diff --git a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/search.rs b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/search.rs
index 1144c9f588..2acbd7525b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/search.rs
+++ b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/search.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ pub fn create_files(search_config: &Search, destination: &Path, book: &Book) ->
     }
 
     if search_config.copy_js {
-        utils::fs::write_file(destination, "searchindex.json", index.as_bytes())?;
         utils::fs::write_file(
             destination,
             "searchindex.js",
diff --git a/src/theme/searcher/searcher.js b/src/theme/searcher/searcher.js
index dc03e0a02d..a58df45a7d 100644
--- a/src/theme/searcher/searcher.js
+++ b/src/theme/searcher/searcher.js
@@ -468,9 +468,17 @@ window.search = window.search || {};
         showResults(true);
     }
 
-    fetch(path_to_root + 'searchindex.json')
-        .then(response => response.json())
-        .then(json => init(json))        
+    fetch(path_to_root + 'searchindex.js')
+        .then(response => response.text())
+        .then(text => {
+            const jsonMatch = text.match(/Object\.assign\(window\.search,\s*(\{[\s\S]*\})\s*\)/);
+            if (jsonMatch && jsonMatch[1]) {
+                return JSON.parse(jsonMatch[1]);
+            } else {
+                throw new Error('Unable to extract JSON from the script');
+            }
+        })
+        .then(json => init(json))
         .catch(error => { // Try to load searchindex.js if fetch failed
             var script = document.createElement('script');
             script.src = path_to_root + 'searchindex.js';