diff --git a/src/controllers/index.js b/src/controllers/index.js
index a40c6c4626..e43d08a9c1 100644
--- a/src/controllers/index.js
+++ b/src/controllers/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ var topicsController = require('./topics'),
 	auth = require('./../routes/authentication'),
 	meta = require('./../meta'),
 	user = require('./../user'),
+	posts = require('./../posts'),
+	topics = require('./../topics'),
 	plugins = require('./../plugins'),
 	categories = require('./../categories'),
 	categoryTools = require('./../categoryTools');
@@ -85,13 +87,67 @@ Controllers.home = function(req, res, next) {
 };
 
 Controllers.search = function(req, res, next) {
-	res.render('search', {
-		show_no_topics: 'hide',
-		show_no_posts: 'hide',
-		show_results: 'hide',
-		search_query: '',
-		posts: [],
-		topics: []
+	if (!req.params.term) {
+		return res.render('search', {
+			show_no_topics: 'hide',
+			show_no_posts: 'hide',
+			show_results: 'hide',
+			search_query: '',
+			posts: [],
+			topics: []
+		});
+	}
+
+	if (!plugins.hasListeners('filter:search.query')) {
+		return res.redirect('/404');
+	}
+
+	function searchPosts(callback) {
+		plugins.fireHook('filter:search.query', {
+			index: 'post',
+			query: req.params.term
+		}, function(err, pids) {
+			if (err) {
+				return callback(err);
+			}
+
+			posts.getPostSummaryByPids(pids, false, callback);
+		});
+	}
+
+	function searchTopics(callback) {
+		plugins.fireHook('filter:search.query', {
+			index: 'topic',
+			query: req.params.term
+		}, function(err, tids) {
+			if (err) {
+				return callback(err);
+			}
+
+			topics.getTopicsByTids(tids, 0, callback);
+		});
+	}
+
+	async.parallel([searchPosts, searchTopics], function (err, results) {
+		if (err) {
+			return next(err);
+		}
+
+		if(!results) {
+			results = [];
+			results[0] = results[1] = [];
+		}
+
+		return res.render('search', {
+			show_no_topics: results[1].length ? 'hide' : '',
+			show_no_posts: results[0].length ? 'hide' : '',
+			show_results: '',
+			search_query: req.params.term,
+			posts: results[0],
+			topics: results[1],
+			post_matches : results[0].length,
+			topic_matches : results[1].length
+		});
 	});
 };
 
diff --git a/src/middleware/middleware.js b/src/middleware/middleware.js
index 2cb4901422..2992d87fc7 100644
--- a/src/middleware/middleware.js
+++ b/src/middleware/middleware.js
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ middleware.guestSearchingAllowed = function(req, res, next) {
 	if (!req.user && meta.config.allowGuestSearching !== '1') {
 		return res.redirect('/403');
 	}
+
+	next();
 };
 
 middleware.checkGlobalPrivacySettings = function(req, res, next) {
diff --git a/src/routes/api.js b/src/routes/api.js
index 62f3a46327..6a79159416 100644
--- a/src/routes/api.js
+++ b/src/routes/api.js
@@ -16,60 +16,6 @@ var path = require('path'),
 
 
 
-function searchTerm(req, res, next) {
-	if (!plugins.hasListeners('filter:search.query')) {
-		return res.redirect('/404');
-	}
-
-	function searchPosts(callback) {
-		plugins.fireHook('filter:search.query', {
-			index: 'post',
-			query: req.params.term
-		}, function(err, pids) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-
-			posts.getPostSummaryByPids(pids, false, callback);
-		});
-	}
-
-	function searchTopics(callback) {
-		plugins.fireHook('filter:search.query', {
-			index: 'topic',
-			query: req.params.term
-		}, function(err, tids) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-
-			topics.getTopicsByTids(tids, 0, callback);
-		});
-	}
-
-	async.parallel([searchPosts, searchTopics], function (err, results) {
-		if (err) {
-			return next(err);
-		}
-
-		if(!results) {
-			results = [];
-			results[0] = results[1] = [];
-		}
-
-		return res.json({
-			show_no_topics: results[1].length ? 'hide' : '',
-			show_no_posts: results[0].length ? 'hide' : '',
-			show_results: '',
-			search_query: req.params.term,
-			posts: results[0],
-			topics: results[1],
-			post_matches : results[0].length,
-			topic_matches : results[1].length
-		});
-	});
-}
-
 function upload(req, res, filesIterator, next) {
 	if(!req.user) {
 		return res.json(403, {message:'not allowed'});
@@ -162,7 +108,6 @@ module.exports =  function(app, middleware, controllers) {
 
 		app.get('/user/uid/:uid', middleware.checkGlobalPrivacySettings, controllers.accounts.getUserByUID);
 		app.get('/get_templates_listing', getTemplatesListing);
-		app.get('/search/:term', middleware.guestSearchingAllowed, searchTerm); // todo: look at this, may not belong here.
 		app.get('/categories/:cid/moderators', getModerators);
 		app.get('/recent/posts/:term?', getRecentPosts);
 
diff --git a/src/routes/index.js b/src/routes/index.js
index 1729294169..892fce5f5d 100644
--- a/src/routes/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/index.js
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ module.exports = function(app, middleware) {
 		app.get('/api/outgoing', controllers.outgoing);
 
 		app.get('/search/:term?', middleware.buildHeader, middleware.guestSearchingAllowed, controllers.search);
-		app.get('/api/search/:term?', middleware.guestSearchingAllowed, controllers.search);
+		app.get('/api/search/:term', middleware.prepareAPI, middleware.guestSearchingAllowed, controllers.search); // todo: look at this, may not belong here.
+		//app.get('/api/search/:term?', middleware.guestSearchingAllowed, controllers.search);
 
 		app.get('/reset/:code?', middleware.buildHeader, controllers.reset);
 		app.get('/api/reset/:code?', controllers.reset);