diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1bf0b6791..de6e63544 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       - `text`, `url`, `hidden`, `commalist`: 2048
       - `text` (multiline), `textarea`: 65536
 3. [](#bugfix)
-   * Fixed issue with `system.cache.gzip: true` resulted in "Fetch Failed" for PHP 8.0.17 and PHP 8.1.4 [PHP issue #8218](https://github.com/php/php-src/issues/8218).
+   * Fixed issue with `system.cache.gzip: true` resulted in "Fetch Failed" for PHP 8.0.17 and PHP 8.1.4 [PHP issue #8218](https://github.com/php/php-src/issues/8218)
    * Fix for multi-lang issues with Security Report
 
 # v1.7.31
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexCollection.php b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexCollection.php
index 186c60abc..9c5b16c31 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexCollection.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexCollection.php
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ class FlexCollection extends ObjectCollection implements FlexCollectionInterface
      */
     public function search(string $search, $properties = null, array $options = null)
     {
+        $directory = $this->getFlexDirectory();
+        $properties = $directory->getSearchProperties($properties);
+        $options = $directory->getSearchOptions($options);
+
         $matching = $this->call('search', [$search, $properties, $options]);
         $matching = array_filter($matching);
 
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexDirectory.php b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexDirectory.php
index f96633b31..b9df07597 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexDirectory.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexDirectory.php
@@ -170,6 +170,44 @@ class FlexDirectory implements FlexDirectoryInterface
         return null === $name ? $this->config : $this->config->get($name, $default);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param string|string[]|null
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function getSearchProperties($properties = null): array
+    {
+        if (null !== $properties) {
+            return (array)$properties;
+        }
+
+        $properties = $this->getConfig('data.search.fields');
+        if (!$properties) {
+            $fields = $this->getConfig('admin.views.list.fields') ?? $this->getConfig('admin.list.fields', []);
+            foreach ($fields as $property => $value) {
+                if (!empty($value['link'])) {
+                    $properties[] = $property;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $properties;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * @param array|null $options
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function getSearchOptions(array $options = null): array
+    {
+        if (empty($options['merge'])) {
+            return $options ?? (array)$this->getConfig('data.search.options');
+        }
+
+        unset($options['merge']);
+
+        return $options + (array)$this->getConfig('data.search.options');
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param string|null $name
      * @param array $options
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexIndex.php b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexIndex.php
index 54438af51..d02065fb7 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexIndex.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexIndex.php
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@ class FlexIndex extends ObjectIndex implements FlexIndexInterface
      */
     public function search(string $search, $properties = null, array $options = null)
     {
+        $directory = $this->getFlexDirectory();
+        $properties = $directory->getSearchProperties($properties);
+        $options = $directory->getSearchOptions($options);
+
         return $this->__call('search', [$search, $properties, $options]);
     }
 
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexObject.php b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexObject.php
index afc656c04..3808b2c64 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexObject.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Flex/FlexObject.php
@@ -287,17 +287,9 @@ class FlexObject implements FlexObjectInterface, FlexAuthorizeInterface
      */
     public function search(string $search, $properties = null, array $options = null): float
     {
-        $properties = (array)($properties ?? $this->getFlexDirectory()->getConfig('data.search.fields'));
-        if (!$properties) {
-            $fields = $this->getFlexDirectory()->getConfig('admin.views.list.fields') ?? $this->getFlexDirectory()->getConfig('admin.list.fields', []);
-            foreach ($fields as $property => $value) {
-                if (!empty($value['link'])) {
-                    $properties[] = $property;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        $options = $options ?? (array)$this->getFlexDirectory()->getConfig('data.search.options');
+        $directory = $this->getFlexDirectory();
+        $properties = $directory->getSearchProperties($properties);
+        $options = $directory->getSearchOptions($options);
 
         $weight = 0;
         foreach ($properties as $property) {