diff --git a/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php b/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php
index f7c1e74aa..8af1a1fa1 100755
--- a/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php
+++ b/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use SilverStripe\Forms\FieldList;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\Form;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\Schema\FormSchema;
 use SilverStripe\ORM\Filterable;
+use SilverStripe\ORM\Search\SearchContext;
 use SilverStripe\ORM\SS_List;
 use SilverStripe\View\ArrayData;
 use SilverStripe\View\SSViewer;
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
     protected $throwExceptionOnBadDataType = true;
 
     /**
-     * @var \SilverStripe\ORM\Search\SearchContext
+     * @var SearchContext
      */
     protected $searchContext = null;
 
@@ -250,7 +251,7 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
      * Generate a search context based on the model class of the of the GridField
      *
      * @param GridField $gridfield
-     * @return \SilverStripe\ORM\Search\SearchContext
+     * @return SearchContext
      */
     public function getSearchContext(GridField $gridField)
     {
@@ -261,6 +262,16 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
         return $this->searchContext;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets a specific SearchContext instance for this component to use, instead of the default
+     * context provided by the ModelClass.
+     */
+    public function setSearchContext(SearchContext $context): static
+    {
+        $this->searchContext = $context;
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the search field schema for the component
      *
@@ -287,8 +298,6 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
             $searchField = $searchField && property_exists($searchField, 'name') ? $searchField->name : null;
         }
 
-        $name = $gridField->Title ?: $inst->i18n_plural_name();
-
         // Prefix "Search__" onto the filters for the React component
         $filters = $context->getSearchParams();
         if (!empty($filters)) {
@@ -302,7 +311,7 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
         $schema = [
             'formSchemaUrl' => $schemaUrl,
             'name' => $searchField,
-            'placeholder' => _t(__CLASS__ . '.Search', 'Search "{name}"', ['name' => $name]),
+            'placeholder' => _t(__CLASS__ . '.Search', 'Search "{name}"', ['name' => $this->getTitle($gridField, $inst)]),
             'filters' => $filters ?: new \stdClass, // stdClass maps to empty json object '{}'
             'gridfield' => $gridField->getName(),
             'searchAction' => $searchAction->getAttribute('name'),
@@ -314,6 +323,19 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
         return json_encode($schema);
     }
 
+    private function getTitle(GridField $gridField, object $inst): string
+    {
+        if ($gridField->Title) {
+            return $gridField->Title;
+        }
+
+        if (ClassInfo::hasMethod($inst, 'i18n_plural_name')) {
+            return $inst->i18n_plural_name();
+        }
+
+        return ClassInfo::shortName($inst);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the search form for the component
      *
@@ -357,7 +379,7 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
             $field->addExtraClass('stacked no-change-track');
         }
 
-        $name = $gridField->Title ?: singleton($gridField->getModelClass())->i18n_plural_name();
+        $name = $this->getTitle($gridField, singleton($gridField->getModelClass()));
 
         $this->searchForm = $form = new Form(
             $gridField,
diff --git a/src/ORM/Search/BasicSearchContext.php b/src/ORM/Search/BasicSearchContext.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9bdd960a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ORM/Search/BasicSearchContext.php
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace SilverStripe\ORM\Search;
+
+use InvalidArgumentException;
+use SilverStripe\Core\ClassInfo;
+use SilverStripe\Core\Config\Config;
+use SilverStripe\Core\Config\Configurable;
+use SilverStripe\Core\Injector\Injector;
+use SilverStripe\Dev\Deprecation;
+use SilverStripe\ORM\Filterable;
+use SilverStripe\ORM\Filters\PartialMatchFilter;
+use SilverStripe\ORM\Filters\SearchFilter;
+use SilverStripe\ORM\Limitable;
+use SilverStripe\ORM\Sortable;
+
+/**
+ * A SearchContext that can be used with non-ORM data.
+ * This class isn't guaranteed to respect the full searchable fields spec defined on DataObject classes.
+ */
+class BasicSearchContext extends SearchContext
+{
+    use Configurable;
+
+    /**
+     * Name of the field which, if included in search forms passed to this object, will be used
+     * to search across all searchable fields.
+     */
+    private static $general_search_field_name = 'q';
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a list which has been limited, sorted, and filtered by the given parameters.
+     *
+     * @param array $searchParams Map of search criteria, mostly taken from $_REQUEST.
+     *  If a filter is applied to a relationship in dot notation,
+     *  the parameter name should have the dots replaced with double underscores,
+     *  for example "Comments__Name" instead of the filter name "Comments.Name".
+     * @param array|bool|string $sort Field to sort on.
+     * @param array|null|string $limit
+     * @param Filterable&Sortable&Limitable $existingQuery
+     */
+    public function getQuery($searchParams, $sort = false, $limit = false, $existingQuery = null): Filterable&Sortable&Limitable
+    {
+        if (!$existingQuery || !($existingQuery instanceof Filterable) || !($existingQuery instanceof Sortable) || !($existingQuery instanceof Limitable)) {
+            throw new InvalidArgumentException('getQuery requires a pre-existing filterable/sortable/limitable list to be passed as $existingQuery.');
+        }
+
+        if ((count(func_get_args()) >= 3) && (!in_array(gettype($limit), ['array', 'NULL', 'string']))) {
+            Deprecation::notice(
+                '5.1.0',
+                '$limit should be type of array|string|null'
+            );
+            $limit = null;
+        }
+
+        $searchParams = $this->applySearchFilters($this->normaliseSearchParams($searchParams));
+        $result = $this->applyGeneralSearchField($searchParams, $existingQuery);
+
+        // Filter the list by the requested filters.
+        if (!empty($searchParams)) {
+            $result = $result->filter($searchParams);
+        }
+
+        // Only sort if a sort value is provided - sort by "false" just means use the existing sort.
+        if ($sort) {
+            $result = $result->sort($sort);
+        }
+
+        // Limit must be last so that ArrayList results don't have an applied limit before they can be filtered/sorted.
+        $result = $result->limit($limit);
+
+        return $result;
+    }
+
+    private function normaliseSearchParams(array $searchParams): array
+    {
+        $normalised = [];
+        foreach ($searchParams as $field => $searchTerm) {
+            if ($this->clearEmptySearchFields($searchTerm)) {
+                $normalised[str_replace('__', '.', $field)] = $searchTerm;
+            }
+        }
+        return $normalised;
+    }
+
+    private function applySearchFilters(array $searchParams): array
+    {
+        $applied = [];
+        foreach ($searchParams as $fieldName => $searchTerm) {
+            // Ignore the general search field - we'll deal with that in a special way.
+            if ($fieldName === static::config()->get('general_search_field_name')) {
+                $applied[$fieldName] = $searchTerm;
+                continue;
+            }
+            $filterTerm = $this->getFilterTerm($fieldName);
+            $applied["{$fieldName}:{$filterTerm}"] = $searchTerm;
+        }
+        return $applied;
+    }
+
+    private function applyGeneralSearchField(array &$searchParams, Filterable $existingQuery): Filterable
+    {
+        $generalFieldName = static::config()->get('general_search_field_name');
+        if (array_key_exists($generalFieldName, $searchParams)) {
+            $searchTerm = $searchParams[$generalFieldName];
+            if (Config::inst()->get($this->modelClass, 'general_search_split_terms') !== false) {
+                $searchTerm = explode(' ', $searchTerm);
+            }
+            $generalFilter = [];
+            foreach ($this->getSearchFields()->dataFieldNames() as $fieldName) {
+                if ($fieldName === $generalFieldName) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                if (!$this->getCanGeneralSearch($fieldName)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                $filterTerm = $this->getGeneralSearchFilterTerm($fieldName);
+                $generalFilter["{$fieldName}:{$filterTerm}"] = $searchTerm;
+            }
+            $result = $existingQuery->filterAny($generalFilter);
+            unset($searchParams[$generalFieldName]);
+        }
+
+        return $result ?? $existingQuery;
+    }
+
+    private function getCanGeneralSearch(string $fieldName): bool
+    {
+        $singleton = singleton($this->modelClass);
+
+        // Allowed if we're dealing with arbitrary data.
+        if (!ClassInfo::hasMethod($singleton, 'searchableFields')) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        $fields = $singleton->searchableFields();
+
+        // Not allowed if the field isn't searchable.
+        if (!isset($fields[$fieldName])) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // Allowed if 'general' isn't part of the spec, or is explicitly truthy.
+        return !isset($fields[$fieldName]['general']) || $fields[$fieldName]['general'];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the search filter for the given fieldname when searched from the general search field.
+     */
+    private function getGeneralSearchFilterTerm(string $fieldName): string
+    {
+        $filterClass = Config::inst()->get($this->modelClass, 'general_search_field_filter');
+        if ($filterClass) {
+            return $this->getTermFromFilter(Injector::inst()->create($filterClass, $fieldName));
+        }
+
+        if ($filterClass === '') {
+            return $this->getFilterTerm($fieldName);
+        }
+
+        return 'PartialMatch:nocase';
+    }
+
+    private function getFilterTerm(string $fieldName): string
+    {
+        $filter = $this->getFilter($fieldName) ?? PartialMatchFilter::create($fieldName);
+        return $this->getTermFromFilter($filter);
+    }
+
+    private function getTermFromFilter(SearchFilter $filter): string
+    {
+        $modifiers = $filter->getModifiers() ?? [];
+
+        // Get the string used to refer to the filter, e.g. "PartialMatch"
+        // Ask the injector for it first - but for any not defined there, fall back to string manipulation.
+        $filterTerm = Injector::inst()->getServiceName(get_class($filter));
+        if (!$filterTerm) {
+            $filterTerm = preg_replace('/Filter$/', '', ClassInfo::shortName($filter));
+        }
+
+        // Add modifiers to filter
+        foreach ($modifiers as $modifier) {
+            $filterTerm .= ":{$modifier}";
+        }
+
+        return $filterTerm;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ORM/Search/SearchContext.php b/src/ORM/Search/SearchContext.php
index 978ba3677..d41e26042 100644
--- a/src/ORM/Search/SearchContext.php
+++ b/src/ORM/Search/SearchContext.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use SilverStripe\Forms\SelectField;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\CheckboxField;
 use InvalidArgumentException;
 use Exception;
+use LogicException;
 use SilverStripe\Core\Config\Config;
 use SilverStripe\Dev\Deprecation;
 use SilverStripe\ORM\DataQuery;
@@ -104,7 +105,18 @@ class SearchContext
      */
     public function getSearchFields()
     {
-        return ($this->fields) ? $this->fields : singleton($this->modelClass)->scaffoldSearchFields();
+        if ($this->fields->exists()) {
+            return $this->fields;
+        }
+
+        $singleton = singleton($this->modelClass);
+        if (!$singleton->hasMethod('scaffoldSearchFields')) {
+            throw new LogicException(
+                'Cannot dynamically determine search fields. Pass the fields to setFields()'
+                . " or implement a scaffoldSearchFields() method on {$this->modelClass}"
+            );
+        }
+        return $singleton->scaffoldSearchFields();
     }
 
     protected function applyBaseTableFields()