diff --git a/sphinx/themes/basic/search.html b/sphinx/themes/basic/search.html
index eac326055..39193549f 100644
--- a/sphinx/themes/basic/search.html
+++ b/sphinx/themes/basic/search.html
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@
 {% extends "layout.html" %}
 {% set title = _('Search') %}
 {% set script_files = script_files + ['_static/searchtools.js'] %}
+{% block extrahead %}
+  <script type="text/javascript">
+    jQuery(function() { Search.loadIndex("{{ pathto('searchindex.js', 1) }}"); });
+  </script>
+  {{ super() }}
+{% endblock %}
 {% block body %}
   <h1 id="search-documentation">{{ _('Search') }}</h1>
   <div id="fallback" class="admonition warning">
@@ -48,7 +54,3 @@
   {% endif %}
   </div>
 {% endblock %}
-{% block footer %}
-  {{ super() }}
-  <script type="text/javascript" src="{{ pathto('searchindex.js', 1) }}"></script>
-{% endblock %}
diff --git a/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js b/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js
index b96ff3d2e..513a7bad3 100644
--- a/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js
+++ b/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js
@@ -237,9 +237,11 @@ var Search = {
       }
   },
 
-  /**
-   * Sets the index
-   */
+  loadIndex : function(url) {
+    $.ajax({type: "GET", url: url, data: null, success: null,
+            dataType: "script", cache: true});
+  },
+
   setIndex : function(index) {
     var q;
     this._index = index;