diff --git a/scripts/langindex.json b/scripts/langindex.json
index bc790fe92..a271644f8 100644
--- a/scripts/langindex.json
+++ b/scripts/langindex.json
@@ -2407,6 +2407,7 @@
   "core.search.allcategories": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.search.allcourses": "search",
   "core.search.empty": "local_moodlemobileapp",
+  "core.search.err_minlength": "form",
   "core.search.filtercategories": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.search.filtercourses": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.search.filterheader": "search",
diff --git a/src/core/features/courses/pages/list/list.html b/src/core/features/courses/pages/list/list.html
index 47b406bc2..35b91bb56 100644
--- a/src/core/features/courses/pages/list/list.html
+++ b/src/core/features/courses/pages/list/list.html
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
     <core-search-box *ngIf="searchEnabled" (onSubmit)="search($event)" (onClear)="clearSearch()"
         [placeholder]="'core.courses.search' | translate" [searchLabel]="'core.courses.search' | translate" [autoFocus]="searchMode"
-        searchArea="CoreCoursesSearch" />
+        searchArea="CoreCoursesSearch" [lengthCheck]="1" />
 
     <core-loading [hideUntil]="loaded">
         <ng-container *ngIf="searchMode && searchTotal > 0">
diff --git a/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/core-search-box.html b/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/core-search-box.html
index 054ab491a..c10f9d2ea 100644
--- a/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/core-search-box.html
+++ b/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/core-search-box.html
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
     <ion-input [attr.aria-label]="placeholder" type="search" name="search" [(ngModel)]="searchText" [placeholder]="placeholder"
         [autocorrect]="autocorrect" [spellcheck]="spellcheck" [core-auto-focus]="autoFocus" [disabled]="disabled" role="searchbox"
         (ionFocus)="focus($event)">
-        <ion-button slot="end" fill="clear" type="submit" [attr.aria-label]="searchLabel"
-            [disabled]="disabled || !searchText || (searchText.length < lengthCheck)">
+        <ion-button slot="end" fill="clear" type="submit" [attr.aria-label]="searchLabel" [disabled]="disabled || !searchText">
             <ion-icon name="fas-magnifying-glass" slot="icon-only" aria-hidden="true" />
         </ion-button>
         <ion-button *ngIf="showClear" slot="end" fill="clear" [attr.aria-label]="'core.clearsearch' | translate"
@@ -11,6 +10,11 @@
             <ion-icon name="fas-delete-left" slot="icon-only" aria-hidden="true" flip-rtl />
         </ion-button>
     </ion-input>
+    <ion-item *ngIf="showLengthAlert" class="core-search-alert text-danger ion-text-wrap" role="alert">
+        <ion-label>
+            {{ 'core.search.err_minlength' | translate : {'$a': {'format': lengthCheck} } }}
+        </ion-label>
+    </ion-item>
     <ion-list class="core-search-history" [hidden]="!historyShown">
         <ion-item button class="ion-text-wrap" *ngFor="let item of history" (click)="historyClicked($event, item.searchedtext)" tabindex="0"
             [detail]="true">
diff --git a/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.scss b/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.scss
index 8afdc8c3d..fa22c8742 100644
--- a/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.scss
+++ b/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.scss
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@
         }
     }
 
-
-
     .core-search-history {
         max-height: calc(-120px + 80vh);
         overflow-y: auto;
diff --git a/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.ts b/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.ts
index c013928d3..1db5989c8 100644
--- a/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.ts
+++ b/src/core/features/search/components/search-box/search-box.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ export class CoreSearchBoxComponent implements OnInit {
     searchText = '';
     history: CoreSearchHistoryDBRecord[] = [];
     historyShown = false;
+    showLengthAlert = false;
 
     constructor() {
         this.onSubmit = new EventEmitter<string>();
@@ -86,14 +87,17 @@ export class CoreSearchBoxComponent implements OnInit {
      * @param e Event.
      */
     submitForm(e?: Event): void {
-        e && e.preventDefault();
-        e && e.stopPropagation();
+        e?.preventDefault();
+        e?.stopPropagation();
 
         if (this.searchText.length < this.lengthCheck) {
-            // The view should handle this case, but we check it here too just in case.
+            this.showLengthAlert = true;
+
             return;
         }
 
+        this.showLengthAlert = false;
+
         if (this.searchArea) {
             this.saveSearchToHistory(this.searchText);
         }
@@ -147,6 +151,7 @@ export class CoreSearchBoxComponent implements OnInit {
     clearForm(): void {
         this.searched = '';
         this.searchText = '';
+        this.showLengthAlert = false;
         this.onClear.emit();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/core/features/search/lang.json b/src/core/features/search/lang.json
index 5a17626cd..d1fbb00cd 100644
--- a/src/core/features/search/lang.json
+++ b/src/core/features/search/lang.json
@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@
     "globalsearch": "Global search",
     "noresults": "No results for \"{{$a}}\"",
     "noresultshelp": "Check for typos or try using different keywords",
+    "err_minlength": "You must enter at least {{$a.format}} characters here.",
     "resultby": "By {{$a}}"
 }
diff --git a/src/core/features/tag/pages/search/search.html b/src/core/features/tag/pages/search/search.html
index 40a682ac7..d04d7e819 100644
--- a/src/core/features/tag/pages/search/search.html
+++ b/src/core/features/tag/pages/search/search.html
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
         <ion-row class="ion-no-padding ion-wrap">
             <ion-col class="ion-no-padding" size="12" size-sm="6" [attr.col-sm-6]="collections && collections.length > 1 ? '' : null">
                 <core-search-box (onSubmit)="searchTags($event)" (onClear)="searchTags('')" [initialSearch]="query" [disabled]="searching"
-                    autocorrect="off" [spellcheck]="false" [autoFocus]="false" [lengthCheck]="0" searchArea="CoreTag" />
+                    autocorrect="off" [spellcheck]="false" [autoFocus]="false" [lengthCheck]="1" searchArea="CoreTag" />
             </ion-col>
             <ion-col class="ion-no-padding" size="12" size-sm="6" *ngIf="collections && collections.length > 1">
                 <core-combobox [selection]="collectionId" (onChange)="searchTags(query, $event)" [disabled]="searching">