diff --git a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchNumbersTest.php b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchNumbersTest.php
index 6e81e5e..c8c9fc3 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchNumbersTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/search/lib/Drupal/search/Tests/SearchNumbersTest.php
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ public static function getInfo() {
   function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
+    // Turn clean urls on. There can be problems with searches starting with
+    // a '.' with clean urls on, so make sure this gets tested.
+    variable_set('clean_url', 1);
+
     $this->test_user = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('search content', 'access content', 'administer nodes', 'access site reports'));
     $this->drupalLogin($this->test_user);
 
@@ -55,6 +59,7 @@ function setUp() {
         'type' => 'page',
         'language' => LANGUAGE_NOT_SPECIFIED,
         'title' => $doc . ' number',
+        'starting decimal', '.35',
       );
       $this->nodes[$doc] = $this->drupalCreateNode($info);
     }
diff --git a/core/modules/search/search.module b/core/modules/search/search.module
index f31488b..01870e3 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/search.module
+++ b/core/modules/search/search.module
@@ -980,6 +980,7 @@ function search_form($form, &$form_state, $action = '', $keys = '', $module = NU
     $prompt = t('Enter your keywords');
   }
 
+  $keys = _search_escape_initial_char($keys, TRUE);
   $form['#action'] = url($action);
   // Record the $action for later use in redirecting.
   $form_state['action'] = $action;
@@ -1050,7 +1051,7 @@ function search_box_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
   $form_id = $form['form_id']['#value'];
   $info = search_get_default_module_info();
   if ($info) {
-    $form_state['redirect'] = 'search/' . $info['path'] . '/' . trim($form_state['values'][$form_id]);
+    $form_state['redirect'] = 'search/' . $info['path'] . '/' . _search_escape_initial_char(trim($form_state['values'][$form_id]));
   }
   else {
     form_set_error(NULL, t('Search is currently disabled.'), 'error');
@@ -1072,6 +1073,7 @@ function search_box_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
  *   supplied or if the given search module is not active.
  */
 function search_data($keys, $module, $conditions = NULL) {
+  $keys = _search_escape_initial_char($keys, TRUE);
   if (module_hook($module, 'search_execute')) {
     $results = module_invoke($module, 'search_execute', $keys, $conditions);
     if (module_hook($module, 'search_page')) {
@@ -1330,3 +1332,24 @@ function search_forms() {
   );
   return $forms;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Url en- or decodes a '.' if it is the initial character in a string.
+ *
+ * @param string $string
+ *   The string to have encoded or decoded.
+ * @param bool $encode
+ *   Wether to en- or decode. Defaults to TRUE that will encode.
+ *
+ * @return string
+ *   The string with any initial '.' url en- or decoded.
+ **/
+function _search_escape_initial_char($string, $encode = TRUE) {
+  if ($encode && (substr($string, 0, 1) == '.')) {
+    return '%2E' . substr($string, 1);
+  }
+  elseif (substr($string, 0, 3) == '%2E') {
+    return '.' . substr($string, 3);
+  }
+  return $string;
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/search/search.pages.inc b/core/modules/search/search.pages.inc
index eaae71a..806edaa 100644
--- a/core/modules/search/search.pages.inc
+++ b/core/modules/search/search.pages.inc
@@ -179,5 +179,5 @@ function search_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
     // Fall through to the form redirect.
   }
 
-  $form_state['redirect'] = $form_state['action'] . '/' . $keys;
+  $form_state['redirect'] = $form_state['action'] . '/' . _search_escape_initial_char($keys);
 }