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = "n"
                 }));
             Assert.AreEqual(ValueSetValidationResult.Failed, result);
 
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.UmbracoExamine
                 {
                     ["hello"] = "world",
                     ["path"] = "-1,555",
-                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = 1
+                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = "y"
                 }));
             Assert.AreEqual(ValueSetValidationResult.Valid, result);
         }
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.UmbracoExamine
                     ["hello"] = "world",
                     ["path"] = "-1,555",
                     [UmbracoContentIndex.VariesByCultureFieldName] = "y",
-                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = 0
+                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = "n"
                 }));
             Assert.AreEqual(ValueSetValidationResult.Failed, result);
 
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.UmbracoExamine
                     ["hello"] = "world",
                     ["path"] = "-1,555",
                     [UmbracoContentIndex.VariesByCultureFieldName] = "y",
-                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = 1
+                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = "y"
                 }));
             Assert.AreEqual(ValueSetValidationResult.Valid, result);
 
@@ -258,13 +258,13 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.UmbracoExamine
                     ["hello"] = "world",
                     ["path"] = "-1,555",
                     [UmbracoContentIndex.VariesByCultureFieldName] = "y",
-                    [$"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_en-us"] = 1,
+                    [$"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_en-us"] = "y",
                     ["hello_en-us"] = "world",
                     ["title_en-us"] = "my title",
-                    [$"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_es-es"] = 0,
+                    [$"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_es-es"] = "n",
                     ["hello_es-ES"] = "world",
                     ["title_es-ES"] = "my title",
-                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = 1
+                    [UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName] = "y"
                 });
             Assert.AreEqual(10, valueSet.Values.Count());
             Assert.IsTrue(valueSet.Values.ContainsKey($"{UmbracoExamineIndex.PublishedFieldName}_es-es"));