diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES.md b/RELEASE-NOTES.md
index a8c3c93ec..27767f0b3 100644
--- a/RELEASE-NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE-NOTES.md
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 - **Form Validation** - Revalidating a field `on: blur` could cause fields not yet interacted with to be validated #3606
 - **Rail** - Fixed incorrect width for `close rail` and `very close rail` caused by variable addition with mixed units `px` + `em` #3835
 - **Search** - A previous unfinished XHR query aborting would cause the next query to fail #2779
+- **Search** - Fixed an issue where `onResult` returning `false` would not prevent the search menu from hiding. Clicking on an empty results message will also no longer close the search results. #3856 #3870
 - **Video** - Fixed issue with `change` behavior not working properly when correctly to change videos.
 
 **Bugs**
diff --git a/src/definitions/modules/search.js b/src/definitions/modules/search.js
index c33d772cd..775cd2183 100644
--- a/src/definitions/modules/search.js
+++ b/src/definitions/modules/search.js
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ $.fn.search = function(parameters) {
         element         = this,
         instance        = $module.data(moduleNamespace),
 
+        disabledBubbled = false,
+
         module
       ;
 
@@ -168,8 +170,13 @@ $.fn.search = function(parameters) {
             if(module.resultsClicked) {
               module.debug('Determining if user action caused search to close');
               $module
-                .one('click', selector.results, function(event) {
-                  if( !module.is.animating() && !module.is.hidden() ) {
+                .one('click.close' + eventNamespace, selector.results, function(event) {
+                  if(module.is.inMessage(event) || disabledBubbled) {
+                    $prompt.focus();
+                    return;
+                  }
+                  disabledBubbled = false;
+                  if( !module.is.animating() && !module.is.hidden()) {
                     callback();
                   }
                 })
@@ -209,6 +216,7 @@ $.fn.search = function(parameters) {
               if( $.isFunction(settings.onSelect) ) {
                 if(settings.onSelect.call(element, result, results) === false) {
                   module.debug('Custom onSelect callback cancelled default select action');
+                  disabledBubbled = true;
                   return;
                 }
               }
@@ -356,6 +364,9 @@ $.fn.search = function(parameters) {
           hidden: function() {
             return $results.hasClass(className.hidden);
           },
+          inMessage: function(event) {
+            return (event.target && $(event.target).closest(selector.message).length > 0);
+          },
           empty: function() {
             return ($results.html() === '');
           },
@@ -1223,6 +1234,7 @@ $.fn.search.settings = {
     prompt       : '.prompt',
     searchButton : '.search.button',
     results      : '.results',
+    message      : '.results > .message',
     category     : '.category',
     result       : '.result',
     title        : '.title, .name'