diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/query_bar/components/query_bar.tsx b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/query_bar/components/query_bar.tsx
index e192ddb0d5370a..d267d6d73e7fc1 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/query_bar/components/query_bar.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/query_bar/components/query_bar.tsx
@@ -468,7 +468,9 @@ export class CodeQueryBar extends Component<Props, State> {
                     />
                     <SearchOptions
                       defaultRepoOptions={this.props.defaultRepoOptions}
-                      defaultSearchScope={this.props.currentRepository}
+                      defaultSearchScope={
+                        this.props.currentRepository || this.props.searchOptions.defaultRepoScope
+                      }
                       repositorySearch={this.props.repositorySearch}
                       saveSearchOptions={this.props.saveSearchOptions}
                       repoSearchResults={this.props.repoSearchResults}
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/search_bar/search_bar.tsx b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/search_bar/search_bar.tsx
index a86f4b922bcd36..1841d09ba0d3d8 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/search_bar/search_bar.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/components/search_bar/search_bar.tsx
@@ -40,17 +40,14 @@ export class SearchBar extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
 
     // Update the url and push to history as well.
     const previousQueries = querystring.parse(history.location.search.replace('?', ''));
-    const queries: any =
-      repoScopes.length === 0
-        ? {
-            ...previousQueries,
-            q: query,
-          }
-        : {
-            ...previousQueries,
-            q: query,
-            repoScope: repoScopes,
-          };
+    const queries: any = {
+      ...previousQueries,
+      repoScope: repoScopes,
+      q: query,
+    };
+    if (repoScopes.length === 0) {
+      delete queries.repoScope;
+    }
     history.push(
       url.format({
         pathname: '/search',
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/reducers/search.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/reducers/search.ts
index fb1343cb866d6e..6f693e0c430bf1 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/reducers/search.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/code/public/reducers/search.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@
  */
 
 import produce from 'immer';
-
+import querystring from 'querystring';
 import { Action, handleActions } from 'redux-actions';
+import { history } from '../utils/url';
 
 import {
   DocumentSearchResult,
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import {
   turnOffDefaultRepoScope,
   turnOnDefaultRepoScope,
 } from '../actions';
+import { RepositoryUtils } from '../../common/repository_utils';
 
 export interface SearchState {
   scope: SearchScope;
@@ -51,12 +53,30 @@ export interface SearchState {
 
 const repositories: Repository[] = [];
 
+const getRepoScopeFromUrl = () => {
+  const { repoScope } = querystring.parse(history.location.search.replace('?', ''));
+  if (repoScope) {
+    return String(repoScope)
+      .split(',')
+      .map(r => ({
+        uri: r,
+        org: RepositoryUtils.orgNameFromUri(r),
+        name: RepositoryUtils.repoNameFromUri(r),
+      })) as Repository[];
+  } else {
+    return [];
+  }
+};
+
 const initialState: SearchState = {
   query: '',
   isLoading: false,
   isScopeSearchLoading: false,
   scope: SearchScope.DEFAULT,
-  searchOptions: { repoScope: [], defaultRepoScopeOn: false },
+  searchOptions: {
+    repoScope: getRepoScopeFromUrl(),
+    defaultRepoScopeOn: false,
+  },
   scopeSearchResults: { repositories, total: 0, took: 0 },
 };