diff --git a/admin/settings/development.php b/admin/settings/development.php
index b7ac470620d..46f92bcfaf1 100644
--- a/admin/settings/development.php
+++ b/admin/settings/development.php
@@ -7,8 +7,12 @@ if ($hassiteconfig) { // speedup for non-admins, add all caps used on this page
     // Experimental settings page
     $ADMIN->add('development', new admin_category('experimental', get_string('experimental','admin')));
 
+    require_once($CFG->dirroot .'/search/lib.php');
     $temp = new admin_settingpage('experimentalsettings', get_string('experimentalsettings', 'admin'));
-    $temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('enableglobalsearch', get_string('enableglobalsearch', 'admin'), get_string('configenableglobalsearch', 'admin'), 0));
+    $englobalsearch = new admin_setting_configcheckbox('enableglobalsearch', get_string('enableglobalsearch', 'admin'), get_string('configenableglobalsearch', 'admin'), 0);
+    $englobalsearch->set_updatedcallback('search_updatedcallback');
+    $temp->add($englobalsearch);
+
     $temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('experimentalsplitrestore', get_string('experimentalsplitrestore', 'admin'), get_string('configexperimentalsplitrestore', 'admin'), 0));
     $temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('enableimsccimport', get_string('enable_cc_import', 'imscc'), get_string('enable_cc_import_description', 'imscc'), 0));
     $temp->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('enablesafebrowserintegration', get_string('enablesafebrowserintegration', 'admin'), get_string('configenablesafebrowserintegration', 'admin'), 0));
diff --git a/blocks/search/db/install.php b/blocks/search/db/install.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f8a13cf7f20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blocks/search/db/install.php
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+
+function xmldb_block_search_install() {
+    global $DB;
+
+    // Disable this block by default as its experimental.
+    $DB->set_field('block', 'visible', 0, array('name'=>'search'));
+
+}
+
diff --git a/blocks/search/db/upgrade.php b/blocks/search/db/upgrade.php
index ee8b4848646..952a1297e59 100644
--- a/blocks/search/db/upgrade.php
+++ b/blocks/search/db/upgrade.php
@@ -83,5 +83,12 @@ function xmldb_block_search_upgrade($oldversion) {
         upgrade_block_savepoint(true, 2010110900, 'search');
     }
 
+    if ($oldversion < 2010111100) {
+        // set block to hidden if global search is disabled.
+        if ($CFG->enableglobalsearch != 1) {
+            $DB->set_field('block', 'visible', 0, array('name'=>'search'));     // Hide block
+        }
+        upgrade_block_savepoint(true, 2010111100, 'search');
+    }
     return $result;
 }
diff --git a/blocks/search/version.php b/blocks/search/version.php
index 77f60501e83..b7456820a7b 100644
--- a/blocks/search/version.php
+++ b/blocks/search/version.php
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 // along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-$plugin->version = 2010110900;
+$plugin->version = 2010111100;
 $plugin->cron = 1;
diff --git a/search/lib.php b/search/lib.php
index 8484981379a..d93a633f810 100644
--- a/search/lib.php
+++ b/search/lib.php
@@ -186,4 +186,12 @@ function search_pexit($str = "") {
     exit(0);
 }
 
+function search_updatedcallback($name) {
+    global $CFG, $DB;
+    // set block to hidden when global search is disabled.
+    if ($CFG->enableglobalsearch != 1) {
+        $DB->set_field('block', 'visible', 0, array('name'=>'search'));     // Hide block
+    }
+}
+
 ?>