diff --git a/assets/globals.d.ts b/assets/globals.d.ts
index 7a4a9f060..8618de643 100644
--- a/assets/globals.d.ts
+++ b/assets/globals.d.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ interface IClientConfig {
         }
     };
     agenda_sort_events_with_coverage_on_top?: boolean;
+    collapsed_search_by_default?: boolean;
     show_user_register?: boolean;
     multimedia_website_search_url?: string;
 }
diff --git a/assets/search/components/SearchResultsBar/index.tsx b/assets/search/components/SearchResultsBar/index.tsx
index 17e4eaa9c..152300ab2 100644
--- a/assets/search/components/SearchResultsBar/index.tsx
+++ b/assets/search/components/SearchResultsBar/index.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import {connect} from 'react-redux';
 
 import {IAgendaState, IFilterGroup, INavigation, ISearchFields, ISearchParams, ITopic, IUser, ISearchSortValue} from 'interfaces';
 
-import {gettext} from 'utils';
+import {COLLAPSED_SEARCH_BY_DEFAULT, gettext} from 'utils';
 import {searchParamsSelector, navigationsByIdSelector, filterGroupsByIdSelector} from '../../selectors';
 import {getAdvancedSearchFields} from '../../utils';
 import {
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ class SearchResultsBarComponent extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         super(props);
 
         this.topicNotNull = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get('topic') != null;
+
         this.state = {
-            isTagSectionShown: this.props.initiallyOpen || this.topicNotNull,
+            isTagSectionShown: COLLAPSED_SEARCH_BY_DEFAULT === true ? false : (this.props.initiallyOpen || this.topicNotNull),
         };
 
         this.toggleTagSection = this.toggleTagSection.bind(this);
diff --git a/assets/utils.tsx b/assets/utils.tsx
index e92d8577b..f97a3f183 100644
--- a/assets/utils.tsx
+++ b/assets/utils.tsx
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export const DAY_IN_MINUTES = 24 * 60 - 1;
 export const LIST_ANIMATIONS = getConfig('list_animations', true);
 export const DISPLAY_NEWS_ONLY = getConfig('display_news_only', true);
 export const AGENDA_SORT_EVENTS_WITH_COVERAGE_ON_TOP = getConfig('agenda_sort_events_with_coverage_on_top', false);
+export const COLLAPSED_SEARCH_BY_DEFAULT = getConfig('collapsed_search_by_default', false);
 export const DISPLAY_AUTHOR_ROLE = getConfig('display_author_role', true);
 export const DISPLAY_AGENDA_FEATURED_STORIES_ONLY = getConfig('display_agenda_featured_stories_only', true);
 export const DISPLAY_ALL_VERSIONS_TOGGLE = getConfig('display_all_versions_toggle', true);
diff --git a/newsroom/web/default_settings.py b/newsroom/web/default_settings.py
index 338fbdee1..5a7e5660c 100644
--- a/newsroom/web/default_settings.py
+++ b/newsroom/web/default_settings.py
@@ -398,6 +398,7 @@
         },
     },
     "agenda_sort_events_with_coverage_on_top": False,
+    "collapsed_search_by_default": False,
 }
 
 # Enable rendering of the date in the base view