diff --git a/assets/src/bundles/browse/origin-search.js b/assets/src/bundles/browse/origin-search.js
--- a/assets/src/bundles/browse/origin-search.js
+++ b/assets/src/bundles/browse/origin-search.js
@@ -109,7 +109,9 @@
     baseSearchUrl = new URL(Urls.api_1_origin_metadata_search(), window.location);
     baseSearchUrl.searchParams.append('fulltext', searchQueryText);
   } else {
+    const useSearchQL = $('#swh-search-use-ql').prop('checked');
     baseSearchUrl = new URL(Urls.api_1_origin_search(searchQueryText), window.location);
+    baseSearchUrl.searchParams.append('use_ql', useSearchQL);
   }
 
   const withVisit = $('#swh-search-origins-with-visit').prop('checked');
@@ -198,6 +200,7 @@
         const searchQueryText = $('#swh-origins-url-patterns').val().trim();
         const withVisit = $('#swh-search-origins-with-visit').prop('checked');
         const withContent = $('#swh-filter-empty-visits').prop('checked');
+        const useSearchQL = $('#swh-search-use-ql').prop('checked');
         const searchMetadata = $('#swh-search-origin-metadata').prop('checked');
         const visitType = $('#swh-search-visit-type').val();
         const queryParameters = new URLSearchParams();
@@ -208,6 +211,9 @@
         if (withContent) {
           queryParameters.append('with_content', withContent);
         }
+        if (useSearchQL) {
+          queryParameters.append('use_ql', useSearchQL);
+        }
         if (searchMetadata) {
           queryParameters.append('search_metadata', searchMetadata);
         }
@@ -243,12 +249,14 @@
     const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
     const query = urlParams.get('q');
     const withVisit = urlParams.has('with_visit');
+    const useSearchQL = urlParams.has('use_ql');
     const withContent = urlParams.has('with_content');
     const searchMetadata = urlParams.has('search_metadata');
     const visitType = urlParams.get('visit_type');
     if (query) {
       $('#swh-origins-url-patterns').val(query);
       $('#swh-search-origins-with-visit').prop('checked', withVisit);
+      $('#swh-search-use-ql').prop('checked', useSearchQL);
       $('#swh-filter-empty-visits').prop('checked', withContent);
       $('#swh-search-origin-metadata').prop('checked', searchMetadata);
       if (visitType) {
diff --git a/swh/web/api/views/origin.py b/swh/web/api/views/origin.py
--- a/swh/web/api/views/origin.py
+++ b/swh/web/api/views/origin.py
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@
             results.
 
         :param string url_pattern: a string pattern
+        :query boolean use_ql: whether to use swh search query language or not
         :query int limit: the maximum number of found origins to return
             (bounded to 1000)
         :query boolean with_visit: if true, only return origins with at least
@@ -189,12 +190,14 @@
     result = {}
     limit = min(int(request.query_params.get("limit", "70")), 1000)
     page_token = request.query_params.get("page_token")
+    use_ql = request.query_params.get("use_ql", "false")
     with_visit = request.query_params.get("with_visit", "false")
     visit_type = request.query_params.get("visit_type")
 
     (results, page_token) = api_lookup(
         archive.search_origin,
         url_pattern,
+        bool(strtobool(use_ql)),
         limit,
         bool(strtobool(with_visit)),
         [visit_type] if visit_type else None,
diff --git a/swh/web/browse/urls.py b/swh/web/browse/urls.py
--- a/swh/web/browse/urls.py
+++ b/swh/web/browse/urls.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from django.conf.urls import url
 from django.shortcuts import redirect, render
 
+from swh.web import config
 from swh.web.browse.browseurls import BrowseUrls
 from swh.web.browse.identifiers import swhid_browse
 import swh.web.browse.views.content  # noqa
@@ -25,7 +26,12 @@
 
 def _browse_search_view(request):
     return render(
-        request, "browse/search.html", {"heading": "Search software origins to browse"}
+        request,
+        "browse/search.html",
+        {
+            "heading": "Search software origins to browse",
+            "enable_ql": config.get_config()["search_config"].get("enable_ql", False),
+        },
     )
 
 
diff --git a/swh/web/common/archive.py b/swh/web/common/archive.py
--- a/swh/web/common/archive.py
+++ b/swh/web/common/archive.py
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@
 
 def search_origin(
     url_pattern: str,
+    use_ql: bool = False,
     limit: int = 50,
     with_visit: bool = False,
     visit_types: Optional[List[str]] = None,
@@ -307,6 +308,7 @@
 
     Args:
         url_pattern: the string pattern to search for in origin urls
+        use_ql: whether to use swh search query language or not
         limit: the maximum number of found origins to return
         with_visit: Whether origins with no visit are to be filtered out
         visit_types: Only origins having any of the provided visit types
@@ -321,13 +323,22 @@
         assert isinstance(page_token, str)
 
     if search:
-        page_result = search.origin_search(
-            url_pattern=url_pattern,
-            page_token=page_token,
-            with_visit=with_visit,
-            visit_types=visit_types,
-            limit=limit,
-        )
+        if config.get_config()["search_config"].get("enable_ql") and use_ql:
+            page_result = search.origin_search(
+                query=url_pattern,
+                page_token=page_token,
+                with_visit=with_visit,
+                visit_types=visit_types,
+                limit=limit,
+            )
+        else:
+            page_result = search.origin_search(
+                url_pattern=url_pattern,
+                page_token=page_token,
+                with_visit=with_visit,
+                visit_types=visit_types,
+                limit=limit,
+            )
         origins = [converters.from_origin(ori_dict) for ori_dict in page_result.results]
     else:
         # Fallback to swh-storage if swh-search is not configured
@@ -367,7 +378,7 @@
 
     """
     results = []
-    if search and config.get_config()["metadata_search_backend"] == "swh-search":
+    if search and config.get_config()["search_config"]["backend"] == "swh-search":
         page_result = search.origin_search(metadata_pattern=fulltext, limit=limit,)
         matches = idx_storage.origin_intrinsic_metadata_get(
             [r["url"] for r in page_result.results]
diff --git a/swh/web/config.py b/swh/web/config.py
--- a/swh/web/config.py
+++ b/swh/web/config.py
@@ -41,10 +41,6 @@
 
 DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
     "allowed_hosts": ("list", []),
-    "search": (
-        "dict",
-        {"cls": "remote", "url": "http://127.0.0.1:5010/", "timeout": 10,},
-    ),
     "storage": (
         "dict",
         {"cls": "remote", "url": "http://127.0.0.1:5002/", "timeout": 10,},
@@ -57,6 +53,14 @@
         "dict",
         {"cls": "remote", "url": "http://127.0.0.1:5011/", "timeout": 1,},
     ),
+    "search": (
+        "dict",
+        {"cls": "remote", "url": "http://127.0.0.1:5010/", "timeout": 10,},
+    ),
+    "search_config": (
+        "dict",
+        {"backend": "swh-indexer-storage", "enable_ql": False},
+    ),  # or "swh-search"
     "log_dir": ("string", "/tmp/swh/log"),
     "debug": ("bool", False),
     "serve_assets": ("bool", False),
@@ -128,7 +132,6 @@
             "json_path": "1.0/status/578e5eddcdc0cc7951000520",
         },
     ),
-    "metadata_search_backend": ("string", "swh-indexer-storage"),  # or "swh-search"
     "counters_backend": ("string", "swh-storage"),  # or "swh-counters"
     "staging_server_names": ("list", STAGING_SERVER_NAMES),
     "instance_name": ("str", "archive-test.softwareheritage.org"),
diff --git a/swh/web/templates/includes/origin-search-form.html b/swh/web/templates/includes/origin-search-form.html
--- a/swh/web/templates/includes/origin-search-form.html
+++ b/swh/web/templates/includes/origin-search-form.html
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@
       search in metadata (instead of URL)
     </label>
   </div>
+  {% if enable_ql %}
+  <div class="custom-control custom-checkbox swhid-option">
+    <input class="custom-control-input" value="option-use-ql" type="checkbox"
+          id="swh-search-use-ql">
+    <label class="custom-control-label font-weight-normal" for="swh-search-use-ql">
+      use search query language
+    </label>
+  </div>
+  {% endif %}
 </form>
 
 <script>
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
@@ -522,6 +522,35 @@
     assert rv.data == []
 
 
+def test_api_origin_search_use_ql(api_client, mocker):
+    mock_config = mocker.patch("swh.web.common.archive.config")
+    mock_config.get_config.return_value = {
+        "search_config": {"backend": "swh-search", "enable_ql": True}
+    }
+
+    expected_origins = {
+        "https://github.com/wcoder/highlightjs-line-numbers.js",
+        "https://github.com/memononen/libtess2",
+    }
+
+    ORIGINS = [{"url": origin} for origin in expected_origins]
+
+    from swh.search.interface import PagedResult
+
+    mock_search = mocker.patch("swh.search.in_memory.InMemorySearch")
+    mock_search.origin_search.return_value = PagedResult(
+        results=ORIGINS, next_page_token=None,
+    )
+
+    url = reverse(
+        "api-1-origin-search",
+        url_args={"url_pattern": "origin = 'github.com'",},
+        query_params={"visit_type": "git", "use_ql": "true"},
+    )
+    rv = check_api_get_responses(api_client, url, status_code=200)
+    assert {origin["url"] for origin in rv.data} == expected_origins
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("backend", ["swh-search", "swh-storage"])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("limit", [1, 2, 3, 10])
 def test_api_origin_search_scroll(api_client, archive_data, mocker, limit, backend):
@@ -573,7 +602,7 @@
 def test_api_origin_metadata_search(api_client, mocker, backend):
 
     mock_config = mocker.patch("swh.web.common.archive.config")
-    mock_config.get_config.return_value = {"metadata_search_backend": backend}
+    mock_config.get_config.return_value = {"search_config": {"backend": backend}}
 
     url = reverse(
         "api-1-origin-metadata-search", query_params={"fulltext": ORIGIN_METADATA_VALUE}
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/common/test_archive.py b/swh/web/tests/common/test_archive.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/common/test_archive.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/common/test_archive.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 from collections import defaultdict
+from copy import deepcopy
 import hashlib
 import itertools
 import random
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@
 )
 from swh.web.common import archive
 from swh.web.common.exc import BadInputExc, NotFoundExc
-from swh.web.common.typing import OriginInfo
+from swh.web.common.typing import OriginInfo, PagedResult
+from swh.web.config import get_config
 from swh.web.tests.conftest import ctags_json_missing, fossology_missing
 from swh.web.tests.data import random_content, random_sha1
 from swh.web.tests.strategies import (
@@ -1013,6 +1015,34 @@
     assert origins == [origin_info, None]
 
 
+@given(origin())
+def test_search_origin(origin):
+    results = archive.search_origin(url_pattern=origin["url"])[0]
+    assert results == [{"url": origin["url"]}]
+
+
+@given(origin())
+def test_search_origin_use_ql(mocker, origin):
+    config = deepcopy(get_config())
+    config["search_config"]["enable_ql"] = True
+    mock_get_config = mocker.patch("swh.web.config.get_config")
+    mock_get_config.return_value = config
+
+    ORIGIN = [{"url": origin["url"]}]
+    mock_search = mocker.patch("swh.search.in_memory.InMemorySearch")
+    mock_search.origin_search.return_value = PagedResult(
+        results=ORIGIN, next_page_token=None,
+    )
+
+    mock_config_search = mocker.patch("swh.web.config.search")
+    mock_config_search.return_value = mock_search
+
+    results = archive.search_origin(
+        url_pattern=f"origin = '{origin['url']}'", use_ql=True
+    )[0]
+    assert results == [{"url": origin["url"]}]
+
+
 @given(snapshot())
 def test_lookup_snapshot_sizes(archive_data, snapshot):
     branches = archive_data.snapshot_get(snapshot)["branches"]