diff --git src/includes/replies/template.php src/includes/replies/template.php
index b8e9b41..1351f19 100644
--- src/includes/replies/template.php
+++ src/includes/replies/template.php
@@ -139,9 +139,14 @@ function bbp_has_replies( $args = '' ) {
 		'order'               => 'ASC',                      // Oldest to newest
 		'hierarchical'        => $default_thread_replies,    // Hierarchical replies
 		'ignore_sticky_posts' => true,                       // Stickies not supported
-		's'                   => $default_reply_search,      // Maybe search
 	);

+	// Only set search arg if we're doing a search
+	// See https://bbpress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2607
+	if ( !empty( $_REQUEST['rs'] ) ) {
+		$default['s'] = $_REQUEST['rs'];
+	}
+
 	// What are the default allowed statuses (based on user caps)
 	if ( bbp_get_view_all() ) {

diff --git src/includes/topics/template.php src/includes/topics/template.php
index c5fc8fb..c4fe1bb 100644
--- src/includes/topics/template.php
+++ src/includes/topics/template.php
@@ -157,11 +157,16 @@ function bbp_has_topics( $args = '' ) {
 		'order'          => 'DESC',                    // 'ASC', 'DESC'
 		'posts_per_page' => bbp_get_topics_per_page(), // Topics per page
 		'paged'          => bbp_get_paged(),           // Page Number
-		's'              => $default_topic_search,     // Topic Search
 		'show_stickies'  => $default_show_stickies,    // Ignore sticky topics?
 		'max_num_pages'  => false,                     // Maximum number of pages to show
 	);

+	// Only set search arg if we're doing a search
+	// See https://bbpress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2607
+	if ( !empty( $_REQUEST['ts'] ) ) {
+		$default['s'] = $_REQUEST['ts'];
+	}
+
 	// What are the default allowed statuses (based on user caps)
 	if ( bbp_get_view_all() ) {