diff --git a/src/controllers/search.js b/src/controllers/search.js
index 979a71ee19..833092ee70 100644
--- a/src/controllers/search.js
+++ b/src/controllers/search.js
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ searchController.search = function (req, res, next) {
 	}
 	var page = Math.max(1, parseInt(req.query.page, 10)) || 1;
 
+	const searchOnly = parseInt(req.query.searchOnly, 10) === 1;
+
 	async.waterfall([
 		function (next) {
 			privileges.global.can('search:content', req.uid, next);
@@ -53,33 +55,47 @@ searchController.search = function (req, res, next) {
 			};
 
 			async.parallel({
-				categories: async.apply(categories.buildForSelect, req.uid, 'read'),
+				categories: async.apply(buildCategories, req.uid, searchOnly),
 				search: async.apply(search.search, data),
 			}, next);
 		},
 		function (results) {
-			results.categories = results.categories.filter(function (category) {
-				return category && !category.link;
-			});
+			var searchData = results.search;
+
+			searchData.pagination = pagination.create(page, searchData.pageCount, req.query);
+			searchData.search_query = validator.escape(String(req.query.term || ''));
+			searchData.term = req.query.term;
+
+			if (searchOnly) {
+				return res.json(searchData);
+			}
+
+			results.categories = results.categories.filter(category => category && !category.link);
 
 			var categoriesData = [
 				{ value: 'all', text: '[[unread:all_categories]]' },
 				{ value: 'watched', text: '[[category:watched-categories]]' },
 			].concat(results.categories);
 
-			var searchData = results.search;
+
 			searchData.categories = categoriesData;
 			searchData.categoriesCount = Math.max(10, Math.min(20, categoriesData.length));
-			searchData.pagination = pagination.create(page, searchData.pageCount, req.query);
+			searchData.breadcrumbs = helpers.buildBreadcrumbs([{ text: '[[global:search]]' }]);
+			searchData.expandSearch = !req.query.term;
+
 			searchData.showAsPosts = !req.query.showAs || req.query.showAs === 'posts';
 			searchData.showAsTopics = req.query.showAs === 'topics';
 			searchData.title = '[[global:header.search]]';
-			searchData.breadcrumbs = helpers.buildBreadcrumbs([{ text: '[[global:search]]' }]);
-			searchData.expandSearch = !req.query.term;
+
 			searchData.searchDefaultSortBy = meta.config.searchDefaultSortBy || '';
-			searchData.search_query = validator.escape(String(req.query.term || ''));
-			searchData.term = req.query.term;
 			res.render('search', searchData);
 		},
 	], next);
 };
+
+function buildCategories(uid, searchOnly, callback) {
+	if (searchOnly) {
+		return setImmediate(callback, null, []);
+	}
+	categories.buildForSelect(uid, 'read', callback);
+}
diff --git a/test/search.js b/test/search.js
index b38e5f2806..732050ad68 100644
--- a/test/search.js
+++ b/test/search.js
@@ -227,4 +227,25 @@ describe('Search', function () {
 			},
 		], done);
 	});
+
+	it('should return json search data with no categories', function (done) {
+		var qs = '/api/search?term=cucumber&in=titlesposts&searchOnly=1';
+		privileges.global.give(['search:content'], 'guests', function (err) {
+			assert.ifError(err);
+			request({
+				url: nconf.get('url') + qs,
+				json: true,
+			}, function (err, response, body) {
+				assert.ifError(err);
+				assert(body);
+				assert(body.hasOwnProperty('matchCount'));
+				assert(body.hasOwnProperty('pagination'));
+				assert(body.hasOwnProperty('pageCount'));
+				assert(body.hasOwnProperty('posts'));
+				assert(!body.hasOwnProperty('categories'));
+
+				privileges.global.rescind(['search:content'], 'guests', done);
+			});
+		});
+	});
 });