diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/SearchBar.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/SearchBar.tsx
index c42131bba0..20a9e081a0 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/SearchBar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/SearchBar.tsx
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ export default class SearchBar extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     }
 
     private onSearch = (): void => {
+        if (!this.searchTerm.current.value.trim()) return;
         this.props.onSearch(this.searchTerm.current.value, this.state.scope);
     };
 
diff --git a/test/components/views/rooms/SearchBar-test.tsx b/test/components/views/rooms/SearchBar-test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b72f838bb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/components/views/rooms/SearchBar-test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2022 Emmanuel Ezeka <eec.studies@gmail.com>
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import React from 'react';
+import { mount } from "enzyme";
+
+import DesktopBuildsNotice from "../../../../src/components/views/elements/DesktopBuildsNotice";
+import { PosthogScreenTracker } from "../../../../src/PosthogTrackers";
+import SearchBar, { SearchScope } from "../../../../src/components/views/rooms/SearchBar";
+import { KeyBindingAction } from "../../../../src/accessibility/KeyboardShortcuts";
+
+let mockCurrentEvent = KeyBindingAction.Enter;
+const mockWarningKind = true;
+let wrapper: any = null;
+
+const searchProps = {
+    onCancelClick: jest.fn(),
+    onSearch: jest.fn(),
+    searchInProgress: false,
+    isRoomEncrypted: false,
+};
+
+jest.mock("../../../../src/KeyBindingsManager", () => ({
+    __esModule: true,
+    getKeyBindingsManager: jest.fn(() => (
+        { getAccessibilityAction: jest.fn(() => mockCurrentEvent) })),
+}));
+
+/** mock out DesktopBuildsNotice component so it doesn't affect the result of our test */
+jest.mock('../../../../src/components/views/elements/DesktopBuildsNotice', () => ({
+    __esModule: true,
+    WarningKind: {
+        get Search() { // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/naming-convention
+            return mockWarningKind;
+        },
+    },
+    default: jest.fn(({ children }) => (
+        <div>{ children }</div>
+    )),
+}));
+
+/** mock out PosthogTrackers component so it doesn't affect the result of our test */
+jest.mock('../../../../src/PosthogTrackers', () => ({
+    __esModule: true,
+    PosthogScreenTracker: jest.fn(({ children }) => (
+        <div>{ children }</div>
+    )),
+}));
+
+describe("SearchBar", () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        wrapper = mount(<SearchBar {...searchProps} />);
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+        wrapper.unmount();
+        searchProps.onCancelClick.mockClear();
+        searchProps.onSearch.mockClear();
+    });
+
+    it("must render child components and pass necessary props", () => {
+        const postHogScreenTracker = wrapper.find(PosthogScreenTracker);
+        const desktopBuildNotice = wrapper.find(DesktopBuildsNotice);
+
+        expect(postHogScreenTracker.length).toBe(1);
+        expect(desktopBuildNotice.length).toBe(1);
+        expect(postHogScreenTracker.props().screenName).toEqual("RoomSearch");
+        expect(desktopBuildNotice.props().isRoomEncrypted).toEqual(searchProps.isRoomEncrypted);
+        expect(desktopBuildNotice.props().kind).toEqual(mockWarningKind);
+    });
+
+    it("must not search when input value is empty", () => {
+        const roomButtons = wrapper.find(".mx_SearchBar_button");
+        const searchButton = wrapper.find(".mx_SearchBar_searchButton");
+
+        expect(roomButtons.length).toEqual(4);
+
+        searchButton.at(0).simulate("click");
+        roomButtons.at(0).simulate("click");
+        roomButtons.at(2).simulate("click");
+
+        expect(searchProps.onSearch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("must trigger onSearch when value is not empty", () => {
+        const searchValue = "abcd";
+
+        const roomButtons = wrapper.find(".mx_SearchBar_button");
+        const searchButton = wrapper.find(".mx_SearchBar_searchButton");
+        const input = wrapper.find(".mx_SearchBar_input input");
+        input.instance().value = searchValue;
+
+        expect(roomButtons.length).toEqual(4);
+
+        searchButton.at(0).simulate("click");
+
+        expect(searchProps.onSearch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(searchProps.onSearch).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, searchValue, SearchScope.Room);
+
+        roomButtons.at(0).simulate("click");
+
+        expect(searchProps.onSearch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+        expect(searchProps.onSearch).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, searchValue, SearchScope.Room);
+
+        roomButtons.at(2).simulate("click");
+
+        expect(searchProps.onSearch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+        expect(searchProps.onSearch).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(3, searchValue, SearchScope.All);
+    });
+
+    it("cancel button and esc key should trigger onCancelClick", () => {
+        mockCurrentEvent = KeyBindingAction.Escape;
+        const cancelButton = wrapper.find(".mx_SearchBar_cancel");
+        const input = wrapper.find(".mx_SearchBar_input input");
+        input.simulate("focus");
+        input.simulate("keydown", { key: "ESC" });
+        cancelButton.at(0).simulate("click");
+
+        expect(searchProps.onCancelClick).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    });
+});