diff --git a/opac/opac-detail.pl b/opac/opac-detail.pl
index f6b713542d..000eac3a51 100755
--- a/opac/opac-detail.pl
+++ b/opac/opac-detail.pl
@@ -250,7 +250,8 @@ if ($session->param('busc')) {
         eval {
             my $searcher = Koha::SearchEngine::Search->new(
                 { index => $Koha::SearchEngine::BIBLIOS_INDEX } );
-            ($error, $results_hashref, $facets) = $searcher->search_compat(decode_json($arrParamsBusc->{'query'}),$arrParamsBusc->{'simple_query'},\@sort_by,\@servers,$results_per_page,$offset,undef,$itemtypes,$arrParamsBusc->{'query_type'},$arrParamsBusc->{'scan'});
+            my $json = JSON->new->utf8->allow_nonref(1);
+            ($error, $results_hashref, $facets) = $searcher->search_compat($json->decode($arrParamsBusc->{'query'}),$arrParamsBusc->{'simple_query'},\@sort_by,\@servers,$results_per_page,$offset,undef,$itemtypes,$arrParamsBusc->{'query_type'},$arrParamsBusc->{'scan'});
         };
         my $hits;
         my @newresults;
diff --git a/opac/opac-search.pl b/opac/opac-search.pl
index a1f0a14487..fb13bc5c56 100755
--- a/opac/opac-search.pl
+++ b/opac/opac-search.pl
@@ -561,7 +561,8 @@ if ($tag) {
     #        displays search results which should be hidden.
     # FIXME: No facets for tags search.
 } else {
-    $pasarParams .= '&query=' . uri_escape_utf8(encode_json($query));
+    my $json = JSON->new->utf8->allow_nonref(1);
+    $pasarParams .= '&query=' . uri_escape_utf8($json->encode($query));
     $pasarParams .= '&count=' . uri_escape_utf8($results_per_page);
     $pasarParams .= '&simple_query=' . uri_escape_utf8($simple_query);
     $pasarParams .= '&query_type=' . uri_escape_utf8($query_type) if ($query_type);