diff --git a/browser/base/content/browser.js b/browser/base/content/browser.js
index 827a5f60438..60de9b5da94 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/browser.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/browser.js
@@ -2950,13 +2950,11 @@ const BrowserSearch = {
       openSearchPageIfFieldIsNotActive(searchBar);
     };
     if (placement && placement.area == CustomizableUI.AREA_PANEL) {
-      PanelUI.show().then(() => {
-        // The panel is not constructed until the first time it is shown.
-        focusSearchBar();
-      });
+      // The panel is not constructed until the first time it is shown.
+      PanelUI.show().then(focusSearchBar);
       return;
     }
-    if (placement.area == CustomizableUI.AREA_NAVBAR && searchBar &&
+    if (placement && placement.area == CustomizableUI.AREA_NAVBAR && searchBar &&
         searchBar.parentNode.classList.contains("overflowedItem")) {
       let navBar = document.getElementById(CustomizableUI.AREA_NAVBAR);
       navBar.overflowable.show().then(() => {
diff --git a/browser/components/customizableui/test/browser_901207_searchbar_in_panel.js b/browser/components/customizableui/test/browser_901207_searchbar_in_panel.js
index b16d214c6d6..f32511c154b 100644
--- a/browser/components/customizableui/test/browser_901207_searchbar_in_panel.js
+++ b/browser/components/customizableui/test/browser_901207_searchbar_in_panel.js
@@ -86,6 +86,30 @@ add_task(function() {
   is(document.activeElement, searchbar.textbox.inputField, "The searchbar should be focused");
 });
 
+// Ctrl+K should open the search page if the search bar has been customized out.
+add_task(function() {
+  this.originalOpenUILinkIn = openUILinkIn;
+  try {
+    CustomizableUI.removeWidgetFromArea("search-container");
+    let placement = CustomizableUI.getPlacementOfWidget("search-container");
+    is(placement, null, "Search container should be in palette");
+
+    let openUILinkInCalled = false;
+    openUILinkIn = (aUrl, aWhichTab) => {
+      is(aUrl, Services.search.defaultEngine.searchForm, "Search page should be requested to open.");
+      is(aWhichTab, "current", "Should use the current tab for the search page.");
+      openUILinkInCalled = true;
+    };
+    sendWebSearchKeyCommand();
+    yield waitForCondition(function() openUILinkInCalled);
+    ok(openUILinkInCalled, "The search page should have been opened.")
+  } catch (e) {
+    ok(false, e);
+  }
+  openUILinkIn = this.originalOpenUILinkIn;
+  CustomizableUI.reset();
+});
+
 function sendWebSearchKeyCommand() {
   if (Services.appinfo.OS === "Darwin")
     EventUtils.synthesizeKey("k", { accelKey: true });