diff --git a/husky_directory/blueprints/search.py b/husky_directory/blueprints/search.py
index b9b2c99..6e9537d 100644
--- a/husky_directory/blueprints/search.py
+++ b/husky_directory/blueprints/search.py
@@ -139,6 +139,38 @@ def handle_search_exception(e: Exception, context: RenderingContext):
                 "email help@uw.edu describing your problem."
             )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def set_preferences_for_cookie(context: RenderingContext):
+        """
+        When the search query is too short, the request_input data is dropped, but we still need a value for
+        'result_detail'
+        """
+        result_detail = "summary"
+        if context.request_input and context.request_input.length:
+            result_detail = context.request_input.length
+
+        preferences = PreferencesCookie(result_detail=result_detail).json(
+            exclude_unset=True, exclude_none=True
+        )
+        return preferences
+
+    def check_context(self, context: RenderingContext, request: Request):
+        if context.request_input:
+            return context
+        else:
+            context.request_input = SearchDirectoryFormInput(
+                method=request.form["method"],
+                population=request.form["population"],
+                length=request.form["length"],
+                person_href=None,
+                render_method=request.form["method"],
+                render_query="",
+                render_population=request.form["population"],
+                render_length=request.form["length"],
+                include_test_identities=False,
+            )
+            return context
+
     def search_listing(
         self,
         request: Request,
@@ -160,15 +192,15 @@ def search_listing(
             self.logger.exception(str(e))
             SearchBlueprint.handle_search_exception(e, context)
         finally:
+            context = self.check_context(context, request)
             response: Response = make_response(
                 render_template(
                     "views/search_results.html", **context.dict(exclude_none=True)
                 ),
                 context.status_code,
             )
-            preferences = PreferencesCookie(
-                result_detail=context.request_input.length
-            ).json(exclude_unset=True, exclude_none=True)
+
+            preferences = self.set_preferences_for_cookie(context)
             response.set_cookie(
                 settings.session_settings.preferences_cookie_name, value=preferences
             )
diff --git a/husky_directory/templates/search.html b/husky_directory/templates/search.html
index 81de3d8..fb2dadc 100644
--- a/husky_directory/templates/search.html
+++ b/husky_directory/templates/search.html
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ <h3>Search by</h3>
                        value="{{ search_value }}"
                        style="color:black; height:43px; z-index:0;" id="query"
                        {{ 'autofocus' if search_value is blank }}
-                       name="query">
+                       name="query"
+                >
                 <span class="input-group-btn">
                     <button class="btn search"
                             type="submit"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 506850d..01f4aed 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "uw-husky-directory"
-version = "2.2.4"
+version = "2.2.5"
 description = "An updated version of the UW Directory"
 authors = ["Thomas Thorogood <goodtom@uw.edu>"]
 license = "MIT"
diff --git a/tests/blueprints/test_search_blueprint.py b/tests/blueprints/test_search_blueprint.py
index 4149e9c..f03647c 100644
--- a/tests/blueprints/test_search_blueprint.py
+++ b/tests/blueprints/test_search_blueprint.py
@@ -41,6 +41,70 @@ def initialize(
 
 
 class TestSearchBlueprint(BlueprintSearchTestBase):
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "search_field, search_value, expected_value",
+        [
+            (
+                "name",
+                "",
+                "Invalid input for query (Name query string must contain at least 2 characters)",
+            ),
+            (
+                "phone",
+                "",
+                "Invalid input for query (Query string must contain at least 3 characters)",
+            ),
+            (
+                "department",
+                "",
+                "Invalid input for query (Query string must contain at least 3 characters)",
+            ),
+            (
+                "box_number",
+                "",
+                "Invalid input for query (Query string must contain at least 3 characters)",
+            ),
+            (
+                "email",
+                "",
+                "Invalid input for query (Query string must contain at least 3 characters)",
+            ),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_set_preferences_for_cookie(
+        self, search_field, search_value, expected_value
+    ):
+        response = self.flask_client.post(
+            "/",
+            data={
+                "query": search_value,
+                "method": search_field,
+                "population": "employees",
+                "length": "summary",
+            },
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == 400
+        with self.html_validator.validate_response(response) as html:
+            assert not html.find("table", summary="results")
+            assert html.find(string=re.compile("Encountered error"))
+            self.html_validator.assert_has_tag_with_text(
+                "b",
+                expected_value,
+            )
+
+    def test_empty_form(self):
+        """
+        if somehow a hacker passes an empty form to the back, we still won't return anything.
+        """
+        response = self.flask_client.post(
+            "/",
+            data={},
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        with self.html_validator.validate_response(response) as html:
+            assert not html.find("table", summary="results")
+            self.html_validator.assert_has_tag_with_text("p", "No matches for")
+
     def test_render_summary_success(
         self, search_method: str = "name", search_query: str = "lovelace"
     ):