diff --git a/indra/newview/lleventnotifier.cpp b/indra/newview/lleventnotifier.cpp
index 68a4f317306cfef2d06a6a03386d6122f4b94d11..867fb0255a2ed94b14531d2fe669b3b24187833a 100644
--- a/indra/newview/lleventnotifier.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/lleventnotifier.cpp
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ bool LLEventNotification::handleResponse(const LLSD& notification, const LLSD& r
 			break;
 		}
 	case 1:
-		LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("panel", "event").insert("id", S32(getEventID())));
+		LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("category", "events").insert("id", S32(getEventID())));
 		break;
 	case 2:
 		break;
diff --git a/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.cpp b/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.cpp
index 904263e2c2d40ba14456b2e71b32f09a82c67243..4c83530f43b9784de5a9efdbca99618f02a7dc9b 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,17 @@ LLFloaterSearch::LLFloaterSearch(const LLSD& key) :
 	LLFloater(key),
 	mBrowser(NULL)
 {
+	// declare a map that transforms a category name into
+	// the URL suffix that is used to search that category
+	mCategoryPaths = LLSD::emptyMap();
+	mCategoryPaths["all"]          = "search";
+	mCategoryPaths["people"]       = "search/people";
+	mCategoryPaths["places"]       = "search/places";
+	mCategoryPaths["events"]       = "search/events";
+	mCategoryPaths["groups"]       = "search/groups";
+	mCategoryPaths["wiki"]         = "search/wiki";
+	mCategoryPaths["destinations"] = "destinations";
+	mCategoryPaths["classifieds"]  = "classifieds";
 }
 
 BOOL LLFloaterSearch::postBuild()
@@ -79,13 +90,33 @@ void LLFloaterSearch::handleMediaEvent(LLPluginClassMedia *self, EMediaEvent eve
 
 void LLFloaterSearch::search(const LLSD &key)
 {
-	if (mBrowser)
+	if (! mBrowser)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// get the URL for the search page
+	std::string url = getString("search_url");
+	if (! LLStringUtil::endsWith(url, "/"))
 	{
-		std::string query = getString("search_url");
-		if (key.has("id"))
-		{
-			query += std::string("?q=") + key["id"].asString();
-		}
-		mBrowser->navigateTo(query);
+		url += "/";
 	}
+
+	// work out the subdir to use based on the requested category
+	std::string category = key.has("category") ? key["category"].asString() : "";
+	if (mCategoryPaths.has(category))
+	{
+		url += mCategoryPaths[category].asString();
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		url += mCategoryPaths["all"].asString();
+	}
+
+	// append the search query string
+	std::string search_text = key.has("id") ? key["id"].asString() : "";
+	url += std::string("?q=") + search_text;
+
+	// and load the URL in the web view
+	mBrowser->navigateTo(url);
 }
diff --git a/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.h b/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.h
index 46af53b154904931d49146d0a6c0c09ce514cf4c..743107484f9a43f51e3b7db6865d34a49b76a241 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.h
+++ b/indra/newview/llfloatersearch.h
@@ -56,9 +56,14 @@ class LLFloaterSearch :
 	LLFloaterSearch(const LLSD& key);
 
 	/// show the search floater with a new search
+	/// see search() for details on the key parameter.
 	/*virtual*/ void onOpen(const LLSD& key);
 
-	/// perform a search with the specific search term
+	/// perform a search with the specific search term.
+	/// The key should be a map that can contain the following keys:
+	///  - "id": specifies the text phrase to search for
+	///  - "category": one of "all" (default), "people", "places",
+	///    "events", "groups", "wiki", "destinations", "classifieds"
 	void search(const LLSD &key);
 
 private:
@@ -68,6 +73,7 @@ class LLFloaterSearch :
 	/*virtual*/ void handleMediaEvent(LLPluginClassMedia *self, EMediaEvent event);
 	
 	LLMediaCtrl *mBrowser;
+	LLSD        mCategoryPaths;
 };
 
 #endif  // LL_LLFLOATERSEARCH_H
diff --git a/indra/newview/llgroupactions.cpp b/indra/newview/llgroupactions.cpp
index 220fb3c8a0567ef1790b72c13dff46b022d03ffe..c46eedbef24224fcb187a1c84e56dfce1ffa092f 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llgroupactions.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/llgroupactions.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ LLGroupHandler gGroupHandler;
 // static
 void LLGroupActions::search()
 {
-	LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("panel", "group"));
+	LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("category", "groups"));
 }
 
 // static
diff --git a/indra/newview/llnavigationbar.cpp b/indra/newview/llnavigationbar.cpp
index 19fee20740069001b023980de40fc34645880637..b77415dfee894db9e171a9e10a2ae045e66a0225 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llnavigationbar.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/llnavigationbar.cpp
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ void LLNavigationBar::handleLoginComplete()
 
 void LLNavigationBar::invokeSearch(std::string search_text)
 {
-	LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("panel", "all").insert("id", LLSD(search_text)));
+	LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("category", "all").insert("id", LLSD(search_text)));
 }
 
 void LLNavigationBar::clearHistoryCache()
diff --git a/indra/newview/llworldmapview.cpp b/indra/newview/llworldmapview.cpp
index 5446a08ebf3b2a65a43b08803d5186d9b5b04622..3aad5c7378b7ee322cf56e8fdbe177366a0d5514 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llworldmapview.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/llworldmapview.cpp
@@ -1897,20 +1897,20 @@ BOOL LLWorldMapView::handleDoubleClick( S32 x, S32 y, MASK mask )
 				id.toString(uuid_str);
 				uuid_str = uuid_str.substr(28);
 				sscanf(uuid_str.c_str(), "%X", &event_id);
-				LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("panel", "event").insert("id", event_id));
+				LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("category", "events").insert("id", event_id));
 				break;
 			}
 		case MAP_ITEM_LAND_FOR_SALE:
 		case MAP_ITEM_LAND_FOR_SALE_ADULT:
 			{
 				LLFloaterReg::hideInstance("world_map");
-				LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("panel", "land").insert("id", id));
+				LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("category", "destinations").insert("id", id));
 				break;
 			}
 		case MAP_ITEM_CLASSIFIED:
 			{
 				LLFloaterReg::hideInstance("world_map");
-				LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("panel", "classified").insert("id", id));
+				LLFloaterReg::showInstance("search", LLSD().insert("category", "classifieds").insert("id", id));
 				break;
 			}
 		default:
diff --git a/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/floater_search.xml b/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/floater_search.xml
index 4ac0edca5a56f932f6b24b04cc93a3e7f7f578f2..296cde92e3487ba531b78026123da2b0e2bed024 100644
--- a/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/floater_search.xml
+++ b/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/floater_search.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  width="620">
     <floater.string
      name="search_url">
-        http://eniac21.lindenlab.com:10001/viewer/search/
+        http://eniac21.lindenlab.com:10001/viewer
     </floater.string>
     <floater.string
      name="loading_text">