diff --git a/cypress/integration/origin-search.spec.js b/cypress/integration/origin-search.spec.js
--- a/cypress/integration/origin-search.spec.js
+++ b/cypress/integration/origin-search.spec.js
@@ -163,6 +163,29 @@
       });
   });
 
+  it('should search in origin intrinsic metadata', function() {
+    cy.intercept('GET', '**/origin/metadata-search/**').as(
+      'originMetadataSearch'
+    );
+    cy.get('#swh-search-origins-with-visit')
+      .check({force: true})
+      .get('#swh-filter-empty-visits')
+      .check({force: true})
+      .get('#swh-search-origin-metadata')
+      .check({force: true})
+      .then(() => {
+        const searchText = 'plugin';
+        doSearch(searchText);
+        console.log(searchText);
+        cy.wait('@originMetadataSearch').then((req) => {
+          expect(req.response.body[0].metadata.metadata.description).to.equal(
+            'Line numbering plugin for Highlight.js'
+            // metadata is defined in _TEST_ORIGINS variable in swh/web/tests/data.py
+          );
+        });
+      });
+  });
+
   it('should not send request to the resolve endpoint', function() {
     cy.server();
 
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/api/views/test_origin.py b/swh/web/tests/api/views/test_origin.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/api/views/test_origin.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/api/views/test_origin.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 from datetime import timedelta
+import json
 
 from hypothesis import given
 import pytest
@@ -615,14 +616,21 @@
                     "configuration": INDEXER_TOOL["tool_configuration"],
                     "id": INDEXER_TOOL["id"],
                 },
-                "metadata": {ORIGIN_METADATA_KEY: ORIGIN_METADATA_VALUE},
                 "mappings": [],
             },
         }
         for origin_url, master_rev in ORIGIN_MASTER_REVISION.items()
     ]
 
-    assert rv.data == expected_data
+    for i in range(len(expected_data)):
+        expected = expected_data[i]
+        response = rv.data[i]
+        metadata = response["metadata"].pop("metadata")
+
+        assert any(
+            [ORIGIN_METADATA_VALUE in json.dumps(val) for val in metadata.values()]
+        )
+        assert response == expected
 
 
 def test_api_origin_metadata_search_limit(api_client, mocker):
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/data.py b/swh/web/tests/data.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/data.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/data.py
@@ -121,11 +121,15 @@
             "highlightjs-line-numbers.js.zip",
             "highlightjs-line-numbers.js_visit2.zip",
         ],
+        "metadata": {"description": "Line numbering plugin for Highlight.js",},
     },
     {
         "type": "git",
         "url": "repo_with_submodules",
         "archives": ["repo_with_submodules.tgz"],
+        "metadata": {
+            "description": "This is just a sample repository with submodules",
+        },
     },
 ]
 
@@ -229,7 +233,7 @@
     content_path = {}
 
     # Get all objects loaded into the test archive
-    metadata = {ORIGIN_METADATA_KEY: ORIGIN_METADATA_VALUE}
+    common_metadata = {ORIGIN_METADATA_KEY: ORIGIN_METADATA_VALUE}
     for origin in _TEST_ORIGINS:
         snp = snapshot_get_latest(storage, origin["url"])
         snapshots.add(hash_to_hex(snp.id))
@@ -239,6 +243,8 @@
                 revisions.add(branch_data.target)
                 if b"master" in branch_name:
                     # Add some origin intrinsic metadata for tests
+                    metadata = common_metadata
+                    metadata.update(origin.get("metadata", {}))
                     origin_metadata = OriginIntrinsicMetadataRow(
                         id=origin["url"],
                         from_revision=branch_data.target,