diff --git a/api/current.xml b/api/current.xml
index ca8d81f9524b5..b704eb3fdc8d6 100644
--- a/api/current.xml
+++ b/api/current.xml
@@ -16991,6 +16991,23 @@
 <parameter name="get" type="boolean">
 </parameter>
 </method>
+<method name="triggerSearch"
+ return="void"
+ abstract="false"
+ native="false"
+ synchronized="false"
+ static="false"
+ final="false"
+ deprecated="not deprecated"
+ visibility="public"
+>
+<parameter name="query" type="java.lang.String">
+</parameter>
+<parameter name="appSearchData" type="android.os.Bundle">
+</parameter>
+<parameter name="globalSearch" type="boolean">
+</parameter>
+</method>
 <method name="unregisterForContextMenu"
  return="void"
  abstract="false"
@@ -23213,6 +23230,25 @@
  visibility="public"
 >
 </method>
+<method name="triggerSearch"
+ return="void"
+ abstract="false"
+ native="false"
+ synchronized="false"
+ static="false"
+ final="false"
+ deprecated="not deprecated"
+ visibility="public"
+>
+<parameter name="query" type="java.lang.String">
+</parameter>
+<parameter name="launchActivity" type="android.content.ComponentName">
+</parameter>
+<parameter name="appSearchData" type="android.os.Bundle">
+</parameter>
+<parameter name="globalSearch" type="boolean">
+</parameter>
+</method>
 <field name="ACTION_KEY"
  type="java.lang.String"
  transient="false"
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/Activity.java b/core/java/android/app/Activity.java
index 2f79fe971da53..c05e042d0b9f8 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/Activity.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/Activity.java
@@ -2535,6 +2535,25 @@ public class Activity extends ContextThemeWrapper
                         appSearchData, globalSearch); 
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Similar to {@link #startSearch}, but actually fires off the search query after invoking
+     * the search dialog.  Made available for testing purposes.
+     *
+     * @param query The query to trigger.  If empty, the request will be ignored.
+     * @param appSearchData An application can insert application-specific
+     * context here, in order to improve quality or specificity of its own
+     * searches.  This data will be returned with SEARCH intent(s).  Null if
+     * no extra data is required.
+     * @param globalSearch If false, this will only launch the search that has been specifically
+     * defined by the application (which is usually defined as a local search).  If no default
+     * search is defined in the current application or activity, no search will be launched.
+     * If true, this will always launch a platform-global (e.g. web-based) search instead.
+     */
+    public void triggerSearch(String query, Bundle appSearchData, boolean globalSearch) {
+        ensureSearchManager();
+        mSearchManager.triggerSearch(query, getComponentName(), appSearchData, globalSearch);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Request that key events come to this activity. Use this if your
      * activity has no views with focus, but the activity still wants
@@ -3256,7 +3275,7 @@ public class Activity extends ContextThemeWrapper
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("no ident");
             }
         }
-        mSearchManager.setIdent(ident);
+        mSearchManager.setIdent(ident, getComponentName());
     }
     
     @Override
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/ISearchManager.aidl b/core/java/android/app/ISearchManager.aidl
index bd725443e13a9..ed5dd3d2a051d 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/ISearchManager.aidl
+++ b/core/java/android/app/ISearchManager.aidl
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@ interface ISearchManager {
             boolean globalSearch,
             ISearchManagerCallback searchManagerCallback,
             int ident);
+
+    void triggerSearch(in String query,
+            in ComponentName launchActivity,
+            in Bundle appSearchData,
+            ISearchManagerCallback searchManagerCallback,
+            boolean globalSearch,
+            int ident);
+
     void stopSearch();
+
+
     boolean isVisible();
+
 }
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/SearchDialog.java b/core/java/android/app/SearchDialog.java
index b75bec2dc8eb4..8a9cca7fdd58e 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/SearchDialog.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/SearchDialog.java
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ public class SearchDialog extends Dialog implements OnItemClickListener, OnItemS
     /**
      * Launch a search for the text in the query text field.
      */
-    protected void launchQuerySearch()  {
+    public void launchQuerySearch()  {
         launchQuerySearch(KeyEvent.KEYCODE_UNKNOWN, null);
     }
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/SearchManager.java b/core/java/android/app/SearchManager.java
index 97d46f8efb59c..15a277ca2b14c 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/SearchManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/SearchManager.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import android.os.ServiceManager;
 import android.server.search.SearchableInfo;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.KeyEvent;
+import android.text.TextUtils;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -1622,7 +1623,17 @@ public class SearchManager
 
     private final Context mContext;
 
+    /**
+     * compact representation of the activity associated with this search manager so
+     * we can say who we are when starting search.  the search managerservice, in turn,
+     * uses this to properly handle the back stack.
+     */
     private int mIdent;
+
+    /**
+     * The package associated with this seach manager.
+     */
+    private String mAssociatedPackage;
     
     // package private since they are used by the inner class SearchManagerCallback
     /* package */ final Handler mHandler;
@@ -1642,11 +1653,15 @@ public class SearchManager
         return mIdent != 0;
     }
     
-    /*package*/ void setIdent(int ident) {
+    /*package*/ void setIdent(int ident, ComponentName component) {
         if (mIdent != 0) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("mIdent already set");
         }
+        if (component == null) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("component must be non-null");
+        }
         mIdent = ident;
+        mAssociatedPackage = component.getPackageName();
     }
     
     /**
@@ -1696,12 +1711,55 @@ public class SearchManager
                             boolean globalSearch) {
         if (mIdent == 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                 "Called from outside of an Activity context");
+        if (!globalSearch && !mAssociatedPackage.equals(launchActivity.getPackageName())) {
+            Log.w(TAG, "invoking app search on a different package " +
+                    "not associated with this search manager");
+        }
         try {
             // activate the search manager and start it up!
             mService.startSearch(initialQuery, selectInitialQuery, launchActivity, appSearchData,
                     globalSearch, mSearchManagerCallback, mIdent);
         } catch (RemoteException ex) {
-            Log.e(TAG, "startSearch() failed: " + ex);
+            Log.e(TAG, "startSearch() failed.", ex);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Similar to {@link #startSearch} but actually fires off the search query after invoking
+     * the search dialog.  Made available for testing purposes.
+     *
+     * @param query The query to trigger.  If empty, request will be ignored.
+     * @param launchActivity The ComponentName of the activity that has launched this search.
+     * @param appSearchData An application can insert application-specific
+     * context here, in order to improve quality or specificity of its own
+     * searches.  This data will be returned with SEARCH intent(s).  Null if
+     * no extra data is required.
+     * @param globalSearch If false, this will only launch the search that has been specifically
+     * defined by the application (which is usually defined as a local search).  If no default
+     * search is defined in the current application or activity, no search will be launched.
+     * If true, this will always launch a platform-global (e.g. web-based) search instead.
+     *
+     * @see #startSearch
+     */
+    public void triggerSearch(String query,
+                              ComponentName launchActivity,
+                              Bundle appSearchData,
+                              boolean globalSearch) {
+        if (mIdent == 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                "Called from outside of an Activity context");
+        if (!mAssociatedPackage.equals(launchActivity.getPackageName())) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("invoking app search on a different package " +
+                    "not associated with this search manager");
+        }
+        if (query == null || TextUtils.getTrimmedLength(query) == 0) {
+            Log.w(TAG, "triggerSearch called with empty query, ignoring.");
+            return;
+        }
+        try {
+            mService.triggerSearch(query, launchActivity, appSearchData, mSearchManagerCallback,
+                    globalSearch, mIdent);
+        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "triggerSearch() failed.", ex);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/server/search/SearchDialogWrapper.java b/core/java/android/server/search/SearchDialogWrapper.java
index 49718cb0acd0f..9ee64af367d55 100644
--- a/core/java/android/server/search/SearchDialogWrapper.java
+++ b/core/java/android/server/search/SearchDialogWrapper.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ implements DialogInterface.OnCancelListener, DialogInterface.OnDismissListener {
     // data[KEY_INITIAL_QUERY]: initial query
     // data[KEY_LAUNCH_ACTIVITY]: launch activity
     // data[KEY_APP_SEARCH_DATA]: app search data
+    // data[KEY_TRIGGER]: 0 = false, 1 = true
     private static final int MSG_START_SEARCH = 1;
     // Takes no arguments
     private static final int MSG_STOP_SEARCH = 2;
@@ -69,7 +70,8 @@ implements DialogInterface.OnCancelListener, DialogInterface.OnDismissListener {
     private static final String KEY_INITIAL_QUERY = "q";
     private static final String KEY_LAUNCH_ACTIVITY = "a";
     private static final String KEY_APP_SEARCH_DATA = "d";
-    private static final String KEY_IDENT= "i";
+    private static final String KEY_IDENT = "i";
+    private static final String KEY_TRIGGER = "t";
 
     // Context used for getting search UI resources
     private final Context mContext;
@@ -173,7 +175,8 @@ implements DialogInterface.OnCancelListener, DialogInterface.OnDismissListener {
             final Bundle appSearchData,
             final boolean globalSearch,
             final ISearchManagerCallback searchManagerCallback,
-            int ident) {
+            int ident,
+            boolean trigger) {
         if (DBG) debug("startSearch()");
         Message msg = Message.obtain();
         msg.what = MSG_START_SEARCH;
@@ -185,6 +188,7 @@ implements DialogInterface.OnCancelListener, DialogInterface.OnDismissListener {
         msgData.putParcelable(KEY_LAUNCH_ACTIVITY, launchActivity);
         msgData.putBundle(KEY_APP_SEARCH_DATA, appSearchData);
         msgData.putInt(KEY_IDENT, ident);
+        msgData.putInt(KEY_TRIGGER, trigger ? 1 : 0);
         mSearchUiThread.sendMessage(msg);
         // be a little more eager in setting this so isVisible will return the correct value if
         // called immediately after startSearch
@@ -268,8 +272,9 @@ implements DialogInterface.OnCancelListener, DialogInterface.OnDismissListener {
             boolean globalSearch = msg.arg2 != 0;
             ISearchManagerCallback searchManagerCallback = (ISearchManagerCallback) msg.obj;
             int ident = msgData.getInt(KEY_IDENT);
+            boolean trigger = msgData.getInt(KEY_TRIGGER) != 0;
             performStartSearch(initialQuery, selectInitialQuery, launchActivity,
-                    appSearchData, globalSearch, searchManagerCallback, ident);
+                    appSearchData, globalSearch, searchManagerCallback, ident, trigger);
         }
 
     }
@@ -284,7 +289,8 @@ implements DialogInterface.OnCancelListener, DialogInterface.OnDismissListener {
             Bundle appSearchData,
             boolean globalSearch,
             ISearchManagerCallback searchManagerCallback,
-            int ident) {
+            int ident,
+            boolean trigger) {
         if (DBG) debug("performStartSearch()");
 
         registerBroadcastReceiver();
@@ -301,6 +307,9 @@ implements DialogInterface.OnCancelListener, DialogInterface.OnDismissListener {
         mSearchDialog.show(initialQuery, selectInitialQuery, launchActivity, appSearchData,
                 globalSearch);
         mVisible = true;
+        if (trigger) {
+            mSearchDialog.launchQuerySearch();
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/java/android/server/search/SearchManagerService.java b/core/java/android/server/search/SearchManagerService.java
index afed4a4968ce2..5e0b3d2b14dd3 100644
--- a/core/java/android/server/search/SearchManagerService.java
+++ b/core/java/android/server/search/SearchManagerService.java
@@ -233,7 +233,31 @@ public class SearchManagerService extends ISearchManager.Stub {
                 appSearchData,
                 globalSearch,
                 searchManagerCallback,
-                ident);
+                ident,
+                false); // don't trigger
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Launches the search UI and triggers the search, as if the user had clicked on the
+     * search button within the dialog.
+     *
+     * @see SearchManager#triggerSearch(String, android.content.ComponentName, android.os.Bundle)
+     */
+    public void triggerSearch(String query,
+            ComponentName launchActivity,
+            Bundle appSearchData,
+            ISearchManagerCallback searchManagerCallback,
+            boolean globalSearch,
+            int ident) {
+        getSearchDialog().startSearch(
+                query,
+                false,
+                launchActivity,
+                appSearchData,
+                globalSearch,
+                searchManagerCallback,
+                ident,
+                true); // triger search after launching
     }
 
     /**