diff --git a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
index e29ee00..b515352 100644
--- a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ class SearchController < ApplicationController
       end
 
       if @search.valid?
-        @search.search_for_user!(@user)
+        begin
+          @search.search_for_user!(@user)
+        rescue ThinkingSph::ConnectionError
+          flash[:error] = I18n.t 'controllers.search_controller.flasherrorsearchcontroller'
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/app/models/search.rb b/app/models/search.rb
index 3a10a6a..809d568 100644
--- a/app/models/search.rb
+++ b/app/models/search.rb
@@ -96,14 +96,9 @@ class Search
     query = Riddle.escape(words)
 
     # go go gadget search
-    self.results = []
-    self.total_results = 0
-    begin
-      self.results = ThinkingSphinx.search query, opts
-      self.total_results = self.results.total_entries
-    rescue => e
-      Rails.logger.info "Error from Sphinx: #{e.inspect}"
-    end
+    self.total_results = -1
+    self.results = ThinkingSphinx.search query, opts
+    self.total_results = self.results.total_entries
 
     if self.page > self.page_count
       self.page = self.page_count
@@ -132,5 +127,10 @@ class Search
         end
       end
     end
+
+  rescue ThinkingSphinx::ConnectionError => e
+    self.results = []
+    self.total_results = -1
+    raise e
   end
 end
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index f153d30..e3be902 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -439,6 +439,7 @@ en:
       flashdeletedmessage: "Deleted message."
     search_controller:
       searchtitle: "Search"
+      flasherrorsearchcontroller: "Sorry, but the search engine is currently out of order"
     stories_controller:
       submitstorytitle: "Submit Story"
       editstorytitle: "Edit Story"
diff --git a/config/locales/fr.yml b/config/locales/fr.yml
index 1695e00..3d6c6e9 100644
--- a/config/locales/fr.yml
+++ b/config/locales/fr.yml
@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ fr:
       flashdeletedmessage: "Message effacé." 
     search_controller:
       searchtitle: "Rechercher"
+      flasherrorsearchcontroller: "Désolé mais le moteur de recherche est actuellement cassé"
     stories_controller:
       submitstorytitle: "Soumettre une info"
       editstorytitle: "Éditer une info"