diff --git a/mobile/android/base/home/SearchEngineRow.java b/mobile/android/base/home/SearchEngineRow.java
index c07f382dc9d..2066b78e553 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/home/SearchEngineRow.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/home/SearchEngineRow.java
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class SearchEngineRow extends AnimatedHeightLayout {
         mUserEnteredTextView.setText(searchTerm);
 
         // mSearchEngine is not set in the first call to this method; the content description
-        // is instead initially set in updateFromSearchEngine.
+        // is instead initially set in updateSuggestions().
         if (mSearchEngine != null) {
             setDescriptionOnSuggestion(mUserEnteredTextView, searchTerm);
         }
@@ -243,10 +243,7 @@ class SearchEngineRow extends AnimatedHeightLayout {
         hideRecycledSuggestions(suggestionCounter, recycledSuggestionCount);
     }
 
-    private int updateFromSearchEngine(SearchEngine searchEngine, boolean animate, int recycledSuggestionCount) {
-        // Update search engine reference.
-        mSearchEngine = searchEngine;
-
+    private int updateFromSearchEngine(boolean animate, int recycledSuggestionCount) {
         // Set the search engine icon (e.g., Google) for the row.
         mIconView.updateAndScaleImage(mSearchEngine.getIcon(), mSearchEngine.getEngineIdentifier());
 
@@ -271,10 +268,12 @@ class SearchEngineRow extends AnimatedHeightLayout {
     }
 
     public void updateSuggestions(boolean suggestionsEnabled, SearchEngine searchEngine, String searchTerm, boolean animate) {
+        // Update search engine reference. Even if the user has not seen the prompt, we need to set the engine for the mSearchTerm suggestion
+        mSearchEngine = searchEngine;
         // This can be called before the opt-in permission prompt is shown or set. Check first.
         if (suggestionsEnabled) {
             final int recycledSuggestionCount = mSuggestionView.getChildCount();
-            final int suggestionViewCount = updateFromSearchEngine(searchEngine, animate, recycledSuggestionCount);
+            final int suggestionViewCount = updateFromSearchEngine(animate, recycledSuggestionCount);
             if (AppConstants.NIGHTLY_BUILD) {
                 updateFromSavedSearches(searchTerm, animate, suggestionViewCount, recycledSuggestionCount);
             }