diff --git a/pages/search.php b/pages/search.php
index 89ba315d..2f95eaaa 100644
--- a/pages/search.php
+++ b/pages/search.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class SearchPage extends GenericPage
 
     public function __construct($pageCall, $pageParam)
     {
-        $this->search = urlDecode(trim($pageParam));
+        $this->search = trim(urlDecode($pageParam));
         $this->query  = strtr($this->search, '?*', '_%');
 
         // restricted access
@@ -117,10 +117,11 @@ class SearchPage extends GenericPage
         if (!$this->query)
             return;
 
-        $parts = explode(' ', $this->query);
-        foreach ($parts as $p)
+        foreach (explode(' ', $this->query) as $p)
         {
-            if ($p[0] == '-')
+            if (!$p)                                        // multiple spaces
+                continue;
+            else if ($p[0] == '-')
             {
                 if (strlen($p) < 4)
                     $this->invalid[] = substr($p, 1);
diff --git a/template/bricks/header.tpl.php b/template/bricks/header.tpl.php
index 3a9b45a9..64c2a12d 100644
--- a/template/bricks/header.tpl.php
+++ b/template/bricks/header.tpl.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
         <div class="toplinks linklist"><?php $this->brick('headerMenu'); ?></div>
         <div class="toptabs" id="toptabs"></div>
         <div class="topbar" id="topbar">
-            <div class="topbar-search"><form action="."><a href="javascript:;"></a><input name="search" size="35" value="" id="livesearch-generic" /></form></div>
+            <div class="topbar-search"><form action="."><a href="javascript:;"></a><input name="search" size="35" id="livesearch-generic" value="<?php echo isset($this->search) ? $this->search : ''; ?>" /></form></div>
             <div class="topbar-browse" id="topbar-browse"></div>
             <div class="topbar-buttons" id="topbar-buttons"></div>
         </div>