diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py
index 91028c2bc5..10180541a1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ class EbookIterator(object):
 
     def search(self, text, index, backwards=False):
         text = text.lower()
-        for i, path in enumerate(self.spine):
+        pmap = [(i, path) for i, path in enumerate(self.spine)]
+        if backwards:
+            pmap.reverse()
+        for i, path in pmap:
             if (backwards and i < index) or (not backwards and i > index):
                 if text in open(path, 'rb').read().decode(path.encoding).lower():
                     return i
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
index 92c06a47f0..8ce0b46a6d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ class DocumentView(QWebView):
 
     def search(self, text, backwards=False):
         if backwards:
-            return self.findText(text, self.document.FindBackwards)
+            return self.findText(text, self.document.FindBackward)
         return self.findText(text)
 
     def path(self):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
index 1ea1aca733..96fe758ca6 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
         self.iterator          = None
         self.current_page      = None
         self.pending_search    = None
+        self.pending_search_dir= None
         self.pending_anchor    = None
         self.pending_reference = None
         self.pending_bookmark  = None
@@ -435,7 +436,7 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
         if not text:
             self.view.search('')
             return self.search.search_done(False)
-        if self.view.search(text):
+        if self.view.search(text, backwards=backwards):
             self.scrolled(self.view.scroll_fraction)
             return self.search.search_done(True)
         index = self.iterator.search(text, self.current_index,
@@ -449,11 +450,13 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
                     return self.search.search_done(True)
             return self.search.search_done(True)
         self.pending_search = text
+        self.pending_search_dir = 'backwards' if backwards else 'forwards'
         self.load_path(self.iterator.spine[index])
 
-    def do_search(self, text):
+    def do_search(self, text, backwards):
         self.pending_search = None
-        if self.view.search(text):
+        self.pending_search_dir = None
+        if self.view.search(text, backwards=backwards):
             self.scrolled(self.view.scroll_fraction)
 
     def keyPressEvent(self, event):
@@ -499,8 +502,10 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
         self.current_index = index
         self.set_page_number(self.view.scroll_fraction)
         if self.pending_search is not None:
-            self.do_search(self.pending_search)
+            self.do_search(self.pending_search,
+                    self.pending_search_dir=='backwards')
             self.pending_search = None
+            self.pending_search_dir = None
         if self.pending_anchor is not None:
             self.view.scroll_to(self.pending_anchor)
             self.pending_anchor = None