diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts
index 16bcfbec09f..517e588a6fd 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import { SymbolsQuickAccessProvider } from './symbolsQuickAccess.js';
 import { ISearchHistoryService, SearchHistoryService } from '../common/searchHistoryService.js';
 import { SearchViewModelWorkbenchService } from './searchTreeModel/searchModel.js';
 import { ISearchViewModelWorkbenchService } from './searchTreeModel/searchViewModelWorkbenchService.js';
-import { SearchSortOrder, SEARCH_EXCLUDE_CONFIG, VIEWLET_ID, ViewMode, VIEW_ID, DEFAULT_MAX_SEARCH_RESULTS } from '../../../services/search/common/search.js';
+import { SearchSortOrder, SEARCH_EXCLUDE_CONFIG, VIEWLET_ID, ViewMode, VIEW_ID, DEFAULT_MAX_SEARCH_RESULTS, AutoSemanticSearch } from '../../../services/search/common/search.js';
 import { CommandsRegistry } from '../../../../platform/commands/common/commands.js';
 import { assertType } from '../../../../base/common/types.js';
 import { getWorkspaceSymbols, IWorkspaceSymbol } from '../common/search.js';
@@ -388,10 +388,17 @@ configurationRegistry.registerConfiguration({
 			description: nls.localize('search.experimental.closedNotebookResults', "Show notebook editor rich content results for closed notebooks. Please refresh your search results after changing this setting."),
 			default: false
 		},
-		'search.experimental.autoAISearchResults': {
-			type: 'boolean',
-			description: nls.localize('search.experimental.autoAISearchResults', "Automatically request search results from the AI search provider"),
-			default: false
+		'search.searchView.autoSemanticSearchResults': {
+			type: 'string',
+			description: nls.localize('search.searchView.autoSemanticSearchResults', "Automatically request semantic search results in the search view."),
+			enum: [AutoSemanticSearch.Disabled, AutoSemanticSearch.OnEmptyResults, AutoSemanticSearch.Enabled],
+			default: AutoSemanticSearch.Disabled,
+			enumDescriptions: [
+				nls.localize('search.searchView.autoSemanticSearchResults.disabled', "Disable automatic semantic search results."),
+				nls.localize('search.searchView.autoSemanticSearchResults.onEmptyResults', "Only automatically request semantic results when text search results are empty."),
+				nls.localize('search.searchView.autoSemanticSearchResults.enabled', "Enable automatic semantic search results.")
+			],
+			tags: ['preview'],
 		},
 	}
 });
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
index e662dd7f781..8b278ba91cc 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ import { createEditorFromSearchResult } from '../../searchEditor/browser/searchE
 import { ACTIVE_GROUP, IEditorService, SIDE_GROUP } from '../../../services/editor/common/editorService.js';
 import { IPreferencesService, ISettingsEditorOptions } from '../../../services/preferences/common/preferences.js';
 import { ITextQueryBuilderOptions, QueryBuilder } from '../../../services/search/common/queryBuilder.js';
-import { IPatternInfo, ISearchComplete, ISearchConfiguration, ISearchConfigurationProperties, ISearchService, ITextQuery, SearchCompletionExitCode, SearchSortOrder, TextSearchCompleteMessageType, ViewMode } from '../../../services/search/common/search.js';
+import { AutoSemanticSearch, IPatternInfo, ISearchComplete, ISearchConfiguration, ISearchConfigurationProperties, ISearchService, ITextQuery, SearchCompletionExitCode, SearchSortOrder, TextSearchCompleteMessageType, ViewMode } from '../../../services/search/common/search.js';
 import { AISearchKeyword, TextSearchCompleteMessage } from '../../../services/search/common/searchExtTypes.js';
 import { ITextFileService } from '../../../services/textfile/common/textfiles.js';
 import { INotebookService } from '../../notebook/common/notebookService.js';
@@ -628,11 +628,11 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewPane {
 		}
 
 		this._register(this.searchWidget.onSearchSubmit(options => {
-			const shouldRenderAIResults = this.configurationService.getValue<ISearchConfigurationProperties>('search').experimental?.autoAISearchResults;
+			const shouldRenderAIResults = this.configurationService.getValue<ISearchConfigurationProperties>('search').searchView.autoAISearchResults;
 			this.triggerQueryChange({
 				...options,
 				shouldKeepAIResults: false,
-				shouldUpdateAISearch: shouldRenderAIResults,
+				shouldUpdateAISearch: shouldRenderAIResults === AutoSemanticSearch.Enabled,
 			});
 		}));
 		this._register(this.searchWidget.onSearchCancel(({ focus }) => this.cancelSearch(focus)));
@@ -1879,6 +1879,10 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewPane {
 
 		return result.asyncResults.then((complete) => {
 			clearTimeout(slowTimer);
+			const config = this.configurationService.getValue<ISearchConfigurationProperties>('search').searchView.autoAISearchResults;
+			if (complete.results.length === 0 && config === AutoSemanticSearch.OnEmptyResults) {
+				this.model.searchResult.aiTextSearchResult.hidden = false;
+			}
 			return this.onSearchComplete(progressComplete, excludePatternText, includePatternText, complete);
 		}, (e) => {
 			clearTimeout(slowTimer);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/common/search.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/common/search.ts
index dfe6e292a27..d064b86b9c2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/common/search.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/common/search.ts
@@ -416,6 +416,12 @@ export const enum SearchSortOrder {
 	CountAscending = 'countAscending'
 }
 
+export const enum AutoSemanticSearch {
+	Enabled = 'enabled',
+	Disabled = 'disabled',
+	OnEmptyResults = 'onEmptyResults',
+}
+
 export interface ISearchConfigurationProperties {
 	exclude: glob.IExpression;
 	useRipgrep: boolean;
@@ -460,7 +466,9 @@ export interface ISearchConfigurationProperties {
 	defaultViewMode: ViewMode;
 	experimental: {
 		closedNotebookRichContentResults: boolean;
-		autoAISearchResults: boolean;
+	};
+	searchView: {
+		autoAISearchResults: string;
 	};
 }