diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py b/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py
index 42b4ca9f60..526249d6ed 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py
@@ -140,8 +140,8 @@ class SearchBox2(QComboBox):  # {{{
             icon = QIcon(I(icon))
         return self.lineEdit().addAction(icon, position)
 
-    def initialize(self, opt_name, colorize=False, help_text=_('Search')):
-        self.as_you_type = config['search_as_you_type']
+    def initialize(self, opt_name, colorize=False, help_text=_('Search'), as_you_type=None):
+        self.as_you_type = config['search_as_you_type'] if as_you_type is None else as_you_type
         self.opt_name = opt_name
         items = []
         for item in config[opt_name]:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/search.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/search.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..986d022f99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2020, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
+
+import textwrap
+from collections import namedtuple
+
+from PyQt5.Qt import (
+    QCheckBox, QComboBox, QHBoxLayout, QIcon, Qt, QToolButton, QVBoxLayout, QWidget,
+    pyqtSignal
+)
+
+from calibre.gui2.viewer.web_view import vprefs
+from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import HistoryComboBox
+
+Search = namedtuple('Search', 'text mode case_sensitive backwards')
+
+
+class SearchInput(QWidget):
+
+    do_search = pyqtSignal(object)
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
+        QWidget.__init__(self, parent)
+        self.l = l = QVBoxLayout(self)
+        l.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        h = QHBoxLayout()
+        h.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        l.addLayout(h)
+
+        self.search_box = sb = HistoryComboBox(self)
+        sb.lineEdit().setPlaceholderText(_('Search'))
+        sb.lineEdit().setClearButtonEnabled(True)
+        sb.lineEdit().returnPressed.connect(self.find_next)
+        sb.initialize('viewer-search-box-history')
+        h.addWidget(sb)
+
+        self.next_button = nb = QToolButton(self)
+        h.addWidget(nb)
+        nb.setFocusPolicy(Qt.NoFocus)
+        nb.setIcon(QIcon(I('arrow-down.png')))
+        nb.clicked.connect(self.find_next)
+        nb.setToolTip(_('Find next match'))
+
+        self.prev_button = nb = QToolButton(self)
+        h.addWidget(nb)
+        nb.setFocusPolicy(Qt.NoFocus)
+        nb.setIcon(QIcon(I('arrow-up.png')))
+        nb.clicked.connect(self.find_previous)
+        nb.setToolTip(_('Find previous match'))
+
+        h = QHBoxLayout()
+        h.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        l.addLayout(h)
+        self.query_type = qt = QComboBox(self)
+        qt.setFocusPolicy(Qt.NoFocus)
+        qt.addItem(_('Normal'), 'normal')
+        qt.addItem(_('Regex'), 'regex')
+        qt.setToolTip(textwrap.fill(_('Choose the type of search: Normal will search'
+            ' for the entered text, Regex will interpret the text as a'
+            ' regular expression')))
+        qt.setCurrentIndex(qt.findData(vprefs.get('viewer-search-mode', 'normal') or 'normal'))
+        h.addWidget(qt)
+
+        self.case_sensitive = cs = QCheckBox(_('Case sensitive'), self)
+        cs.setFocusPolicy(Qt.NoFocus)
+        cs.setChecked(bool(vprefs.get('viewer-search-case-sensitive', False)))
+        h.addWidget(cs)
+
+    def search_query(self, backwards=False):
+        text = self.search_box.currentText().strip()
+        if text:
+            return Search(text, self.query_type.currentData() or 'normal', self.case_sensitive.isChecked(), backwards)
+
+    def emit_search(self, backwards=False):
+        vprefs['viewer-search-case-sensitive'] = self.case_sensitive.isChecked()
+        vprefs['viewer-search-mode'] = self.query_type.currentData()
+        sq = self.search_query(backwards)
+        if sq is not None:
+            self.do_search.emit(sq)
+
+    def find_next(self):
+        self.emit_search()
+
+    def find_previous(self):
+        self.emit_search(backwards=True)
+
+    def focus_input(self):
+        self.search_box.setFocus(Qt.OtherFocusReason)
+        le = self.search_box.lineEdit()
+        le.end(False)
+        le.selectAll()
+
+
+class SearchPanel(QWidget):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
+        QWidget.__init__(self, parent)
+        self.l = l = QVBoxLayout(self)
+        self.search_input = si = SearchInput(self)
+        l.addWidget(si)
+        l.addStretch(10)
+
+    def focus_input(self):
+        self.search_input.focus_input()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/ui.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/ui.py
index a3ba6eaf5a..5299ba718a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/ui.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.viewer.convert_book import (
 )
 from calibre.gui2.viewer.lookup import Lookup
 from calibre.gui2.viewer.overlay import LoadingOverlay
+from calibre.gui2.viewer.search import SearchPanel
 from calibre.gui2.viewer.toc import TOC, TOCSearch, TOCView
 from calibre.gui2.viewer.toolbars import ActionsToolBar
 from calibre.gui2.viewer.web_view import (
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ def dock_defs():
     d(_('Table of Contents'), 'toc', Qt.LeftDockWidgetArea),
     d(_('Lookup'), 'lookup', Qt.RightDockWidgetArea),
     d(_('Bookmarks'), 'bookmarks', Qt.RightDockWidgetArea)
+    d(_('Search'), 'search', Qt.LeftDockWidgetArea)
     d(_('Inspector'), 'inspector', Qt.RightDockWidgetArea, Qt.AllDockWidgetAreas)
     return ans
 
@@ -134,6 +136,9 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow):
         w.l.addWidget(self.toc), w.l.addWidget(self.toc_search), w.l.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
         self.toc_dock.setWidget(w)
 
+        self.search_widget = w = SearchPanel(self)
+        self.search_dock.setWidget(w)
+
         self.lookup_widget = w = Lookup(self)
         self.lookup_dock.visibilityChanged.connect(self.lookup_widget.visibility_changed)
         self.lookup_dock.setWidget(w)
@@ -151,6 +156,7 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow):
         self.web_view.cfi_changed.connect(self.cfi_changed)
         self.web_view.reload_book.connect(self.reload_book)
         self.web_view.toggle_toc.connect(self.toggle_toc)
+        self.web_view.show_search.connect(self.show_search)
         self.web_view.toggle_bookmarks.connect(self.toggle_bookmarks)
         self.web_view.toggle_inspector.connect(self.toggle_inspector)
         self.web_view.toggle_lookup.connect(self.toggle_lookup)
@@ -237,6 +243,10 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow):
     def toggle_toc(self):
         self.toc_dock.setVisible(not self.toc_dock.isVisible())
 
+    def show_search(self):
+        self.search_dock.setVisible(True)
+        self.search_widget.focus_input()
+
     def toggle_bookmarks(self):
         is_visible = self.bookmarks_dock.isVisible()
         self.bookmarks_dock.setVisible(not is_visible)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/web_view.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/web_view.py
index fc377d7340..65694b6f35 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/web_view.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/web_view.py
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ class ViewerBridge(Bridge):
     toggle_bookmarks = from_js()
     toggle_inspector = from_js()
     toggle_lookup = from_js()
+    show_search = from_js()
     quit = from_js()
     update_current_toc_nodes = from_js(object, object)
     toggle_full_screen = from_js()
@@ -412,6 +413,7 @@ class WebView(RestartingWebEngineView):
     cfi_changed = pyqtSignal(object)
     reload_book = pyqtSignal()
     toggle_toc = pyqtSignal()
+    show_search = pyqtSignal()
     toggle_bookmarks = pyqtSignal()
     toggle_inspector = pyqtSignal()
     toggle_lookup = pyqtSignal()
@@ -455,6 +457,7 @@ class WebView(RestartingWebEngineView):
         self.bridge.set_local_storage.connect(self.set_local_storage)
         self.bridge.reload_book.connect(self.reload_book)
         self.bridge.toggle_toc.connect(self.toggle_toc)
+        self.bridge.show_search.connect(self.show_search)
         self.bridge.toggle_bookmarks.connect(self.toggle_bookmarks)
         self.bridge.toggle_inspector.connect(self.toggle_inspector)
         self.bridge.toggle_lookup.connect(self.toggle_lookup)
diff --git a/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj b/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj
index c38cbc1fe1..9d31dd7659 100644
--- a/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj
@@ -529,7 +529,10 @@ class View:
 
     def show_search(self):
         self.hide_overlays()
-        self.search_overlay.show()
+        if runtime.is_standalone_viewer:
+            ui_operations.show_search()
+        else:
+            self.search_overlay.show()
 
     def show_content_popup(self):
         self.hide_overlays()
diff --git a/src/pyj/viewer-main.pyj b/src/pyj/viewer-main.pyj
index f3c4bef05a..90552dbba6 100644
--- a/src/pyj/viewer-main.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/viewer-main.pyj
@@ -339,6 +339,8 @@ if window is window.top:
         to_python.toggle_inspector()
     ui_operations.content_file_changed = def(name):
         to_python.content_file_changed(name)
+    ui_operations.show_search = def():
+        to_python.show_search()
     ui_operations.reset_interface = def():
         sd = get_session_data()
         defaults = session_defaults()