diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/search-menu.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/search-menu.js.es6
index 367cf9661ce..5bd25047f10 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/search-menu.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/widgets/search-menu.js.es6
@@ -3,14 +3,18 @@ import { createWidget } from 'discourse/widgets/widget';
 import { h } from 'virtual-dom';
 import DiscourseURL from 'discourse/lib/url';
 
-const searchData = {
-  loading: false,
-  results: {},
-  noResults: false,
-  term: undefined,
-  typeFilter: null,
-  invalidTerm: false
-};
+const searchData = {};
+
+export function initSearchData() {
+  searchData.loading = false;
+  searchData.results = {};
+  searchData.noResults = false;
+  searchData.term = undefined;
+  searchData.typeFilter = null;
+  searchData.invalidTerm = false;
+}
+
+initSearchData();
 
 // Helps with debouncing and cancelling promises
 const SearchHelper = {
@@ -161,7 +165,7 @@ export default createWidget('search-menu', {
   html(attrs) {
     if (searchData.contextEnabled !== attrs.contextEnabled) {
       searchData.contextEnabled = attrs.contextEnabled;
-      this.triggerSearch();
+      if (searchData.term) this.triggerSearch();
     } else {
       searchData.contextEnabled = attrs.contextEnabled;
     }
diff --git a/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js.es6
index 19bf018c471..4a12fc22396 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js.es6
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { clearCache as clearOutletCache, resetExtraClasses } from 'discourse/lib
 import { clearHTMLCache } from 'discourse/helpers/custom-html';
 import { flushMap } from 'discourse/models/store';
 import { clearRewrites } from 'discourse/lib/url';
+import { initSearchData } from 'discourse/widgets/search-menu';
 
 export function currentUser() {
   return Discourse.User.create(sessionFixtures['/session/current.json'].current_user);
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ export function acceptance(name, options) {
       clearHTMLCache();
       resetPluginApi();
       clearRewrites();
+      initSearchData();
       Discourse.reset();
     }
   });