diff --git a/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php b/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php
index 43e781a9cd3..df45f9efb37 100755
--- a/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php
+++ b/src/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeader.php
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ class GridFieldFilterHeader extends AbstractGridFieldComponent implements GridFi
      */
     protected $updateSearchFormCallback = null;
 
+    /**
+     * The name of the default search field
+     * @var string|null
+     */
+    protected ?string $searchField = null;
+
     /**
      * @inheritDoc
      */
@@ -125,6 +131,17 @@ public function getThrowExceptionOnBadDataType()
         return $this->throwExceptionOnBadDataType;
     }
 
+    public function getSearchField(): ?string
+    {
+        return $this->searchField;
+    }
+
+    public function setSearchField(string $field): self
+    {
+        $this->searchField = $field;
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Check that this dataList is of the right data type.
      * Returns false if it's a bad data type, and if appropriate, throws an exception.
@@ -281,7 +298,7 @@ public function getSearchContext(GridField $gridField)
     public function getSearchFieldSchema(GridField $gridField)
     {
         $schemaUrl = Controller::join_links($gridField->Link(), 'schema/SearchForm');
-
+        $inst = singleton($gridField->getModelClass());
         $context = $this->getSearchContext($gridField);
         $params = $gridField->getRequest()->postVar('filter') ?: [];
         if (array_key_exists($gridField->getName(), $params ?? [])) {
@@ -292,10 +309,13 @@ public function getSearchFieldSchema(GridField $gridField)
         }
         $context->setSearchParams($params);
 
-        $searchField = $context->getSearchFields()->first();
-        $searchField = $searchField && property_exists($searchField, 'name') ? $searchField->name : null;
+        $searchField = $this->getSearchField() ?: $inst->config()->get('general_search_field');
+        if (!$searchField) {
+            $searchField = $context->getSearchFields()->first();
+            $searchField = $searchField && property_exists($searchField, 'name') ? $searchField->name : null;
+        }
 
-        $name = $gridField->Title ?: singleton($gridField->getModelClass())->i18n_plural_name();
+        $name = $gridField->Title ?: $inst->i18n_plural_name();
 
         // Prefix "Search__" onto the filters for the React component
         $filters = $context->getSearchParams();
diff --git a/tests/php/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeaderTest.php b/tests/php/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeaderTest.php
index e7bf6a3fbbb..0351954e1ac 100644
--- a/tests/php/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeaderTest.php
+++ b/tests/php/Forms/GridField/GridFieldFilterHeaderTest.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace SilverStripe\Forms\Tests\GridField;
 
 use SilverStripe\Control\HTTPRequest;
+use SilverStripe\Core\Config\Config;
 use SilverStripe\Dev\SapphireTest;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\FieldList;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\Form;
@@ -156,4 +157,20 @@ public function testGetSearchForm()
             $this->assertEquals('no-change-track', $field->extraClasses['no-change-track']);
         }
     }
+
+    public function testCustomSearchField()
+    {
+        $searchSchema = json_decode($this->component->getSearchFieldSchema($this->gridField));
+        $this->assertEquals('Name', $searchSchema->name);
+
+        Config::modify()->set(Team::class, 'general_search_field', 'CustomSearch');
+        $searchSchema = json_decode($this->component->getSearchFieldSchema($this->gridField));
+        $this->assertEquals('CustomSearch', $searchSchema->name);
+
+        $this->component->setSearchField('ReallyCustomSearch');
+        $searchSchema = json_decode($this->component->getSearchFieldSchema($this->gridField));
+        $this->assertEquals('ReallyCustomSearch', $searchSchema->name);
+
+        $this->assertEquals('ReallyCustomSearch', $this->component->getSearchField());
+    }
 }