diff --git a/course/renderer.php b/course/renderer.php
index 9d1439c7ad8..ba33b0647b8 100644
--- a/course/renderer.php
+++ b/course/renderer.php
@@ -372,13 +372,14 @@ class core_course_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
                 $inputsize = 30;
         }
 
-        $data = (object) [
-                'searchurl' => (new moodle_url('/course/search.php'))->out(false),
-                'id' => $formid,
-                'inputid' => $inputid,
-                'inputsize' => $inputsize,
-                'value' => $value
-        ];
+        $data = new stdClass();
+        $data->searchurl = \core_search\manager::get_course_search_url()->out(false);
+        $data->id = $formid;
+        $data->inputid = $inputid;
+        $data->inputsize = $inputsize;
+        $data->value = $value;
+        $data->areaids = 'core_course-course';
+
         if ($format != 'navbar') {
             $helpicon = new \help_icon('coursesearch', 'core');
             $data->helpicon = $helpicon->export_for_template($this);
diff --git a/course/search.php b/course/search.php
index 9dcd11292a2..144767d452f 100644
--- a/course/search.php
+++ b/course/search.php
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 require_once("../config.php");
 require_once($CFG->dirroot.'/course/lib.php');
 
+$q         = optional_param('q', '', PARAM_RAW);       // Global search words.
 $search    = optional_param('search', '', PARAM_RAW);  // search words
 $page      = optional_param('page', 0, PARAM_INT);     // which page to show
 $perpage   = optional_param('perpage', '', PARAM_RAW); // how many per page, may be integer or 'all'
@@ -31,6 +32,11 @@ $blocklist = optional_param('blocklist', 0, PARAM_INT);
 $modulelist= optional_param('modulelist', '', PARAM_PLUGIN);
 $tagid     = optional_param('tagid', '', PARAM_INT);   // searches for courses tagged with this tag id
 
+// Use global search.
+if ($q) {
+    $search = $q;
+}
+
 // List of minimum capabilities which user need to have for editing/moving course
 $capabilities = array('moodle/course:create', 'moodle/category:manage');
 
diff --git a/course/templates/course_search_form.mustache b/course/templates/course_search_form.mustache
index c2e729a4cab..d00ea369413 100644
--- a/course/templates/course_search_form.mustache
+++ b/course/templates/course_search_form.mustache
@@ -14,10 +14,30 @@
     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
     along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 }}
+{{! 
+    @template core_course/course_search_form
+
+    This template renders the form for course search.
+
+    Example context (json):
+    {
+        "searchurl": "https://moodlesite/course/search.php",
+        "id": "coursesearch",
+        "inputid": "coursesearchbox", 
+        "inputsize": 30,
+        "value": "certificate",
+        "name" : "q",
+        "helpicon": [{
+            "heading": "Search courses",
+            "text": "You can search for multiple words at once and can refine your search as follows:"
+        }]
+    }
+}}
 <form action="{{searchurl}}" id="{{id}}" method="get" class="form-inline">
     <fieldset class="coursesearchbox invisiblefieldset">
         <label for="{{inputid}}">{{#str}}searchcourses{{/str}}</label>
-        <input id="{{inputid}}" name="search" type="text" size="{{inputsize}}" value="{{value}}" class="form-control">
+        <input id="{{inputid}}" name="q" type="text" size="{{inputsize}}" value="{{value}}" class="form-control">
+        <input name="areaids" type="hidden" value="{{areaids}}">
         <button class="btn btn-secondary" type="submit">{{#str}}go{{/str}}</button>
         {{#helpicon}}
             {{>core/help_icon}}
diff --git a/search/classes/manager.php b/search/classes/manager.php
index a68c6e93d73..75f65f6e598 100644
--- a/search/classes/manager.php
+++ b/search/classes/manager.php
@@ -253,6 +253,21 @@ class manager {
         return !empty($CFG->enableglobalsearch);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the search URL for course search
+     *
+     * @return moodle_url
+     */
+    public static function get_course_search_url() {
+        if (self::is_global_search_enabled()) {
+            $searchurl = '/search/index.php';
+        } else {
+            $searchurl = '/course/search.php';
+        }
+
+        return new \moodle_url($searchurl);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns whether indexing is enabled or not (you can enable indexing even when search is not
      * enabled at the moment, so as to have it ready for students).
diff --git a/search/tests/manager_test.php b/search/tests/manager_test.php
index 6b04ee9dfdd..f0a2b570f86 100644
--- a/search/tests/manager_test.php
+++ b/search/tests/manager_test.php
@@ -78,6 +78,20 @@ class search_manager_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertFalse(\core_search\manager::is_global_search_enabled());
     }
 
+    public function test_course_search_url() {
+
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        // URL is course/search.php by default.
+        $this->assertEquals(new moodle_url("/course/search.php"), \core_search\manager::get_course_search_url());
+
+        set_config('enableglobalsearch', true);
+        $this->assertEquals(new moodle_url("/search/index.php"), \core_search\manager::get_course_search_url());
+
+        set_config('enableglobalsearch', false);
+        $this->assertEquals(new moodle_url("/course/search.php"), \core_search\manager::get_course_search_url());
+    }
+
     public function test_search_areas() {
         global $CFG;