diff --git a/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStore.xml b/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStore.xml
index 98d46081ba..28aea14a31 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStore.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStore.xml
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@
                         <cm:authorityName>GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS</cm:authorityName>
                     </view:properties>
                 </cm:authorityContainer>
+                <cm:authorityContainer view:childName="cm:GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS">
+                    <view:aspects>
+                        <sys:referenceable />
+                    </view:aspects>
+                    <view:properties>
+                        <sys:node-uuid>GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS</sys:node-uuid>
+                        <cm:name>GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS</cm:name>
+                        <cm:authorityName>GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS</cm:authorityName>
+                    </view:properties>
+                </cm:authorityContainer>
             </sys:children>
         </view:associations>
     </sys:container>
@@ -80,6 +90,11 @@
                                 view:pathref="${system.authorities_container.childname}/cm:GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS"
                                 view:childName="cm:GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS" />
                         </cm:inZone>
+                        <cm:inZone>
+                            <view:reference
+                                view:pathref="${system.authorities_container.childname}/cm:GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS"
+                                view:childName="cm:GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS" />
+                        </cm:inZone>
                     </view:associations>
                 </cm:zone>
                 <cm:zone view:childName="cm:APP.DEFAULT">
@@ -106,6 +121,11 @@
                                 view:pathref="${system.authorities_container.childname}/cm:GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS"
                                 view:childName="cm:GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS" />
                         </cm:inZone>
+                        <cm:inZone>
+                            <view:reference
+                                view:pathref="${system.authorities_container.childname}/cm:GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS"
+                                view:childName="cm:GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS" />
+                        </cm:inZone>
                     </view:associations>
                 </cm:zone>
             </sys:children>
diff --git a/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStoreDefaultMembers.xml b/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStoreDefaultMembers.xml
index 8e47392a4e..463c3417bf 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStoreDefaultMembers.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/bootstrap/alfrescoAuthorityStoreDefaultMembers.xml
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@
          </cm:member>
       </view:associations>
    </view:reference>
+   <view:reference view:pathref="${system.authorities_container.childname}/cm:GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS">
+      <view:associations>
+         <cm:member>
+            <view:reference view:pathref="${system.people_container.childname}/cm:${alfresco_user_store.adminusername}"
+               view:childName="cm:${alfresco_user_store.adminusername}" />
+         </cm:member>
+      </view:associations>
+   </view:reference>
    <view:reference view:pathref="${system.zones_container.childname}/cm:AUTH.ALF">
       <view:associations>
          <cm:inZone>
diff --git a/config/alfresco/messages/patch-service.properties b/config/alfresco/messages/patch-service.properties
index 9dceaded2b..67d9cbbf16 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/messages/patch-service.properties
+++ b/config/alfresco/messages/patch-service.properties
@@ -515,3 +515,5 @@ patch.addGroupAuthority.start=Adding group authority.
 patch.addGroupAuthority.result=\n\Successfully added group authority: {0}
 
 patch.siteAdministrators.description=Adds the 'GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS' group
+
+patch.alfrescoSearchAdministrators.description=Adds the 'GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS' group
diff --git a/config/alfresco/patch/patch-services-context.xml b/config/alfresco/patch/patch-services-context.xml
index 686589598c..cb91500495 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/patch/patch-services-context.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/patch/patch-services-context.xml
@@ -3711,5 +3711,40 @@
              </bean>
         </property>
     </bean>
+    
+    <bean id="patch.alfrescoSearchAdministrators" class="org.alfresco.repo.admin.patch.impl.AddGroupAuthorityPatch" parent="basePatch" >
+        <property name="id"><value>patch.alfrescoSearchAdministrators</value></property>
+        <property name="description"><value>patch.alfrescoSearchAdministrators.description</value></property>
+        <property name="fixesFromSchema"><value>0</value></property>
+        <property name="fixesToSchema"><value>7003</value></property>
+        <property name="targetSchema"><value>7004</value></property>
+        <property name="dependsOn" >
+            <list>
+               <ref bean="patch.updateDmPermissions" />
+            </list>
+        </property>
+        <property name="authorityService">
+            <ref bean="authorityService" />
+        </property>
+        <property name="groupAuthorityDetails" >
+            <bean class="org.alfresco.repo.admin.patch.impl.AddGroupAuthorityPatch$GroupAuthorityDetails">
+                <property name="groupName">
+                    <value>ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS</value>
+                </property>
+                <property name="groupDisplayName">
+                    <value>ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS</value>
+                </property>
+                <property name="adminUserName">
+                    <value>${alfresco_user_store.adminusername}</value>
+                </property>
+                <property name="authorityZones">
+                    <set>
+                        <value>APP.DEFAULT</value>
+                        <value>AUTH.ALF</value>
+                     </set>
+                </property>
+             </bean>
+        </property>
+    </bean>
  
 </beans>
diff --git a/config/alfresco/version.properties b/config/alfresco/version.properties
index 383c221761..1ea9749996 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/version.properties
+++ b/config/alfresco/version.properties
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ version.build=r@scm-revision@-b@build-number@
 
 # Schema number
 
-version.schema=7003
+version.schema=7004
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityServiceTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityServiceTest.java
index 7e459a3e34..0e7d112277 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityServiceTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityServiceTest.java
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ public class AuthorityServiceTest extends TestCase
     
     private static final int DEFAULT_SITE_GRP_CNT = 5;      // default number of groups per site
     private static final int DEFAULT_SITE_ROOT_GRP_CNT = 1; // default number of root groups per site
-    private static final int DEFAULT_GRP_CNT = 3;           // default (non-site) bootstrap groups - 
-                                                            // eg. GROUP_ALFRESCO_ADMINISTRATORS, GROUP_EMAIL_CONTRIBUTORS, GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS
+    private static final int DEFAULT_GRP_CNT = 4;           // default (non-site) bootstrap groups - 
+                                                            // eg. GROUP_ALFRESCO_ADMINISTRATORS, GROUP_EMAIL_CONTRIBUTORS, GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS, GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS
     
     private int SITE_CNT = 0;
     private int GRP_CNT = 0;
@@ -431,8 +431,8 @@ public class AuthorityServiceTest extends TestCase
         assertTrue(authorityService.hasAdminAuthority());
         assertTrue(pubAuthorityService.hasAdminAuthority());
         Set<String> authorities = authorityService.getAuthorities();
-        // 5 => [GROUP_ALFRESCO_ADMINISTRATORS, GROUP_EMAIL_CONTRIBUTORS, GROUP_EVERYONE, GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS, ROLE_ADMINISTRATOR]
-        assertEquals("Unexpected result: " + authorities, 5 + (SITE_CNT*2), authorityService.getAuthorities().size());
+        // 6 => [GROUP_ALFRESCO_ADMINISTRATORS, GROUP_EMAIL_CONTRIBUTORS, GROUP_EVERYONE, GROUP_SITE_ADMINISTRATORS, ROLE_ADMINISTRATOR, GROUP_ALFRESCO_SEARCH_ADMINISTRATORS]
+        assertEquals("Unexpected result: " + authorities, 6 + (SITE_CNT*2), authorityService.getAuthorities().size());
     }
     
     public void testNoUser()