diff --git a/src/app/components/search/search-input/search-input.component.ts b/src/app/components/search/search-input/search-input.component.ts
index e2c4f4a70..53c07bf68 100644
--- a/src/app/components/search/search-input/search-input.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/search/search-input/search-input.component.ts
@@ -131,7 +131,9 @@ export class SearchInputComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
 
       if (urlSegmentGroup) {
         const urlSegments: UrlSegment[] = urlSegmentGroup.segments;
-        this.searchedWord = urlSegments[0].parameters['q'] || '';
+        this.searchedWord = urlSegments[0].parameters['q']
+          ? decodeURIComponent(urlSegments[0].parameters['q'])
+          : '';
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts b/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
index 754005081..6481c785b 100644
--- a/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { Store } from '@ngrx/store';
 import { NavigateToFolder } from '../../../store/actions';
 import { Pagination } from '@alfresco/js-api';
 import { SearchQueryBuilderService } from '@alfresco/adf-content-services';
+import { ActivatedRoute } from '@angular/router';
 
 describe('SearchComponent', () => {
   let component: SearchResultsComponent;
@@ -18,7 +19,25 @@ describe('SearchComponent', () => {
 
   beforeEach(async(() => {
     TestBed.configureTestingModule({
-      imports: [CoreModule.forRoot(), AppTestingModule, AppSearchResultsModule]
+      imports: [CoreModule.forRoot(), AppTestingModule, AppSearchResultsModule],
+      providers: [
+        {
+          provide: ActivatedRoute,
+          useValue: {
+            snapshot: {
+              data: {
+                sortingPreferenceKey: ''
+              }
+            },
+            params: [
+              {
+                q:
+                  'TYPE: "cm:folder" AND %28=cm: name: email OR cm: name: budget%29'
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        }
+      ]
     });
 
     config = TestBed.get(AppConfigService);
@@ -27,9 +46,18 @@ describe('SearchComponent', () => {
 
     fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SearchResultsComponent);
     component = fixture.componentInstance;
+
+    spyOn(queryBuilder, 'update').and.stub();
+
     fixture.detectChanges();
   }));
 
+  it('should decode encoded URI', () => {
+    expect(queryBuilder.userQuery).toEqual(
+      '(TYPE: "cm:folder" AND (=cm: name: email OR cm: name: budget))'
+    );
+  });
+
   it('should return null if formatting invalid query', () => {
     expect(component.formatSearchQuery(null)).toBeNull();
     expect(component.formatSearchQuery('')).toBeNull();
@@ -169,8 +197,6 @@ describe('SearchComponent', () => {
       skipCount: 0
     });
 
-    spyOn(queryBuilder, 'update').and.stub();
-
     component.onPaginationChanged(page);
 
     expect(queryBuilder.paging).toEqual({
diff --git a/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.ts b/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.ts
index 6b4d552a7..f183f61f5 100644
--- a/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/search/search-results/search-results.component.ts
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export class SearchResultsComponent extends PageComponent implements OnInit {
         const query = this.formatSearchQuery(this.searchedWord);
 
         if (query) {
-          this.queryBuilder.userQuery = query;
+          this.queryBuilder.userQuery = decodeURIComponent(query);
           this.queryBuilder.update();
         } else {
           this.queryBuilder.userQuery = null;
diff --git a/src/app/store/effects/search.effects.spec.ts b/src/app/store/effects/search.effects.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..639a316a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/store/effects/search.effects.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*!
+ * @license
+ * Alfresco Example Content Application
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 - 2018 Alfresco Software Limited
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Alfresco Example Content Application.
+ * If the software was purchased under a paid Alfresco license, the terms of
+ * the paid license agreement will prevail.  Otherwise, the software is
+ * provided under the following open source license terms:
+ *
+ * The Alfresco Example Content Application is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * The Alfresco Example Content Application is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+import { TestBed, fakeAsync, tick } from '@angular/core/testing';
+import { AppTestingModule } from '../../testing/app-testing.module';
+import { SearchEffects } from './search.effects';
+import { EffectsModule } from '@ngrx/effects';
+import { Store } from '@ngrx/store';
+import { SearchByTermAction } from '../actions/search.actions';
+import { Router } from '@angular/router';
+
+describe('SearchEffects', () => {
+  let store: Store<any>;
+  let router: Router;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+      imports: [AppTestingModule, EffectsModule.forRoot([SearchEffects])]
+    });
+
+    store = TestBed.get(Store);
+    router = TestBed.get(Router);
+
+    spyOn(router, 'navigateByUrl').and.stub();
+  });
+
+  describe('searchByTerm$', () => {
+    it('should navigate to `search` when search options has library false', fakeAsync(() => {
+      store.dispatch(new SearchByTermAction('test', []));
+      tick();
+      expect(router.navigateByUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/search;q=test');
+    }));
+
+    it('should navigate to `search-libraries` when search options has library true', fakeAsync(() => {
+      store.dispatch(
+        new SearchByTermAction('test', [{ id: 'libraries', value: true }])
+      );
+
+      tick();
+
+      expect(router.navigateByUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        '/search-libraries;q=test'
+      );
+    }));
+
+    it('should encode search string for parentheses', fakeAsync(() => {
+      store.dispatch(new SearchByTermAction('(test)', []));
+
+      tick();
+
+      expect(router.navigateByUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        '/search;q=%2528test%2529'
+      );
+    }));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/app/store/effects/search.effects.ts b/src/app/store/effects/search.effects.ts
index 2f5cc3673..8b9063c4e 100644
--- a/src/app/store/effects/search.effects.ts
+++ b/src/app/store/effects/search.effects.ts
@@ -38,18 +38,20 @@ export class SearchEffects {
   searchByTerm$ = this.actions$.pipe(
     ofType<SearchByTermAction>(SEARCH_BY_TERM),
     map(action => {
+      const query = action.payload
+        .replace(/[(]/g, '%28')
+        .replace(/[)]/g, '%29');
+
       const libItem = action.searchOptions.find(
         item => item.id === SearchOptionIds.Libraries
       );
       const librarySelected = !!libItem && libItem.value;
       if (librarySelected) {
         this.router.navigateByUrl(
-          '/search-libraries;q=' + encodeURIComponent(action.payload)
+          '/search-libraries;q=' + encodeURIComponent(query)
         );
       } else {
-        this.router.navigateByUrl(
-          '/search;q=' + encodeURIComponent(action.payload)
-        );
+        this.router.navigateByUrl('/search;q=' + encodeURIComponent(query));
       }
     })
   );