diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 5b509d499..7b6465386 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ New features added
 
 * Configuration:
 
-- The new ``html_add_permalinks`` config value can be used to
+  - The new ``html_add_permalinks`` config value can be used to
     switch off the generated "paragraph sign" permalinks for each
     heading and definition environment.
 
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ New features added
 Release 0.5.1 (in development)
 ==============================
 
+* Fix the JavaScript search when html_copy_source is off.
+
 * Fix a bug in autodoc when documenting classes with the option.
   ``autoclass_content = "both"`` set.
 
diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
index c7e07477f..53816cc7a 100644
--- a/doc/config.rst
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -402,6 +402,12 @@ that use Sphinx' HTMLWriter class.
    If true, the reST sources are included in the HTML build as
    :file:`_sources/{name}`.  The default is ``True``.
 
+   .. warning::
+
+      If this config value is set to ``False``, the JavaScript search function
+      will only display the titles of matching documents, and no excerpt from
+      the matching contents.
+
 .. confval:: html_use_opensearch
 
    If nonempty, an `OpenSearch <http://opensearch.org>` description file will be
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/html.py b/sphinx/builders/html.py
index 7592dced7..67b3557de 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/html.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/html.py
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ class StandaloneHTMLBuilder(Builder):
             docstitle = self.config.html_title,
             shorttitle = self.config.html_short_title,
             show_sphinx = self.config.html_show_sphinx,
+            has_source = self.config.html_copy_source,
             file_suffix = self.out_suffix,
             script_files = self.script_files,
             sphinx_version = __version__,
diff --git a/sphinx/static/searchtools.js b/sphinx/static/searchtools.js
index eb7d62c38..f9d9b6c39 100644
--- a/sphinx/static/searchtools.js
+++ b/sphinx/static/searchtools.js
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ var Search = {
           listItem.slideDown(5, function() {
             displayNextItem();
           });
-        } else {
+        } else if (DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.HAS_SOURCE) {
           $.get('_sources/' + item[0] + '.txt', function(data) {
             listItem.append($.makeSearchSummary(data, searchterms, hlterms));
             Search.output.append(listItem);
@@ -439,6 +439,12 @@ var Search = {
               displayNextItem();
             });
           });
+        } else {
+          // no source available, just display title
+          Search.output.append(listItem);
+          listItem.slideDown(5, function() {
+            displayNextItem();
+          });
         }
       }
       // search finished, update title and status message
diff --git a/sphinx/templates/layout.html b/sphinx/templates/layout.html
index 3efb7a8db..d9c9045d3 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/layout.html
+++ b/sphinx/templates/layout.html
@@ -105,10 +105,11 @@
     {%- if builder != 'htmlhelp' %}
     <script type="text/javascript">
       var DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS = {
-          URL_ROOT:    '{{ pathto("", 1) }}',
-          VERSION:     '{{ release|e }}',
-          COLLAPSE_MODINDEX: false,
-          FILE_SUFFIX: '{{ file_suffix }}'
+        URL_ROOT:    '{{ pathto("", 1) }}',
+        VERSION:     '{{ release|e }}',
+        COLLAPSE_MODINDEX: false,
+        FILE_SUFFIX: '{{ file_suffix }}',
+        HAS_SOURCE:  {{ has_source|lower }}
       };
     </script>
     {%- for scriptfile in script_files %}