diff --git a/admin/search.php b/admin/search.php
index 2979b4d74df..7dd8e2c0a77 100644
--- a/admin/search.php
+++ b/admin/search.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ $errormsg  = '';
 $focus = '';
 
 // now we'll deal with the case that the admin has submitted the form with changed settings
-if ($data = data_submitted() and confirm_sesskey()) {
+if ($data = data_submitted() and confirm_sesskey() and isset($data->action) and $data->action == 'save-settings') {
     require_capability('moodle/site:config', $context);
     if (admin_write_settings($data)) {
         redirect($PAGE->url, get_string('changessaved'), null, \core\output\notification::NOTIFY_SUCCESS);
diff --git a/admin/templates/settings_search_results.mustache b/admin/templates/settings_search_results.mustache
index c6f7bbb3bb5..78b62053374 100644
--- a/admin/templates/settings_search_results.mustache
+++ b/admin/templates/settings_search_results.mustache
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 <form action="{{actionurl}}" method="post" id="adminsettings">
     <div>
         <input type="hidden" name="sesskey" value="{{sesskey}}">
+        <input type="hidden" name="action" value="save-settings">
     </div>
     <fieldset>
         <div class="clearer"></div>