diff --git a/app/server_app_adapters.go b/app/server_app_adapters.go
index b9ba169d1c..e88d93f1b7 100644
--- a/app/server_app_adapters.go
+++ b/app/server_app_adapters.go
@@ -62,16 +62,23 @@ func (s *Server) RunOldAppInitialization() error {
 	if s.newStore == nil {
 		s.newStore = func() store.Store {
 			s.sqlStore = sqlstore.NewSqlSupplier(s.Config().SqlSettings, s.Metrics)
-			return store.NewTimerLayer(
-				searchlayer.NewSearchLayer(
-					localcachelayer.NewLocalCacheLayer(
-						s.sqlStore,
-						s.Metrics,
-						s.Cluster,
-						s.CacheProvider,
-					),
-					s.SearchEngine,
+			searchStore := searchlayer.NewSearchLayer(
+				localcachelayer.NewLocalCacheLayer(
+					s.sqlStore,
+					s.Metrics,
+					s.Cluster,
+					s.CacheProvider,
 				),
+				s.SearchEngine,
+				s.Config(),
+			)
+
+			s.AddConfigListener(func(prevCfg, cfg *model.Config) {
+				searchStore.UpdateConfig(cfg)
+			})
+
+			return store.NewTimerLayer(
+				searchStore,
 				s.Metrics,
 			)
 		}
diff --git a/model/config.go b/model/config.go
index 8c67207213..57362106f3 100644
--- a/model/config.go
+++ b/model/config.go
@@ -970,6 +970,7 @@ type SqlSettings struct {
 	Trace                       *bool    `restricted:"true"`
 	AtRestEncryptKey            *string  `restricted:"true"`
 	QueryTimeout                *int     `restricted:"true"`
+	DisableDatabaseSearch       *bool    `restricted:"true"`
 }
 
 func (s *SqlSettings) SetDefaults(isUpdate bool) {
@@ -1018,6 +1019,10 @@ func (s *SqlSettings) SetDefaults(isUpdate bool) {
 	if s.QueryTimeout == nil {
 		s.QueryTimeout = NewInt(30)
 	}
+
+	if s.DisableDatabaseSearch == nil {
+		s.DisableDatabaseSearch = NewBool(false)
+	}
 }
 
 type LogSettings struct {
diff --git a/store/searchlayer/layer.go b/store/searchlayer/layer.go
index 1239122e85..6afc6e421c 100644
--- a/store/searchlayer/layer.go
+++ b/store/searchlayer/layer.go
@@ -17,38 +17,44 @@ type SearchStore struct {
 	team         *SearchTeamStore
 	channel      *SearchChannelStore
 	post         *SearchPostStore
+	config       *model.Config
 }
 
-func NewSearchLayer(baseStore store.Store, searchEngine *searchengine.Broker) SearchStore {
-	searchStore := SearchStore{
+func NewSearchLayer(baseStore store.Store, searchEngine *searchengine.Broker, cfg *model.Config) *SearchStore {
+	searchStore := &SearchStore{
 		Store:        baseStore,
 		searchEngine: searchEngine,
+		config:       cfg,
 	}
-	searchStore.channel = &SearchChannelStore{ChannelStore: baseStore.Channel(), rootStore: &searchStore}
-	searchStore.post = &SearchPostStore{PostStore: baseStore.Post(), rootStore: &searchStore}
-	searchStore.team = &SearchTeamStore{TeamStore: baseStore.Team(), rootStore: &searchStore}
-	searchStore.user = &SearchUserStore{UserStore: baseStore.User(), rootStore: &searchStore}
+	searchStore.channel = &SearchChannelStore{ChannelStore: baseStore.Channel(), rootStore: searchStore}
+	searchStore.post = &SearchPostStore{PostStore: baseStore.Post(), rootStore: searchStore}
+	searchStore.team = &SearchTeamStore{TeamStore: baseStore.Team(), rootStore: searchStore}
+	searchStore.user = &SearchUserStore{UserStore: baseStore.User(), rootStore: searchStore}
 
 	return searchStore
 }
 
-func (s SearchStore) Channel() store.ChannelStore {
+func (s *SearchStore) UpdateConfig(cfg *model.Config) {
+	s.config = cfg
+}
+
+func (s *SearchStore) Channel() store.ChannelStore {
 	return s.channel
 }
 
-func (s SearchStore) Post() store.PostStore {
+func (s *SearchStore) Post() store.PostStore {
 	return s.post
 }
 
-func (s SearchStore) Team() store.TeamStore {
+func (s *SearchStore) Team() store.TeamStore {
 	return s.team
 }
 
-func (s SearchStore) User() store.UserStore {
+func (s *SearchStore) User() store.UserStore {
 	return s.user
 }
 
-func (s SearchStore) indexUserFromID(userId string) {
+func (s *SearchStore) indexUserFromID(userId string) {
 	user, err := s.User().Get(userId)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
@@ -56,7 +62,7 @@ func (s SearchStore) indexUserFromID(userId string) {
 	s.indexUser(user)
 }
 
-func (s SearchStore) indexUser(user *model.User) {
+func (s *SearchStore) indexUser(user *model.User) {
 	for _, engine := range s.searchEngine.GetActiveEngines() {
 		if engine.IsIndexingEnabled() {
 			runIndexFn(engine, func(engineCopy searchengine.SearchEngineInterface) {
diff --git a/store/searchlayer/post_layer.go b/store/searchlayer/post_layer.go
index 2be7ad978b..dc999fc496 100644
--- a/store/searchlayer/post_layer.go
+++ b/store/searchlayer/post_layer.go
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ func (s SearchPostStore) SearchPostsInTeamForUser(paramsList []*model.SearchPara
 			return results, err
 		}
 	}
+
+	if *s.rootStore.config.SqlSettings.DisableDatabaseSearch {
+		mlog.Debug("Returning empty results for post SearchPostsInTeam as the database search is disabled")
+		return &model.PostSearchResults{PostList: model.NewPostList(), Matches: model.PostSearchMatches{}}, nil
+	}
+
 	mlog.Debug("Using database search because no other search engine is available")
 	return s.PostStore.SearchPostsInTeamForUser(paramsList, userId, teamId, isOrSearch, includeDeletedChannels, page, perPage)
 }
diff --git a/store/searchlayer/user_layer.go b/store/searchlayer/user_layer.go
index 67f6928597..32c07c7777 100644
--- a/store/searchlayer/user_layer.go
+++ b/store/searchlayer/user_layer.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ func (s *SearchUserStore) Search(teamId, term string, options *model.UserSearchO
 			return users, nil
 		}
 	}
+
 	mlog.Debug("Using database search because no other search engine is available")
 
 	return s.UserStore.Search(teamId, term, options)
diff --git a/testlib/helper.go b/testlib/helper.go
index e9b492749f..def3bb3147 100644
--- a/testlib/helper.go
+++ b/testlib/helper.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func (h *MainHelper) setupStore() {
 	h.SQLSupplier = sqlstore.NewSqlSupplier(*h.Settings, nil)
 	h.Store = searchlayer.NewSearchLayer(&TestStore{
 		h.SQLSupplier,
-	}, h.SearchEngine)
+	}, h.SearchEngine, config)
 }
 
 func (h *MainHelper) setupResources() {