diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.md b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
index 45b24943e7..9e5d488e40 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
@@ -57,3 +57,4 @@ submit the change with your pull request.
 - Jake Yesbeck / [yez](https://github.com/yez)
 - Mauricio Gonzalez / [mauricio-gonzalez](https://github.com/mauricio-gonzalez)
 - Andrey Bazhutkin / [andrba](https://github.com/andrba)
+- Gabriel Sandoval / [gabrielsandoval](https://github.com/gabrielsandoval)
diff --git a/app/controllers/places_controller.rb b/app/controllers/places_controller.rb
index 54ca249fdf..82189cb687 100644
--- a/app/controllers/places_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/places_controller.rb
@@ -21,9 +21,17 @@ def show
   end
 
   def search
-    respond_to do |format|
-      format.html do
-        redirect_to place_path(params[:new_place])
+    if params[:new_place].empty?
+      respond_to do |format|
+        format.html do
+          redirect_to places_path, alert: 'Please enter a valid location'
+        end
+      end
+    else
+      respond_to do |format|
+        format.html do
+          redirect_to place_path(params[:new_place])
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/views/places/_search_form.html.haml b/app/views/places/_search_form.html.haml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..430ebd58dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/places/_search_form.html.haml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+%form{:action => search_places_path, :method => :get, :class => 'form-inline', :role => 'form'}
+  .form-group
+    = label_tag :new_place, "Change location:", :class => 'sr-only'
+    = text_field_tag :new_place, '', :class => 'form-control', :placeholder => "New location..."
+  = submit_tag "Search", :class => 'btn btn-primary', :id => "search_button"
+%br/
diff --git a/app/views/places/index.html.haml b/app/views/places/index.html.haml
index 135d3a1139..a81dd6ba87 100644
--- a/app/views/places/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/places/index.html.haml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 -content_for :title, "#{ENV['GROWSTUFF_SITE_NAME']} Community Map"
-
+= render partial: 'search_form'
 %div#placesmap
 
diff --git a/app/views/places/show.html.haml b/app/views/places/show.html.haml
index b34846b395..8cc9f86efc 100644
--- a/app/views/places/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/places/show.html.haml
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 -content_for :title, "#{ENV['GROWSTUFF_SITE_NAME']} members near #{@place}"
 
-%form{:action => search_places_path, :method => :get, :class => 'form-inline', :role => 'form'}
-  .form-group
-    = label_tag :new_place, "Change location:", :class => 'sr-only'
-    = text_field_tag :new_place, '', :class => 'form-control', :placeholder => "New location..."
-  = submit_tag "Search", :class => 'btn btn-primary'
-%br/
+= render partial: 'search_form'
 
 %div#placesmap{ :style => "height:300px"}
 
diff --git a/config/database.yml b/config/database.yml
index 6b0ab15032..6aeb5d9616 100644
--- a/config/database.yml
+++ b/config/database.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ development:
   database: growstuff_dev
   host: localhost
   user: postgres
+  password: password
 
 test:
   adapter: postgresql
diff --git a/config/environments/test.rb b/config/environments/test.rb
index 8d99b4e84c..c5c05f8d58 100644
--- a/config/environments/test.rb
+++ b/config/environments/test.rb
@@ -67,6 +67,20 @@
   ]
 )
 
+Geocoder::Lookup::Test.add_stub(
+  "Philippines", [
+    {
+      'latitude'     => 12.7503486,
+      'longitude'    => 122.7312101,
+      'address'      => 'Manila, Mnl, Philippines',
+      'state'        => 'Manila',
+      'state_code'   => 'Mnl',
+      'country'      => 'Philippines',
+      'country_code' => 'PH'
+    }
+  ]
+)
+
 Geocoder::Lookup::Test.add_stub(
   "Greenwich, UK", [
     {
diff --git a/config/initializers/geocoder.rb b/config/initializers/geocoder.rb
index 16de69ec00..0d221664e6 100644
--- a/config/initializers/geocoder.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/geocoder.rb
@@ -13,5 +13,4 @@
 # Reported as https://github.com/alexreisner/geocoder/issues/509
 if Geocoder.config.lookup != :test
   Geocoder.configure(:lookup => :nominatim)
-end
-
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/features/places/searching_a_place_spec.rb b/spec/features/places/searching_a_place_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6812e6413f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/features/places/searching_a_place_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.feature "User searches", :type => :feature do
+	
+	scenario "with a valid place" do
+		visit places_path
+		search_with("Philippines")
+		expect(page).to have_content "members near Philippines"
+		expect(page).to have_button "search_button"
+		page.has_content?('placesmap')
+		expect(page).to have_content "Nearby members"
+	end
+
+	scenario "with a blank search string" do
+		visit places_path
+		search_with("")
+		expect(page).to have_content "Please enter a valid location"
+		expect(page).to have_button "search_button"
+		page.has_content?('placesmap')
+	end
+
+	def search_with(search_string)
+		fill_in "new_place", :with => search_string
+		click_button "search_button"
+	end
+
+end
\ No newline at end of file