diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/general.json b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/general.json
index c26740ee4f..72ecfe641f 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/general.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/general.json
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@
 	"touch-icon.upload": "Upload",
 	"touch-icon.help": "Recommended size and format: 192x192, PNG format only. If no touch icon is specified, NodeBB will fall back to using the favicon.",
 	"outgoing-links": "Outgoing Links",
-	"outgoing-links.warning-page": "Use Outgoing Links Warning Page"
+	"outgoing-links.warning-page": "Use Outgoing Links Warning Page",
+	"search-default-sort-by": "Search default sort by"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/search.json b/public/language/en-GB/search.json
index 98c1afcea2..51a0a76ebb 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/search.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/search.json
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 	"reply-count": "Reply Count",
 	"at-least": "At least",
 	"at-most": "At most",
+	"relevance": "Relevance",
 	"post-time": "Post time",
 	"newer-than": "Newer than",
 	"older-than": "Older than",
diff --git a/public/src/client/search.js b/public/src/client/search.js
index 48cf358c0c..28a9ac94cd 100644
--- a/public/src/client/search.js
+++ b/public/src/client/search.js
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ define('forum/search', ['search', 'autocomplete'], function (searchModule, autoc
 				$('#post-time-filter').val(formData.timeFilter);
 			}
 
-			if (formData.sortBy) {
-				$('#post-sort-by').val(formData.sortBy);
+			if (formData.sortBy || ajaxify.data.searchDefaultSortBy) {
+				$('#post-sort-by').val(formData.sortBy || ajaxify.data.searchDefaultSortBy);
 				$('#post-sort-direction').val(formData.sortDirection);
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/search.js b/src/controllers/search.js
index 2261e4f3b7..db3adf0682 100644
--- a/src/controllers/search.js
+++ b/src/controllers/search.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ searchController.search = function (req, res, next) {
 		repliesFilter: req.query.repliesFilter,
 		timeRange: req.query.timeRange,
 		timeFilter: req.query.timeFilter,
-		sortBy: req.query.sortBy,
+		sortBy: req.query.sortBy || meta.config.searchDefaultSortBy || '',
 		sortDirection: req.query.sortDirection,
 		page: page,
 		uid: req.uid,
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ searchController.search = function (req, res, next) {
 		searchData.title = '[[global:header.search]]';
 		searchData.breadcrumbs = helpers.buildBreadcrumbs([{text: '[[global:search]]'}]);
 		searchData.expandSearch = !req.query.term;
+		searchData.searchDefaultSortBy = meta.config.searchDefaultSortBy || '';
 
 		res.render('search', searchData);
 	});
diff --git a/src/search.js b/src/search.js
index d77b1f58f0..bd1fde947d 100644
--- a/src/search.js
+++ b/src/search.js
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ function getMatchedPosts(pids, data, callback) {
 		topicFields.push('postcount');
 	}
 
-	if (data.sortBy) {
+	if (data.sortBy && data.sortBy !== 'relevance') {
 		if (data.sortBy.startsWith('category')) {
 			topicFields.push('cid');
 		} else if (data.sortBy.startsWith('topic.')) {
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ function filterByTags(posts, hasTags) {
 }
 
 function sortPosts(posts, data) {
-	if (!posts.length || !data.sortBy) {
+	if (!posts.length || !data.sortBy || data.sortBy === 'relevance') {
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/views/admin/settings/general.tpl b/src/views/admin/settings/general.tpl
index 990509e41f..68705951da 100644
--- a/src/views/admin/settings/general.tpl
+++ b/src/views/admin/settings/general.tpl
@@ -113,6 +113,23 @@
 	</div>
 </div>
 
+<div class="row">
+	<div class="col-sm-2 col-xs-12 settings-header">[[admin/settings/general:search-default-sort-by]]</div>
+	<div class="col-sm-10 col-xs-12">
+		<select id="post-sort-by" class="form-control" data-field="searchDefaultSortBy">
+			<option value="relevance">[[search:relevance]]</option>
+			<option value="timestamp">[[search:post-time]]</option>
+			<option value="teaser.timestamp">[[search:last-reply-time]]</option>
+			<option value="topic.title">[[search:topic-title]]</option>
+			<option value="topic.postcount">[[search:number-of-replies]]</option>
+			<option value="topic.viewcount">[[search:number-of-views]]</option>
+			<option value="topic.timestamp">[[search:topic-start-date]]</option>
+			<option value="user.username">[[search:username]]</option>
+			<option value="category.name">[[search:category]]</option>
+		</select>
+	</div>
+</div>
+
 <div class="row">
 	<div class="col-sm-2 col-xs-12 settings-header">[[admin/settings/general:outgoing-links]]</div>
 	<div class="col-sm-10 col-xs-12">