diff --git a/internal/shared/middleware/auth.go b/internal/shared/middleware/auth.go
index 9b7c5ad..567d25d 100644
--- a/internal/shared/middleware/auth.go
+++ b/internal/shared/middleware/auth.go
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ func RequireAuth(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 // RequireGlobalAuth ensures that a valid user is in the context for all routes except login and static
 func RequireGlobalAuth(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-		// Allow unauthenticated access to login and static files
-		if r.URL.Path == "/login" || strings.HasPrefix(r.URL.Path, "/static/") {
+		// Allow unauthenticated access to login, search, and static files
+		if r.URL.Path == "/login" || strings.HasPrefix(r.URL.Path, "/static/") ||
+			r.URL.Path == "/search" || r.URL.Path == "/api/search" || r.URL.Path == "/api/search-quick" ||
+			r.URL.Path == "/" {
 			next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/static/js/search.js b/static/js/search.js
index 61636bd..e99e801 100644
--- a/static/js/search.js
+++ b/static/js/search.js
@@ -1,62 +1,67 @@
-let searchTimeout;
-const searchInput = document.getElementById('search-input');
-const searchDropdown = document.getElementById('search-dropdown');
+(function() {
+  if (window.searchInitialized) return
+  window.searchInitialized = true
 
-if (searchInput) {
-  searchInput.addEventListener('input', function(e) {
-    clearTimeout(searchTimeout);
-    const query = e.target.value.trim();
+  let searchTimeout
+  const searchInput = document.getElementById('search-input')
+  const searchDropdown = document.getElementById('search-dropdown')
 
-    if (query.length < 2) {
-      searchDropdown.innerHTML = '';
-      return;
-    }
+  if (searchInput) {
+    searchInput.addEventListener('input', function(e) {
+      clearTimeout(searchTimeout)
+      const query = e.target.value.trim()
 
-    searchTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
-      fetch('/api/search-quick?q=' + encodeURIComponent(query))
-        .then(res => res.json())
-        .then(results => {
-          if (!results || results.length === 0) {
-            searchDropdown.innerHTML = '';
-            return;
-          }
+      if (query.length < 2) {
+        searchDropdown.innerHTML = ''
+        return
+      }
 
-          let html = '<div class="search-results">';
-          html += '<div class="search-results-title">Anime</div>';
-          results.forEach(r => {
-            html += `
-              <a href="/anime/${r.id}" class="search-result-item">
-                ${r.image ? `<img src="${r.image}" alt="${r.title}" class="search-result-thumb" />` : '<div class="search-result-no-image">no image</div>'}
-                <div class="search-result-info">
-                  <div class="search-result-title">${escapeHtml(r.title)}</div>
-                  <div class="search-result-type">${r.type}</div>
-                </div>
-              </a>
-            `;
-          });
-          html += `<a href="/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}" class="search-result-view-all">View all results for ${escapeHtml(query)}</a>`;
-          html += '</div>';
-          searchDropdown.innerHTML = html;
-        })
-        .catch(err => console.error('Search error:', err));
-    }, 300);
-  });
+      searchTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+        fetch('/api/search-quick?q=' + encodeURIComponent(query))
+          .then(res => res.json())
+          .then(results => {
+            if (!results || results.length === 0) {
+              searchDropdown.innerHTML = ''
+              return
+            }
 
-  searchInput.addEventListener('blur', () => {
-    setTimeout(() => {
-      searchDropdown.innerHTML = '';
-    }, 200);
-  });
+            let html = '<div class="search-results">'
+            html += '<div class="search-results-title">Anime</div>'
+            results.forEach(r => {
+              html += `
+                <a href="/anime/${r.id}" class="search-result-item">
+                  ${r.image ? `<img src="${r.image}" alt="${r.title}" class="search-result-thumb" />` : '<div class="search-result-no-image">no image</div>'}
+                  <div class="search-result-info">
+                    <div class="search-result-title">${escapeHtml(r.title)}</div>
+                    <div class="search-result-type">${r.type}</div>
+                  </div>
+                </a>
+              `
+            })
+            html += `<a href="/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}" class="search-result-view-all">View all results for ${escapeHtml(query)}</a>`
+            html += '</div>'
+            searchDropdown.innerHTML = html
+          })
+          .catch(err => console.error('Search error:', err))
+      }, 300)
+    })
 
-  document.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
-    if (!e.target.closest('.header-search-wrapper')) {
-      searchDropdown.innerHTML = '';
-    }
-  });
-}
+    searchInput.addEventListener('blur', () => {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        searchDropdown.innerHTML = ''
+      }, 200)
+    })
 
-function escapeHtml(text) {
-  const div = document.createElement('div');
-  div.textContent = text;
-  return div.innerHTML;
-}
+    document.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
+      if (!e.target.closest('.header-search-wrapper')) {
+        searchDropdown.innerHTML = ''
+      }
+    })
+  }
+
+  function escapeHtml(text) {
+    const div = document.createElement('div')
+    div.textContent = text
+    return div.innerHTML
+  }
+})()