diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
index 2176e31fc..58df2bfd8 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
@@ -1308,10 +1308,8 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
         view.search(text, flags | QWebPage.HighlightAllOccurrences)
         view.search_text = text
         view.search_flags = flags
-        main_window = objreg.get('main-window', scope='window',
-                                 window=self._win_id)
-        main_window.search_text = text
-        main_window.search_flags = flags
+        self._tabbed_browser.search_text = text
+        self._tabbed_browser.search_flags = flags
 
     @cmdutils.register(instance='command-dispatcher', hide=True,
                        scope='window', count='count')
@@ -1322,14 +1320,12 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
             count: How many elements to ignore.
         """
         view = self._current_widget()
-        main_window = objreg.get('main-window', scope='window',
-                                 window=self._win_id)
 
-        self._clear_search(view, main_window.search_text)
+        self._clear_search(view, self._tabbed_browser.search_text)
 
-        if main_window.search_text is not None:
-            view.search_text = main_window.search_text
-            view.search_flags = main_window.search_flags
+        if self._tabbed_browser.search_text is not None:
+            view.search_text = self._tabbed_browser.search_text
+            view.search_flags = self._tabbed_browser.search_flags
             view.search(view.search_text,
                         view.search_flags | QWebPage.HighlightAllOccurrences)
             for _ in range(count):
@@ -1344,13 +1340,11 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
             count: How many elements to ignore.
         """
         view = self._current_widget()
-        main_window = objreg.get('main-window', scope='window',
-                                window=self._win_id)
-        self._clear_search(view, main_window.search_text)
+        self._clear_search(view, self._tabbed_browser.search_text)
 
-        if main_window.search_text is not None:
-            view.search_text = main_window.search_text
-            view.search_flags = main_window.search_flags
+        if self._tabbed_browser.search_text is not None:
+            view.search_text = self._tabbed_browser.search_text
+            view.search_flags = self._tabbed_browser.search_flags
             view.search(view.search_text,
                         view.search_flags | QWebPage.HighlightAllOccurrences)
         # The int() here serves as a QFlags constructor to create a copy of the
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/mainwindow.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/mainwindow.py
index 460207329..8b13f4e24 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/mainwindow.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/mainwindow.py
@@ -109,8 +109,6 @@ class MainWindow(QWidget):
         self._commandrunner = None
         self.win_id = next(win_id_gen)
         self.registry = objreg.ObjectRegistry()
-        self.search_text = None
-        self.search_flags = 0
         objreg.window_registry[self.win_id] = self
         objreg.register('main-window', self, scope='window',
                         window=self.win_id)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
index 2f1bd1f5f..14817ac30 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ class TabbedBrowser(tabwidget.TabWidget):
          emitted if the signal occurred in the current tab.
 
     Attributes:
+        search_text/search_flags: Search parameters which are shared between
+                                  all tabs.
         _win_id: The window ID this tabbedbrowser is associated with.
         _filter: A SignalFilter instance.
         _now_focused: The tab which is focused now.
@@ -108,6 +110,8 @@ class TabbedBrowser(tabwidget.TabWidget):
         self._undo_stack = []
         self._filter = signalfilter.SignalFilter(win_id, self)
         self._now_focused = None
+        self.search_text = None
+        self.search_flags = 0
         objreg.get('config').changed.connect(self.update_favicons)
         objreg.get('config').changed.connect(self.update_window_title)
         objreg.get('config').changed.connect(self.update_tab_titles)