diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/directives.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/directives.js
index 3c938d343e..4e8f8f38a8 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/directives.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/directives.js
@@ -1151,4 +1151,21 @@ angular.module('AWDirectives', ['RestServices', 'Utilities', 'JobsHelper'])
             });
         }
     };
+}])
+
+.directive('awEnterKey', [function() {
+    return {
+        restrict: 'A',
+        link: function(scope, element, attrs) {
+            element.bind("keydown keypress", function(event) {
+                var keyCode = event.which || event.keyCode;
+                if (keyCode === 13) {
+                    scope.$apply(function() {
+                        scope.$eval(attrs.awEnterKey);
+                    });
+                    event.preventDefault();
+                }
+            });
+        }
+    };
 }]);
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
index 3352cb5495..95f3be3adb 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
@@ -76,16 +76,8 @@ export default ['$stateParams', '$scope', '$state', 'QuerySet', 'GetBasePath', '
 
         // add a search tag, merge new queryset, $state.go()
         $scope.add = function(terms) {
-            let params = {};
-
-            _.forEach(terms.split(' '), (term) => {
-                // if only a value is provided, search using default keys
-                if (term.split(':').length === 1) {
-                    params = _.merge(params, setDefaults(term));
-                } else {
-                    params = _.merge(params, qs.encodeParam(term));
-                }
-            });
+            let params = {},
+                origQueryset = _.clone(queryset);
 
             function setDefaults(term) {
                 // "name" and "description" are sane defaults for MOST models, but not ALL!
@@ -100,17 +92,47 @@ export default ['$stateParams', '$scope', '$state', 'QuerySet', 'GetBasePath', '
                 }
             }
 
-            params.page = '1';
-            queryset = _.merge(queryset, params, (objectValue, sourceValue, key, object) => {
-                if (object[key] && object[key] !== sourceValue){
-                    return [object[key], sourceValue];
-                }
-                else {
-                    // // https://lodash.com/docs/3.10.1#merge
-                    // If customizer fn returns undefined merging is handled by default _.merge algorithm
-                    return undefined;
-                }
-            });
+            if(terms && terms !== '') {
+                _.forEach(terms.split(' '), (term) => {
+                    // if only a value is provided, search using default keys
+                    if (term.split(':').length === 1) {
+                        params = _.merge(params, setDefaults(term));
+                    } else {
+                        params = _.merge(params, qs.encodeParam(term));
+                    }
+                });
+
+                params.page = '1';
+                queryset = _.merge(queryset, params, (objectValue, sourceValue, key, object) => {
+                    if (object[key] && object[key] !== sourceValue){
+                        return [object[key], sourceValue];
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        // // https://lodash.com/docs/3.10.1#merge
+                        // If customizer fn returns undefined merging is handled by default _.merge algorithm
+                        return undefined;
+                    }
+                });
+                // https://ui-router.github.io/docs/latest/interfaces/params.paramdeclaration.html#dynamic
+                // This transition will not reload controllers/resolves/views
+                // but will register new $stateParams[$scope.iterator + '_search'] terms
+                $state.go('.', {
+                    [$scope.iterator + '_search']: queryset });
+                qs.search(path, queryset).then((res) => {
+                    $scope.dataset = res.data;
+                    $scope.collection = res.data.results;
+                })
+                .catch(function() {
+                    $scope.revertSearch(origQueryset);
+                });
+
+                $scope.searchTerm = null;
+                $scope.searchTags = stripDefaultParams(queryset);
+            }
+        };
+
+        $scope.revertSearch = function(queryToBeRestored) {
+            queryset = queryToBeRestored;
             // https://ui-router.github.io/docs/latest/interfaces/params.paramdeclaration.html#dynamic
             // This transition will not reload controllers/resolves/views
             // but will register new $stateParams[$scope.iterator + '_search'] terms
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.partial.html b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.partial.html
index 3c0061fa33..073cb6f8d1 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.partial.html
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.partial.html
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     <div class="SmartSearch-bar">
         <div class="SmartSearch-searchTermContainer">
             <!-- string search input -->
-            <form class="SmartSearch-form" ng-submit="add(searchTerm)" novalidate>
+            <form name="smartSearch" class="SmartSearch-form" aw-enter-key="add(searchTerm)" novalidate>
                 <input class="SmartSearch-input" ng-model="searchTerm" placeholder="Search">
             </form>
             <div type="submit" class="SmartSearch-searchButton" ng-disabled="!searchTerm" ng-click="add(searchTerm)">