diff --git a/collects/scribblings/main/private/make-search.ss b/collects/scribblings/main/private/make-search.ss
index 921968f5c6..b2c02b065a 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/main/private/make-search.ss
+++ b/collects/scribblings/main/private/make-search.ss
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 
 (define-runtime-path search-script "search.js")
 
+;; this file is used as a trampoline to set a context (a pre-filter cookie) and
+;; then hop over to the search page (the search page can do it itself, but it's
+;; to heavy to load twice).
+(define-runtime-path search-context-page "search-context.html")
+
 (define (quote-string str)
   (define (hex4 ch)
     (let ([s (number->string (char->integer (string-ref ch 0)) 16)])
@@ -166,9 +171,10 @@
                  (add-between ms ",\n  "))};
           @||})))
 
-  (let ([js (build-path dest-dir "search.js")])
-    (when (file-exists? js) (delete-file js))
-    (copy-file search-script js))
+  (for ([src (list search-script search-context-page)])
+    (define dest (build-path dest-dir (file-name-from-path file)))
+    (when (file-exists? dest) (delete-file dest))
+    (copy-file src dest))
 
   (list
    (script-ref "plt-index.js"
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/main/private/search-context.html b/collects/scribblings/main/private/search-context.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..834c7654ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/scribblings/main/private/search-context.html
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
+<html>
+<!--
+  This page serves as a trampoline -- it finds an "hq" parameter,
+  stores it in a cookie, and continues to the search page.  This
+  avoids having the "hq" argument be on the search page -- since then
+  when you refresh the search you will reset the cookie.
+-->
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text-html; charset=utf-8" />
+<title>Search Manuals</title>
+<script type="text/javascript" src="../scribble-common.js"></script>
+</head>
+<body>
+  <noscript>Sorry, you must have JavaScript to use this page.<br></noscript>
+<script>
+
+if (location.search.length > 0) {
+  var paramstrs = location.search.substring(1).split(/[;&]/);
+  var newsearch = null;
+  for (var i=0; i<paramstrs.length; i++) {
+    var param = paramstrs[i].split(/=/);
+    // an empty "hq=" can be used to clear the cookie
+    if (param[0] == "hq") {
+      SetCookie("PLT_PreQuery", ((param.length==2) ? unescape(param[1]) : ""));
+    } else {
+      newsearch = (newsearch == null)
+                    ? paramstrs[i] : (newsearch + "&" + paramstrs[i]);
+    }
+  }
+  newsearch = (newsearch == null) ? "" : ("?" + newsearch);
+  // localtion.replace => jump without leaving the current page in the history
+  // (the new url uses "index.html" and the new search part)
+  location.replace(location.href.replace(/\/[^\/?#]*[?][^#]*/,
+                                         "/index.html" + newsearch));
+} else {
+  // no parameters found? just jump to the search page...
+  location.href = "index.html";
+}
+
+</script>
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/main/private/search.js b/collects/scribblings/main/private/search.js
index 9eeca41495..32edebad6a 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/main/private/search.js
+++ b/collects/scribblings/main/private/search.js
@@ -168,18 +168,19 @@ function InitializeSearch() {
   results_container.normalize();
   result_links.push(n);
   AdjustResultsNum();
-  PreFilter();
   // get search string
   if (location.search.length > 0) {
     var paramstrs = location.search.substring(1).split(/[;&]/);
     for (var i=0; i<paramstrs.length; i++) {
       var param = paramstrs[i].split(/=/);
+      // ignores an empty "q=" (param.length will be 1)
       if (param.length == 2 && param[0] == "q") {
         query.value = unescape(param[1]);
         break;
       }
     }
   }
+  PreFilter();
   DoSearch();
   query.focus();
   query.select();
