diff --git a/src/state/actions/window.js b/src/state/actions/window.js
index 7cc2c60e9c32dc3f5211b46bdab496f958a78455..8eef9ec65ff8f5727e25f3f648703af9189a5298 100644
--- a/src/state/actions/window.js
+++ b/src/state/actions/window.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export function addWindow({ companionWindows, ...options }) {
     if (config.window.defaultSideBarPanel) {
       defaultCompanionWindows.unshift(
         {
-          content: config.window.defaultSideBarPanel,
+          content: options.defaultSearchQuery ? 'search' : config.window.defaultSideBarPanel,
           default: true,
           id: `cw-${uuid()}`,
           position: 'left',
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export function addWindow({ companionWindows, ...options }) {
       rangeId: null,
       rotation: null,
       selectedAnnotations: {},
-      sideBarOpen: config.window.sideBarOpenByDefault,
+      sideBarOpen: config.window.sideBarOpenByDefault || !!options.defaultSearchQuery,
       sideBarPanel: config.window.defaultSideBarPanel,
       thumbnailNavigationId: cwThumbs,
     };