diff --git a/search/src/org/labkey/search/SearchController.java b/search/src/org/labkey/search/SearchController.java
index d5ad92ba94d..20036ac9877 100644
--- a/search/src/org/labkey/search/SearchController.java
+++ b/search/src/org/labkey/search/SearchController.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import org.labkey.api.action.ExportAction;
 import org.labkey.api.action.FormHandlerAction;
 import org.labkey.api.action.FormViewAction;
+import org.labkey.api.action.HasBindParameters;
 import org.labkey.api.action.ReadOnlyApiAction;
 import org.labkey.api.action.ReturnUrlForm;
 import org.labkey.api.action.SimpleRedirectAction;
@@ -52,7 +53,6 @@
 import org.labkey.api.security.permissions.ApplicationAdminPermission;
 import org.labkey.api.security.permissions.ReadPermission;
 import org.labkey.api.settings.LookAndFeelProperties;
-import org.labkey.api.util.ConfigurationException;
 import org.labkey.api.util.ExceptionUtil;
 import org.labkey.api.util.HtmlString;
 import org.labkey.api.util.HtmlStringBuilder;
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@
 import org.labkey.search.model.IndexInspector;
 import org.labkey.search.model.LuceneDirectoryType;
 import org.labkey.search.model.SearchPropertyManager;
+import org.springframework.beans.MutablePropertyValues;
+import org.springframework.beans.PropertyValues;
 import org.springframework.validation.BindException;
 import org.springframework.validation.Errors;
 import org.springframework.web.servlet.ModelAndView;
@@ -91,6 +93,8 @@
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
+import static org.labkey.api.action.BaseViewAction.springBindParameters;
+
 public class SearchController extends SpringActionController
 {
     private static final DefaultActionResolver _actionResolver = new DefaultActionResolver(SearchController.class);
@@ -384,7 +388,7 @@ public void addNavTrail(NavTree root)
 
 
     @AdminConsoleAction
-    public class IndexContentsAction extends SimpleViewAction<Object>
+    public static class IndexContentsAction extends SimpleViewAction<Object>
     {
         @Override
         public ModelAndView getView(Object o, BindException errors)
@@ -430,7 +434,7 @@ public void export(ExportForm form, HttpServletResponse response, BindException
 
     /** for selenium testing */
     @RequiresSiteAdmin
-    public class WaitForIdleAction extends SimpleRedirectAction<Object>
+    public static class WaitForIdleAction extends SimpleRedirectAction<Object>
     {
         @Override
         public URLHelper getRedirectURL(Object o) throws Exception
@@ -569,7 +573,7 @@ public ApiResponse execute(SearchForm form, BindException errors)
 
             final Path contextPath = Path.parse(getViewContext().getContextPath());
 
-            final String query = form.getQueryString()
+            final String query = form.getQ()
                     .replaceAll("(?<!\\\\)[\\/]", "\\\\/"); //escape any '/' that aren't already escaped Issue 47325
             final JSONObject response = new JSONObject();
             Object[] arr = new Object[0];
@@ -865,9 +869,10 @@ public URLHelper getSuccessURL(SearchForm searchForm)
     }
 
 
-    public static class SearchForm
+    @SuppressWarnings("unused")
+    public static class SearchForm implements HasBindParameters
     {
-        private String[] _query;
+        private String _query = "";
         private String _sortField;
         private boolean _print = false;
         private int _offset = 0;
@@ -896,22 +901,14 @@ public SearchConfiguration getConfig()
             return _config;
         }
 
-        public String[] getQ()
-        {
-            return null == _query ? new String[0] : _query;
-        }
-
-        public String getQueryString()
+        public String getQ()
         {
-            if (null == _query || _query.length == 0)
-                return "";
-
-            return StringUtils.join(_query, " ");
+            return _query;
         }
 
-        public void setQ(String[] query)
+        public void setQ(String query)
         {
-            _query = query;
+            _query = StringUtils.trimToEmpty(query);
         }
 
         public String getSortField()
@@ -1091,6 +1088,19 @@ public void setFields(List<String> fields)
         {
             _fields = fields;
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public @NotNull BindException bindParameters(PropertyValues m)
+        {
+            MutablePropertyValues mpvs = new MutablePropertyValues(m);
+            var q = mpvs.getPropertyValue("q");
+            if (null != q && q.getValue() instanceof String[] arr)
+            {
+                mpvs.removePropertyValue("q");
+                mpvs.addPropertyValue("q", StringUtils.join(arr," "));
+            }
+            return springBindParameters(this, "form", mpvs);
+        }
     }
 
     
@@ -1099,7 +1109,7 @@ protected void audit(SearchForm form)
         ViewContext ctx = getViewContext();
         String comment = form.getComment();
 
-        audit(ctx.getUser(), ctx.getContainer(), form.getQueryString(), comment);
+        audit(ctx.getUser(), ctx.getContainer(), form.getQ(), comment);
     }
 
     
diff --git a/search/src/org/labkey/search/view/search.jsp b/search/src/org/labkey/search/view/search.jsp
index 3fd522f86e3..b17c876ad09 100644
--- a/search/src/org/labkey/search/view/search.jsp
+++ b/search/src/org/labkey/search/view/search.jsp
@@ -224,13 +224,11 @@
     Path contextPath = Path.parse(ctx.getContextPath());
     SearchService ss = SearchService.get();
 
-    List<String> q = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(form.getQ()));
-    String value = StringUtils.trim(StringUtils.join(q, " "));
     SearchResultTemplate template = form.getSearchResultTemplate();
     SearchScope scope = (null == template.getSearchScope() ? form.getSearchScope() : template.getSearchScope());
     String categories = (null == template.getCategories() ? form.getCategory() : template.getCategories());
     Set<String> selectedCategories = categories == null ? Collections.emptySet() : new CaseInsensitiveHashSet(categories.split("\\+"));
-    String queryString = form.getQueryString();
+    String queryString = form.getQ();
     String sortField = form.getSortField();
     boolean invertSort = form.isInvertSort();
 
@@ -293,7 +291,7 @@
 <div<%=unsafe(form.isWebPart() ? "" : " class=\"col-md-12\"")%>>
     <div style="position:relative;">
         <labkey:form id="<%=searchFormId%>" className="lk-search-form" action="<%=searchConfig.getPostURL(c)%>">
-            <labkey:input type="text" name="q" placeholder="<%=form.isWebPart() ? \"\" : SearchUtils.getPlaceholder(c)%>" formGroup="false" value="<%=value%>"/>
+            <labkey:input type="text" name="q" placeholder="<%=form.isWebPart() ? \"\" : SearchUtils.getPlaceholder(c)%>" formGroup="false" value="<%=queryString%>"/>
             <a class="search-overlay fa fa-search"></a>
             <% if (showAdvancedUI) { %>
             <small>