diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb
index 5b83d80e22..0d47f8ab17 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb
@@ -43,15 +43,15 @@ module Homebrew
       Descriptions.search(regex, :desc).print
     elsif ARGV.first =~ HOMEBREW_TAP_FORMULA_REGEX
       query = ARGV.first
-      user, repo, name = query.split("/", 3)
 
       begin
         result = Formulary.factory(query).name
+        results = Array(result)
       rescue FormulaUnavailableError
-        result = search_tap(user, repo, name)
+        _, _, name = query.split("/", 3)
+        results = search_taps(name)
       end
 
-      results = Array(result)
       puts Formatter.columns(results) unless results.empty?
     else
       query = ARGV.first
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/search_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/search_spec.rb
index bd2056a48c..7c97e6e357 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/search_spec.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/search_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 describe "brew search", :integration_test do
   before(:each) do
     setup_test_formula "testball"
+    setup_remote_tap "caskroom/cask"
   end
 
   it "lists all available Formulae when no argument is given" do
@@ -24,6 +25,13 @@ describe "brew search", :integration_test do
       .and be_a_success
   end
 
+  it "falls back to a tap search when no formula is found" do
+    expect { brew "search", "caskroom/cask/firefox" }
+      .to output(/firefox/).to_stdout
+      .and not_to_output.to_stderr
+      .and be_a_success
+  end
+
   describe "--desc" do
     let(:desc_cache) { HOMEBREW_CACHE/"desc_cache.json" }