diff --git modules/node/node.module modules/node/node.module
index f900961..8353871 100644
--- modules/node/node.module
+++ modules/node/node.module
@@ -2558,7 +2558,7 @@ function _node_index_node($node) {
  * Implements hook_form_FORM_ID_alter().
  */
 function node_form_search_form_alter(&$form, $form_state) {
-  if ($form['module']['#value'] == 'node' && user_access('use advanced search')) {
+  if (isset($form['module']) && $form['module']['#value'] == 'node' && user_access('use advanced search')) {
     // Keyword boxes:
     $form['advanced'] = array(
       '#type' => 'fieldset',
diff --git modules/search/search.admin.inc modules/search/search.admin.inc
index 71844a1..2e28978 100644
--- modules/search/search.admin.inc
+++ modules/search/search.admin.inc
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function search_reindex_confirm_submit(&$form, &$form_state) {
  */
 function _search_get_module_names() {
 
-  $search_info = search_get_info();
+  $search_info = search_get_info(TRUE);
   $modules = db_select('system', 's')
     ->fields('s', array('name', 'info'))
     ->condition('s.status', 1)
@@ -48,10 +48,11 @@ function _search_get_module_names() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Menu callback; displays the search module settings page.
+ * Menu callback: displays the search module settings page.
  *
  * @ingroup forms
- * @see system_settings_form()
+ *
+ * @see search_admin_settings_validate()
  * @see search_admin_settings_submit()
  * @see search_admin_reindex_submit()
  */
@@ -118,9 +119,16 @@ function search_admin_settings($form) {
     '#type' => 'checkboxes',
     '#default_value' => variable_get('search_active_modules', array('node', 'user')),
     '#options' => _search_get_module_names(),
-    '#description' => t('Determine which search modules are active from the available modules.')
+    '#description' => t('Choose which search modules are active from the available modules.')
   );
-
+  $form['active']['search_default_module'] = array(
+    '#title' => t('Default search module'),
+    '#type' => 'radios',
+    '#default_value' => 'node',
+    '#options' => _search_get_module_names(),
+    '#description' => t('Choose which search module is the default.')
+  );
+  $form['#validate'][] = 'search_admin_settings_validate';
   $form['#submit'][] = 'search_admin_settings_submit';
 
   // Per module settings
@@ -135,7 +143,21 @@ function search_admin_settings($form) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Submit callback.
+ * Form validation handler for search_admin_settings().
+ */
+function search_admin_settings_validate($form, &$form_state) {
+  // Check whether we selected a valid default.
+  if ($form_state['clicked_button']['#value'] != t('Reset to defaults')) {
+    $new_modules = array_filter($form_state['values']['search_active_modules']);
+    $default = $form_state['values']['search_default_module'];
+    if (!in_array($default, $new_modules, TRUE)) {
+      form_set_error('search_default_module', t('Your default search module is not selected as an active module.'));
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Form submission handler for search_admin_settings().
  */
 function search_admin_settings_submit($form, &$form_state) {
   // If these settings change, the index needs to be rebuilt.
@@ -159,7 +181,7 @@ function search_admin_settings_submit($form, &$form_state) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Submit callback.
+ * Form submission handler for reindex button on search_admin_settings_form().
  */
 function search_admin_reindex_submit($form, &$form_state) {
   // send the user to the confirmation page
diff --git modules/search/search.module modules/search/search.module
index 7f1bfa3..f74be5d 100644
--- modules/search/search.module
+++ modules/search/search.module
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ function search_menu() {
   $items['search'] = array(
     'title' => 'Search',
     'page callback' => 'search_view',
-    'access arguments' => array('search content'),
+    'access callback' => 'search_is_active',
     'type' => MENU_SUGGESTED_ITEM,
     'file' => 'search.pages.inc',
   );
@@ -194,8 +194,9 @@ function search_menu() {
   // http://drupal.org/node/245103 for details.
 
   drupal_static_reset('search_get_info');
-  if ($active = variable_get('search_active_modules', array('node', 'user'))) {
-    foreach (array_intersect_key(search_get_info(), array_flip($active)) as $module => $search_info) {
+  $default_info = search_get_default_module_info();
+  if ($default_info) {
+    foreach (search_get_info() as $module => $search_info) {
       $path = 'search/' . $search_info['path'];
       $items[$path] = array(
         'title' => $search_info['title'],
@@ -203,9 +204,9 @@ function search_menu() {
         'page arguments' => array($module),
         'access callback' => '_search_menu_access',
         'access arguments' => array($module),
-        'type' => $module == 'node' ? MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK : MENU_LOCAL_TASK,
+        'type' => MENU_LOCAL_TASK,
         'file' => 'search.pages.inc',
-        'weight' => $module == 'node' ? -10 : 0,
+        'weight' => $module == $default_info['module'] ? -10 : 0,
       );
       $items["$path/%menu_tail"] = array(
         'title' => $search_info['title'],
@@ -219,9 +220,9 @@ function search_menu() {
         'file' => 'search.pages.inc',
         'weight' => 0,
         // These tabs are not subtabs.
-        'tab_root' => 'search/node/%',
+        'tab_root' => 'search/' . $default_info['path'] . '/%',
         // These tabs need to display at the same level.
-        'tab_parent' => 'search',
+        'tab_parent' => 'search/' . $default_info['path'],
       );
     }
   }
@@ -229,19 +230,63 @@ function search_menu() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Get information about all available search hooks.
+ * Determines access for the ?q=search path.
  */
-function search_get_info() {
+function search_is_active() {
+  // This path cannot be accessed if there are no active modules.
+  return user_access('search content') && search_get_info();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns information about available search modules.
+ *
+ * @param $all
+ *   If TRUE, information about all enabled modules implementing
+ *   hook_search_info() will be returned. If FALSE (default), only modules that
+ *   have been set to active on the search settings page will be returned.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   Array of hook_search_info() return values, keyed by module name. The
+ *   'title' and 'path' array elements will be set to defaults for each module
+ *   if not supplied by hook_search_info(), and an additional array element of
+ *   'module' will be added (set to the module name).
+ */
+function search_get_info($all = FALSE) {
   $search_hooks = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__);
 
   if (!isset($search_hooks)) {
     foreach (module_implements('search_info') as $module) {
       $search_hooks[$module] = call_user_func($module . '_search_info');
-      // Use module name as the default.
+      // Use module name as the default value.
       $search_hooks[$module] += array('title' => $module, 'path' => $module);
+      // Include the module name itself in the array.
+      $search_hooks[$module]['module'] = $module;
     }
   }
-  return $search_hooks;
+
+  if ($all) {
+    return $search_hooks;
+  }
+
+  $active = variable_get('search_active_modules', array('node', 'user'));
+  return array_intersect_key($search_hooks, array_flip($active));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns information about the default search module.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *    The search_get_info() array element for the default search module, if any.
+ */
+function search_get_default_module_info() {
+  $info = search_get_info();
+  $default = variable_get('search_default_module', 'node');
+  if (isset($info[$default])) {
+    return $info[$default];
+  }
+  // The variable setting does not match any active module, so just return
+  // the info for the first active module (if any).
+  return reset($info);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -857,26 +902,45 @@ function search_get_keys() {
  */
 
 /**
- * Render a search form.
+ * Builds a search form.
  *
  * @param $action
- *   Form action. Defaults to "search/$type". This will be run through url().
+ *   Form action. Defaults to "search/$path", where $path is the search path
+ *   associated with the $type module in its hook_search_info(). This will be
+ *   run through url().
  * @param $keys
  *   The search string entered by the user, containing keywords for the search.
  * @param $type
- *   The type of search to render the node for. Must be the name of module
- *   which implements hook_search(). Defaults to 'node'.
+ *   The search module to render the form for: a module that implements
+ *   hook_search_info(). If not supplied, the default search module is used.
  * @param $prompt
- *   A piece of text to put before the form (e.g. "Enter your keywords")
+ *   Label for the keywords field. Defaults to t('Enter your keywords') if NULL.
+ *   Supply '' to omit.
+ *
  * @return
- *   An HTML string containing the search form.
+ *   A Form API array for the search form.
  */
 function search_form($form, &$form_state, $action = '', $keys = '', $type = NULL, $prompt = NULL) {
   // Add CSS
   drupal_add_css(drupal_get_path('module', 'search') . '/search.css', array('preprocess' => FALSE));
 
+  $module_info = FALSE;
+  if (!$type) {
+    $module_info = search_get_default_module_info();
+  }
+  else {
+    $info = search_get_info();
+    $module_info = isset($info[$type]) ? $info[$type] : FALSE;
+  }
+
+  // Sanity check.
+  if (!$module_info) {
+    form_set_error(NULL, t('Search is currently disabled.'), 'error');
+    return $form;
+  }
+
   if (!$action) {
-    $action = 'search/' . $type;
+    $action = 'search/' . $module_info['path'];
   }
   if (is_null($prompt)) {
     $prompt = t('Enter your keywords');
@@ -938,7 +1002,13 @@ function search_box_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
   }
 
   $form_id = $form['form_id']['#value'];
-  $form_state['redirect'] = 'search/node/' . trim($form_state['values'][$form_id]);
+  $info = search_get_default_module_info();
+  if ($info) {
+    $form_state['redirect'] = 'search/' . $info['path'] . '/' . trim($form_state['values'][$form_id]);
+  }
+  else {
+    form_set_error(NULL, t('Search is currently disabled.'), 'error');
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -969,19 +1039,25 @@ function template_preprocess_search_block_form(&$variables) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Perform a standard search on the given keys, and return the formatted results.
+ * Performs a search by calling hook_search_execute().
+ *
+ * @param $keys
+ *   Keyword query to search on.
+ * @param $module
+ *   Search module to search.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   Formatted search results. No return value if $keys are not supplied or
+ *   if the given search module is not active.
  */
-function search_data($keys = NULL, $type = 'node') {
-
-  if (isset($keys)) {
-    if (module_hook($type, 'search_execute')) {
-      $results = module_invoke($type, 'search_execute', $keys);
-      if (module_hook($type, 'search_page')) {
-        return module_invoke($type, 'search_page', $results);
-      }
-      else {
-        return theme('search_results', array('results' => $results, 'type' => $type));
-      }
+function search_data($keys, $module) {
+  if (module_hook($module, 'search_execute')) {
+    $results = module_invoke($module, 'search_execute', $keys);
+    if (module_hook($module, 'search_page')) {
+      return module_invoke($module, 'search_page', $results);
+    }
+    else {
+      return theme('search_results', array('results' => $results, 'type' => $module));
     }
   }
 }
@@ -1109,6 +1185,9 @@ function _search_excerpt_replace(&$text) {
   $text = preg_quote($text, '/');
 }
 
+/**
+ * Implements hook_forms().
+ */
 function search_forms() {
   $forms['search_block_form']= array(
     'callback' => 'search_box',
@@ -1116,3 +1195,4 @@ function search_forms() {
   );
   return $forms;
 }
+
diff --git modules/search/search.pages.inc modules/search/search.pages.inc
index ea77685..03f280e 100644
--- modules/search/search.pages.inc
+++ modules/search/search.pages.inc
@@ -8,39 +8,60 @@
 
 /**
  * Menu callback; presents the search form and/or search results.
+ *
+ * @param $module
+ *   Search module to use for the search.
  */
-function search_view($type = 'node') {
+function search_view($module = NULL) {
+  $info = FALSE;
+  $redirect = FALSE;
+
+  if (!empty($module)) {
+    $active_module_info = search_get_info();
+    if (isset($active_module_info[$module])) {
+      $info = $active_module_info[$module];
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (empty($info)) {
+    // No path or invalid path: find the default module. Note that if there
+    // are no enabled search modules, this function should never be called,
+    // since hook_menu() would not have defined any search paths.
+    $info = search_get_default_module_info();
+    $redirect = TRUE;
+  }
+
   // Search form submits with POST but redirects to GET. This way we can keep
   // the search query URL clean as a whistle:
-  // search/type/keyword+keyword
+  // search/type_path/keyword+keyword
   if (!isset($_POST['form_id'])) {
     $keys = search_get_keys();
-    if ($_GET['q'] != 'search' && $type == 'node' && !$keys) {
-      // Due to how search_menu() sets up the tabs, path search/node would
-      // display two sets of tabs. So instead, if there are no keywords and
-      // we're on the node tab, just redirect to the bare 'search' path.
-      drupal_goto('search');
+    if ($redirect) {
+      // Redirect from bare /search or an invalid path to the default search path.
+      $path = 'search/' . $info['path'];
+      if ($keys) {
+        $path .= '/' . $keys;
+      }
+      drupal_goto($path);
     }
-
-    // Only perform search if there is non-whitespace search term:
+    // Only perform search if there is a non-whitespace search term.
     $results = '';
     if (trim($keys)) {
       // Log the search keys.
-      $info = search_get_info();
-      watchdog('search', 'Searched %type for %keys.', array('%keys' => $keys, '%type' => $info[$type]['title']), WATCHDOG_NOTICE, l(t('results'), 'search/' . $type . '/' . $keys));
+      watchdog('search', 'Searched %type for %keys.', array('%keys' => $keys, '%type' => $info['title']), WATCHDOG_NOTICE, l(t('results'), 'search/' . $info['path'] . '/' . $keys));
 
       // Collect the search results.
-      $results = search_data($keys, $type);
+      $results = search_data($keys, $info['module']);
 
       // Construct the search form.
-      $build['search_form'] = drupal_get_form('search_form', NULL, $keys, $type);
+      $build['search_form'] = drupal_get_form('search_form', NULL, $keys, $info['module']);
       $build['search_results'] = array('#markup' => $results);
 
       return $build;
     }
   }
 
-  return drupal_get_form('search_form', NULL, empty($keys) ? '' : $keys, $type);
+  return drupal_get_form('search_form', NULL, empty($keys) ? '' : $keys, $info['module']);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -113,10 +134,9 @@ function search_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
   $keys = $form_state['values']['processed_keys'];
   if ($keys == '') {
     form_set_error('keys', t('Please enter some keywords.'));
-    // Fall through to the drupal_goto() call.
+    // Fall through to the form redirect.
   }
 
-  $type = $form_state['values']['module'] ? $form_state['values']['module'] : 'node';
   $form_state['redirect'] = $form_state['action'] . '/' . $keys;
   return;
 }
diff --git modules/search/search.test modules/search/search.test
index 120d11f..6cd265e 100644
--- modules/search/search.test
+++ modules/search/search.test
@@ -975,6 +975,9 @@ class SearchSimplifyTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
  * Test config page.
  */
 class SearchConfigSettingsForm extends DrupalWebTestCase {
+  public $search_user;
+  public $search_node;
+
   public static function getInfo() {
     return array(
       'name' => 'Config settings form',
@@ -984,27 +987,35 @@ class SearchConfigSettingsForm extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   }
 
   function setUp() {
-    parent::setUp('search');
+    parent::setUp('search', 'search_extra_type');
 
     // Login as a user that can create and search content.
-    $this->drupalLogin($this->drupalCreateUser(array('search content', 'administer search', 'administer nodes', 'bypass node access')));
-  }
+    $this->search_user = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('search content', 'administer search', 'administer nodes', 'bypass node access', 'access user profiles', 'administer users', 'administer blocks'));
+    $this->drupalLogin($this->search_user);
 
-  /**
-   * Verify the search settings form.
-   */
-  function testSearchSettingsPage() {
     // Add a single piece of content and index it.
     $node = $this->drupalCreateNode();
+    $this->search_node = $node;
     // Link the node to itself to test that it's only indexed once.
     $langcode = LANGUAGE_NONE;
     $body_key = "body[$langcode][0][value]";
-    $edit[$body_key] = l($node->title, 'node/' . $node->nid);
+    $edit[$body_key] = l($node->title, 'node/' . $node->nid) . ' pizza sandwich';
     $this->drupalPost('node/' . $node->nid . '/edit', $edit, t('Save'));
 
     node_update_index();
     search_update_totals();
 
+    // Enable the search block.
+    $edit = array();
+    $edit['search_form[region]'] = 'content';
+    $this->drupalPost('admin/structure/block', $edit, t('Save blocks'));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Verify the search settings form.
+   */
+  function testSearchSettingsPage() {
+
     // Test that the settings form displays the correct count of items left to index.
     $this->drupalGet('admin/config/search/settings');
     $this->assertText(t('There are @count items left to index.', array('@count' => 0)));
@@ -1017,6 +1028,88 @@ class SearchConfigSettingsForm extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->drupalGet('admin/config/search/settings');
     $this->assertText(t('There is 1 item left to index.'));
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Verify that you can disable individual search modules.
+   */
+  function testSearchModuleDisabling() {
+    // Array of search types to test: 'path' is the search path, 'title' is
+    // the tab title, 'keys' are the keywords to search for, and 'text' is
+    // the text to assert is on the results page.
+    $module_info = array(
+      'node' => array(
+        'path' => 'node',
+        'title' => 'Content',
+        'keys' => 'pizza',
+        'text' => $this->search_node->title,
+      ),
+      'user' => array(
+        'path' => 'user',
+        'title' => 'User',
+        'keys' => $this->search_user->name,
+        'text' => $this->search_user->mail,
+      ),
+      'search_extra_type' => array(
+        'path' => 'dummy_path',
+        'title' => 'Dummy search type',
+        'keys' => 'foo',
+        'text' => 'Dummy search snippet to display',
+      ),
+    );
+    $modules = array_keys($module_info);
+
+    // Test each module if it's enabled as the only search module.
+    foreach ($modules as $module) {
+      // Enable the one module and disable other ones.
+      $info = $module_info[$module];
+      $edit = array();
+      foreach ($modules as $other) {
+        $edit['search_active_modules[' . $other . ']'] = (($other == $module) ? $module : FALSE);
+      }
+      $edit['search_default_module'] = $module;
+      $this->drupalPost('admin/config/search/settings', $edit, t('Save configuration'));
+
+      // Run a search from the correct search URL.
+      $this->drupalGet('search/' . $info['path'] . '/' . $info['keys']);
+      $this->assertNoText('no results', $info['title'] . ' search found results');
+      $this->assertText($info['text'], 'Correct search text found');
+
+      // Verify that other module search tab titles are not visible.
+      foreach ($modules as $other) {
+        if ($other != $module) {
+          $title = $module_info[$other]['title'];
+          $this->assertNoText($title, $title . ' search tab is not shown');
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Run a search from the search block on the node page. Verify you get
+      // to this module's search results page.
+      $terms = array('search_block_form' => $info['keys']);
+      $this->drupalPost('node', $terms, t('Search'));
+      $this->assertEqual(
+        $this->getURL(),
+        url('search/' . $info['path'] . '/' . $info['keys'], array('absolute' => TRUE)),
+        'Block redirected to right search page');
+    }
+
+    // Test with all search modules enabled. When you go to the search
+    // page or run search, all modules should be shown.
+    $edit = array();
+    foreach ($modules as $module) {
+      $edit['search_active_modules[' . $module . ']'] = $module;
+    }
+    $edit['search_default_module'] = 'node';
+
+    $this->drupalPost('admin/config/search/settings', $edit, t('Save configuration'));
+
+    foreach (array('search/node/pizza', 'search/node') as $path) {
+      $this->drupalGet($path);
+      foreach ($modules as $module) {
+        $title = $module_info[$module]['title'];
+        $this->assertText($title, $title . ' search tab is shown');
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git modules/search/tests/search_extra_type.info modules/search/tests/search_extra_type.info
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2b2811
--- /dev/null
+++ modules/search/tests/search_extra_type.info
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+; $Id: $
+name = "Test search type"
+description = "Support module for search module testing."
+package = Testing
+version = VERSION
+core = 7.x
+files[] = search_extra_type.module
+hidden = TRUE
diff --git modules/search/tests/search_extra_type.module modules/search/tests/search_extra_type.module
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..165c561
--- /dev/null
+++ modules/search/tests/search_extra_type.module
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+<?php
+// $Id: $
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Dummy module implementing a search type for search module testing.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_search_info().
+ */
+function search_extra_type_search_info() {
+  return array(
+    'title' => 'Dummy search type',
+    'path' => 'dummy_path',
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_search_execute().
+ *
+ * This is a dummy search, so when search "executes", we just return a dummy
+ * result.
+ */
+function search_extra_type_search_execute() {
+  return array(
+    array(
+      'link' => url('node'),
+      'type' => 'Dummy result type',
+      'title' => 'Dummy title',
+      'snippet' => 'Dummy search snippet to display',
+    ),
+  );
+}