diff --git a/src/ahriman/application/handlers/search.py b/src/ahriman/application/handlers/search.py
index a999dc53..96b1c3f4 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/application/handlers/search.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/application/handlers/search.py
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@
 import argparse
 import aur  # type: ignore
 
-from typing import Callable, Dict, Iterable, List, Tuple, Type
+from typing import Callable, Iterable, List, Tuple, Type
 
 from ahriman.application.formatters.aur_printer import AurPrinter
 from ahriman.application.handlers.handler import Handler
 from ahriman.core.configuration import Configuration
 from ahriman.core.exceptions import InvalidOption
+from ahriman.core.util import aur_search
 
 
 class Search(Handler):
@@ -46,17 +47,7 @@ class Search(Handler):
         :param configuration: configuration instance
         :param no_report: force disable reporting
         """
-        packages: Dict[str, aur.Package] = {}
-        # see https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/49133
-        for search in args.search:
-            portion = aur.search(search)
-            packages = {
-                package.package_base: package
-                for package in portion
-                if package.package_base in packages or not packages
-            }
-
-        packages_list = list(packages.values())  # explicit conversion for the tests
+        packages_list = aur_search(*args.search)
         for package in Search.sort(packages_list, args.sort_by):
             AurPrinter(package).print(args.info)
 
diff --git a/src/ahriman/core/util.py b/src/ahriman/core/util.py
index bed5aa65..0c5f928b 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/core/util.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/core/util.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
+import aur  # type: ignore
 import datetime
 import os
 import subprocess
@@ -24,11 +25,29 @@ import requests
 
 from logging import Logger
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Dict, Generator, Iterable, Optional, Union
+from typing import Any, Dict, Generator, Iterable, List, Optional, Union
 
 from ahriman.core.exceptions import InvalidOption, UnsafeRun
 
 
+def aur_search(*terms: str) -> List[aur.Package]:
+    """
+    search in AUR by using API with multiple words. This method is required in order to handle
+    https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/49133. In addition short words will be dropped
+    :param terms: search terms, e.g. "ahriman", "is", "cool"
+    :return: list of packages each of them matches all search terms
+    """
+    packages: Dict[str, aur.Package] = {}
+    for term in filter(lambda word: len(word) > 3, terms):
+        portion = aur.search(term)
+        packages = {
+            package.package_base: package
+            for package in portion
+            if package.package_base in packages or not packages
+        }
+    return list(packages.values())
+
+
 def check_output(*args: str, exception: Optional[Exception], cwd: Optional[Path] = None,
                  input_data: Optional[str] = None, logger: Optional[Logger] = None) -> str:
     """
diff --git a/src/ahriman/web/views/service/search.py b/src/ahriman/web/views/service/search.py
index 863f021d..1df3b9b8 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/web/views/service/search.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/web/views/service/search.py
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@
 #
 import aur  # type: ignore
 
-from aiohttp.web import HTTPBadRequest, Response, json_response
-from typing import Callable, Iterator
+from aiohttp.web import HTTPNotFound, Response, json_response
+from typing import Callable, List
 
+from ahriman.core.util import aur_search
 from ahriman.models.user_access import UserAccess
 from ahriman.web.views.base import BaseView
 
@@ -43,12 +44,10 @@ class SearchView(BaseView):
 
         :return: 200 with found package bases and descriptions sorted by base
         """
-        search: Iterator[str] = filter(lambda s: len(s) > 3, self.request.query.getall("for", default=[]))
-        search_string = " ".join(search)
-
-        if not search_string:
-            raise HTTPBadRequest(reason="Search string must not be empty")
-        packages = aur.search(search_string)
+        search: List[str] = self.request.query.getall("for", default=[])
+        packages = aur_search(*search)
+        if not packages:
+            raise HTTPNotFound(reason=f"No packages found for terms: {search}")
 
         comparator: Callable[[aur.Package], str] = lambda item: str(item.package_base)
         response = [
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_search.py b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_search.py
index fc836c86..8300e0b9 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_search.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_search.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import aur
 import pytest
 
 from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
-from unittest import mock
 
 from ahriman.application.handlers import Search
 from ahriman.core.configuration import Configuration
@@ -28,33 +27,21 @@ def test_run(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, aur_package
     must run command
     """
     args = _default_args(args)
-    mocker.patch("aur.search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
+    search_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.application.handlers.search.aur_search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
     print_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.application.formatters.printer.Printer.print")
 
     Search.run(args, "x86_64", configuration, True)
+    search_mock.assert_called_once_with("ahriman")
     print_mock.assert_called_once()
 
 
-def test_run_multiple_search(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, aur_package_ahriman: aur.Package,
-                             mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
-    """
-    must run command with multiple search arguments
-    """
-    args = _default_args(args)
-    args.search = ["ahriman", "is", "cool"]
-    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
-
-    Search.run(args, "x86_64", configuration, True)
-    search_mock.assert_has_calls([mock.call(term) for term in args.search])
-
-
 def test_run_sort(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, aur_package_ahriman: aur.Package,
                   mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     """
     must run command with sorting
     """
     args = _default_args(args)
-    mocker.patch("aur.search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
+    mocker.patch("ahriman.application.handlers.search.aur_search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
     sort_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.application.handlers.search.Search.sort")
 
     Search.run(args, "x86_64", configuration, True)
@@ -68,7 +55,7 @@ def test_run_sort_by(args: argparse.Namespace, configuration: Configuration, aur
     """
     args = _default_args(args)
     args.sort_by = "field"
-    mocker.patch("aur.search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
+    mocker.patch("ahriman.application.handlers.search.aur_search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
     sort_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.application.handlers.search.Search.sort")
 
     Search.run(args, "x86_64", configuration, True)
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/core/test_util.py b/tests/ahriman/core/test_util.py
index 432e4a7f..98b48d2f 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/core/test_util.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/core/test_util.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import aur
 import datetime
 import logging
 import pytest
@@ -5,12 +6,45 @@ import subprocess
 
 from pathlib import Path
 from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
+from unittest import mock
 
 from ahriman.core.exceptions import InvalidOption, UnsafeRun
-from ahriman.core.util import check_output, check_user, filter_json, package_like, pretty_datetime, pretty_size, walk
+from ahriman.core.util import aur_search, check_output, check_user, filter_json, package_like, pretty_datetime, \
+    pretty_size, walk
 from ahriman.models.package import Package
 
 
+def test_aur_search(aur_package_ahriman: aur.Package, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+    """
+    must search in AUR with multiple words
+    """
+    terms = ["ahriman", "is", "cool"]
+    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
+
+    assert aur_search(*terms) == [aur_package_ahriman]
+    search_mock.assert_has_calls([mock.call("ahriman"), mock.call("cool")])
+
+
+def test_aur_search_empty(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+    """
+    must return empty list if no long terms supplied
+    """
+    terms = ["it", "is"]
+    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search")
+
+    assert aur_search(*terms) == []
+    search_mock.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_aur_search_single(aur_package_ahriman: aur.Package, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+    """
+    must search in AUR with one word
+    """
+    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
+    assert aur_search("ahriman") == [aur_package_ahriman]
+    search_mock.assert_called_once_with("ahriman")
+
+
 def test_check_output(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     """
     must run command and log result
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/web/views/service/test_views_service_search.py b/tests/ahriman/web/views/service/test_views_service_search.py
index 2296d91c..b2c37964 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/web/views/service/test_views_service_search.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/web/views/service/test_views_service_search.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ async def test_get(client: TestClient, aur_package_ahriman: aur.Package, mocker:
     """
     must call get request correctly
     """
-    mocker.patch("aur.search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
+    mocker.patch("ahriman.web.views.service.search.aur_search", return_value=[aur_package_ahriman])
     response = await client.get("/service-api/v1/search", params={"for": "ahriman"})
 
     assert response.ok
@@ -33,41 +33,19 @@ async def test_get_exception(client: TestClient, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     """
     must raise 400 on empty search string
     """
-    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search")
+    search_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.web.views.service.search.aur_search", return_value=[])
     response = await client.get("/service-api/v1/search")
 
-    assert response.status == 400
-    search_mock.assert_not_called()
+    assert response.status == 404
+    search_mock.assert_called_once_with()
 
 
 async def test_get_join(client: TestClient, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     """
     must join search args with space
     """
-    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search")
+    search_mock = mocker.patch("ahriman.web.views.service.search.aur_search")
     response = await client.get("/service-api/v1/search", params=[("for", "ahriman"), ("for", "maybe")])
 
     assert response.ok
-    search_mock.assert_called_once_with("ahriman maybe")
-
-
-async def test_get_join_filter(client: TestClient, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
-    """
-    must filter search parameters with less than 3 symbols
-    """
-    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search")
-    response = await client.get("/service-api/v1/search", params=[("for", "ah"), ("for", "maybe")])
-
-    assert response.ok
-    search_mock.assert_called_once_with("maybe")
-
-
-async def test_get_join_filter_empty(client: TestClient, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
-    """
-    must filter search parameters with less than 3 symbols (empty result)
-    """
-    search_mock = mocker.patch("aur.search")
-    response = await client.get("/service-api/v1/search", params=[("for", "ah"), ("for", "ma")])
-
-    assert response.status == 400
-    search_mock.assert_not_called()
+    search_mock.assert_called_once_with("ahriman", "maybe")