diff --git a/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx b/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx
index 0272176150..68c79d3a5e 100644
--- a/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.test.tsx
@@ -108,40 +108,58 @@ describe('SearchContext', () => {
     expect(result.current).toEqual(expect.objectContaining(initialState));
   });
 
-  it('Resets cursor when term is set (and different from previous)', async () => {
-    const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() => useSearch(), {
-      wrapper,
-      initialProps: {
-        initialState: {
-          ...initialState,
-          pageCursor: 'SOMEPAGE',
+  describe('Resets cursor', () => {
+    it('When term is cleared', async () => {
+      const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() => useSearch(), {
+        wrapper,
+        initialProps: {
+          initialState: {
+            ...initialState,
+            term: 'first term',
+            pageCursor: 'SOMEPAGE',
+          },
         },
-      },
+      });
+
+      await waitForNextUpdate();
+
+      expect(result.current.term).toEqual('first term');
+      expect(result.current.pageCursor).toEqual('SOMEPAGE');
+
+      act(() => {
+        result.current.setTerm('');
+      });
+
+      await waitForNextUpdate();
+
+      expect(result.current.pageCursor).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
-    await waitForNextUpdate();
+    it('When term is set (and different from previous)', async () => {
+      const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() => useSearch(), {
+        wrapper,
+        initialProps: {
+          initialState: {
+            ...initialState,
+            term: 'first term',
+            pageCursor: 'SOMEPAGE',
+          },
+        },
+      });
 
-    expect(result.current.pageCursor).toEqual('SOMEPAGE');
+      await waitForNextUpdate();
 
-    act(() => {
-      result.current.setTerm('first term');
+      expect(result.current.term).toEqual('first term');
+      expect(result.current.pageCursor).toEqual('SOMEPAGE');
+
+      act(() => {
+        result.current.setTerm('second term');
+      });
+
+      await waitForNextUpdate();
+
+      expect(result.current.pageCursor).toBeUndefined();
     });
-
-    act(() => {
-      result.current.setPageCursor('OTHERPAGE');
-    });
-
-    await waitForNextUpdate();
-
-    expect(result.current.pageCursor).toEqual('OTHERPAGE');
-
-    act(() => {
-      result.current.setTerm('second term');
-    });
-
-    await waitForNextUpdate();
-
-    expect(result.current.pageCursor).toEqual(undefined);
   });
 
   describe('Performs search (and sets results)', () => {
diff --git a/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.tsx b/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.tsx
index 8a0f962121..faad50f37a 100644
--- a/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search-react/src/context/SearchContext.tsx
@@ -150,10 +150,11 @@ export const SearchContextProvider = (props: SearchContextProviderProps) => {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     // Any time a term is reset, we want to start from page 0.
-    if (term && prevTerm && term !== prevTerm) {
+    // Only reset the term if it has been modified by the user at least once, the initial state must not reset the term.
+    if (prevTerm !== undefined && term !== prevTerm) {
       setPageCursor(undefined);
     }
-  }, [term, prevTerm, initialState.pageCursor]);
+  }, [term, prevTerm, setPageCursor]);
 
   const value: SearchContextValue = {
     result,