diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/urls/frontend.py b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/urls/frontend.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 54c33c27cf..0000000000
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/urls/frontend.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-from django.conf.urls import patterns, url
-
-
-urlpatterns = patterns(
-    "wagtail.wagtailsearch.views.frontend",
-    url(r"^$", "search", name="wagtailsearch_search"),
-    url(r"^suggest/$", "suggest", name="wagtailsearch_suggest"),
-)
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/__init__.py b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/__init__.py
index e69de29bb2..46e2526f62 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/__init__.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from frontend import search
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/frontend.py b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/frontend.py
index 67f4e7ca73..ab55ec6680 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/frontend.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/frontend.py
@@ -9,13 +9,30 @@ from wagtail.wagtailcore import models
 from wagtail.wagtailsearch.models import Query
 
 
-def search(request):
-    query_string = request.GET.get("q", "")
-    page = request.GET.get("p", 1)
+def search(
+        request,
+        template='wagtailsearch/search_results.html', 
+        template_ajax=None,
+        results_per_page=10,
+        use_json=False,
+        json_attrs=['title', 'url'],
+        show_unpublished=False,
+        search_title_only=False,
+        extra_filters={},
+        path=None,
+    ):
+    query_string = request.GET.get('q', '')
+    page = request.GET.get('p', 1)
 
     # Search
-    if query_string != "":
-        search_results = models.Page.search(query_string, path=request.site.root_page.path)
+    if query_string != '':
+        search_results = models.Page.search(
+            query_string,
+            show_unpublished=show_unpublished,
+            search_title_only=search_title_only,
+            extra_filters=extra_filters,
+            path=path if path else request.site.root_page.path
+        )
 
         # Get query object
         query = Query.get(query_string)
@@ -24,7 +41,7 @@ def search(request):
         query.add_hit()
 
         # Pagination
-        paginator = Paginator(search_results, 10)
+        paginator = Paginator(search_results, results_per_page)
         try:
             search_results = paginator.page(page)
         except PageNotAnInteger:
@@ -35,34 +52,28 @@ def search(request):
         query = None
         search_results = None
 
-    # Render
-    template_name = None
-    if request.is_ajax():
-        template_name = getattr(settings, 'WAGTAILSEARCH_RESULTS_TEMPLATE_AJAX', None)
-    if template_name is None:
-        template_name = getattr(settings, 'WAGTAILSEARCH_RESULTS_TEMPLATE', 'wagtailsearch/search_results.html')
+    if use_json: # Return a json response
+        if search_results:
+            search_results_json = []
+            for result in search_results:
+                result_specific = result.specific
 
-    return render(request, template_name, dict(query_string=query_string, search_results=search_results, is_ajax=request.is_ajax(), query=query))
+                search_results_json.append({
+                    attr: getattr(result_specific, attr)
+                    for attr in json_attrs
+                    if hasattr(result_specific, attr)
+                })
 
+            return HttpResponse(json.dumps(search_results_json))
+        else:
+            return HttpResponse('[]')
+    else: # Render a template
+        if request.is_ajax() and template_ajax:
+            template = template_ajax
 
-def suggest(request):
-    query_string = request.GET.get("q", "")
-
-    # Search
-    if query_string != "":
-        search_results = models.Page.search(query_string, search_title_only=True, path=request.site.root_page.path)[:5]
-
-        # Get list of suggestions
-        suggestions = []
-        for result in search_results:
-            search_name = result.specific.search_name
-
-            suggestions.append({
-                "label": result.title,
-                "type": search_name if search_name else '',
-                "url": result.url,
-            })
-
-        return HttpResponse(json.dumps(suggestions))
-    else:
-        return HttpResponse("[]")
+        return render(request, template, dict(
+            query_string=query_string,
+            search_results=search_results,
+            is_ajax=request.is_ajax(),
+            query=query
+        ))