diff --git a/news/changelog-1.6.md b/news/changelog-1.6.md
index 8738fe9a799..042a99dea9f 100644
--- a/news/changelog-1.6.md
+++ b/news/changelog-1.6.md
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ All changes included in 1.6:
 - ([#10567](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/10567)): Generate breadcrumbs correctly for documents using a level-1 heading as the title.
 - ([#10616](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/10268)): Add a `z-index` setting to the 'back to top' button to ensure it is always visible.
 - ([#10864](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/10864)): Support detection of `og:image:alt` attribute from auto-discovered images.
+- ([#9905](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/9905)): Setting `search: false` in `navbar` config for `website` in `_quarto.yml` correctly opt-out sidebar.
 
 ### Quarto Blog
 
diff --git a/src/project/types/website/website-navigation.ts b/src/project/types/website/website-navigation.ts
index 26574ac823a..614c1cf4fdb 100644
--- a/src/project/types/website/website-navigation.ts
+++ b/src/project/types/website/website-navigation.ts
@@ -1232,7 +1232,9 @@ async function navbarEjsData(
   const searchOpts = await searchOptions(project);
   const data: Navbar = {
     ...navbar,
-    search: searchOpts && searchOpts.location === "navbar"
+    search: navbar.search !== undefined
+      ? navbar.search
+      : searchOpts && searchOpts.location === "navbar"
       ? searchOpts.type
       : false,
     background: navbar.background || "primary",
diff --git a/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/.gitignore b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a01d10b4016
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+.quarto/
+_site/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/.gitignore b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..075b2542afb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/.quarto/
diff --git a/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/_quarto.yml b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/_quarto.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f53f806e0ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/_quarto.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+project:
+  type: website
+
+website:
+  title: "search opt out"
+  search:
+    location: sidebar
+  navbar:
+    search: false
+    left:
+      - href: index.qmd
+        text: Home
+
+format: html
diff --git a/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/index.qmd b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/index.qmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c4aabb1e3ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/navbar/index.qmd
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: "search opt out"
+---
+
+This is a Quarto website.
+
+To learn more about Quarto websites visit <https://quarto.org/docs/websites>.
diff --git a/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/.gitignore b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..075b2542afb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/.quarto/
diff --git a/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/_quarto.yml b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/_quarto.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8ea475f3122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/_quarto.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+project:
+  type: website
+
+website:
+  title: "search opt out"
+  search:
+    location: sidebar
+  sidebar:
+    search: false
+    contents:
+      - section: "Basics"
+        contents:
+          - index.qmd
+
+format: html
diff --git a/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/index.qmd b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/index.qmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c4aabb1e3ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/search/issue-9905/sidebar/index.qmd
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: "search opt out"
+---
+
+This is a Quarto website.
+
+To learn more about Quarto websites visit <https://quarto.org/docs/websites>.
diff --git a/tests/smoke/extensions/install.test.ts b/tests/smoke/extensions/install.test.ts
index 692b60296f2..62e0d88a1b8 100644
--- a/tests/smoke/extensions/install.test.ts
+++ b/tests/smoke/extensions/install.test.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ for (const extUrl of extUrls) {
         Deno.removeSync("_extensions", { recursive: true });
         return Promise.resolve();
       },
-      santize: {
+      sanitize: {
         resources: false,
       },
     },
diff --git a/tests/smoke/site/site.ts b/tests/smoke/site/site.ts
index ae812270d15..45f0d9f007c 100644
--- a/tests/smoke/site/site.ts
+++ b/tests/smoke/site/site.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 import { existsSync } from "../../../src/deno_ral/fs.ts";
 import { dirname } from "../../../src/deno_ral/path.ts";
-import { testQuartoCmd, Verify } from "../../test.ts";
+import { testQuartoCmd, Verify, TestContext, mergeTestContexts } from "../../test.ts";
 import { projectOutputForInput } from "../../utils.ts";
 import { ensureHtmlElements, noErrorsOrWarnings } from "../../verify.ts";
 
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export const testSite = (
   renderTarget: string,
   includeSelectors: string[],
   excludeSelectors: string[],
+  additionalContext?: TestContext,
   ...verify: Verify[]
 ) => {
   const output = projectOutputForInput(input);
@@ -24,18 +25,20 @@ export const testSite = (
     excludeSelectors,
   );
 
+  const baseContext: TestContext = {
+    teardown: async () => {
+      const siteDir = dirname(output.outputPath);
+      if (existsSync(siteDir)) {
+        await Deno.remove(siteDir, { recursive: true });
+      }
+    },
+  };
+
   // Run the command
   testQuartoCmd(
     "render",
     [renderTarget],
     [noErrorsOrWarnings, verifySel, ...verify],
-    {
-      teardown: async () => {
-        const siteDir = dirname(output.outputPath);
-        if (existsSync(siteDir)) {
-          await Deno.remove(siteDir, { recursive: true });
-        }
-      },
-    },
+    mergeTestContexts(baseContext, additionalContext),
   );
 };
diff --git a/tests/smoke/website/search.test.ts b/tests/smoke/website/search.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..87f861b63d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/smoke/website/search.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/*
+* drafts.test.ts
+*
+* Copyright (C) 2020-2022 Posit Software, PBC
+*
+*/
+import { docs } from "../../utils.ts";
+import { testSite } from "../site/site.ts";
+
+await testSite(docs("search/issue-9905/navbar/index.qmd"), docs("search/issue-9905/navbar"), [], ["div#quarto-search"])
+await testSite(docs("search/issue-9905/sidebar/index.qmd"), docs("search/issue-9905/sidebar"), [], ["div.sidebar-search"]);
+
diff --git a/tests/test.ts b/tests/test.ts
index e7eadbbed8f..676eaa62fcd 100644
--- a/tests/test.ts
+++ b/tests/test.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export interface TestContext {
   cwd?: () => string;
 
   // Control of underlying sanitizer
-  santize?: { resources?: boolean; ops?: boolean; exit?: boolean };
+  sanitize?: { resources?: boolean; ops?: boolean; exit?: boolean };
 
   // control if test is ran or skipped
   ignore?: boolean;
@@ -59,6 +59,46 @@ export interface TestContext {
   env?: Record<string, string>;
 }
 
+// Allow to merge test contexts in Tests helpers
+export function mergeTestContexts(baseContext: TestContext, additionalContext?: TestContext): TestContext {
+  if (!additionalContext) {
+    return baseContext;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    // override name if provided
+    name: additionalContext.name || baseContext.name,
+    // combine prereq conditions
+    prereq: async () => {
+      const baseResult = !baseContext.prereq || await baseContext.prereq();
+      const additionalResult = !additionalContext.prereq || await additionalContext.prereq();
+      return baseResult && additionalResult;
+    },
+    // run teardowns in reverse order
+    teardown: async () => {
+      if (baseContext.teardown) await baseContext.teardown();
+      if (additionalContext.teardown) await additionalContext.teardown();
+    },
+    // run setups in order
+    setup: async () => {
+      if (additionalContext.setup) await additionalContext.setup();
+      if (baseContext.setup) await baseContext.setup();
+    },
+    // override cwd if provided
+    cwd: additionalContext.cwd || baseContext.cwd,
+    // merge sanitize options
+    sanitize: {
+      resources: additionalContext.sanitize?.resources ?? baseContext.sanitize?.resources,
+      ops: additionalContext.sanitize?.ops ?? baseContext.sanitize?.ops,
+      exit: additionalContext.sanitize?.exit ?? baseContext.sanitize?.exit,
+    },
+    // override ignore if provided
+    ignore: additionalContext.ignore ?? baseContext.ignore,
+    // merge env with additional context taking precedence
+    env: { ...baseContext.env, ...additionalContext.env },
+  };
+}
+
 export function testQuartoCmd(
   cmd: string,
   args: string[],
@@ -125,9 +165,9 @@ export function test(test: TestDescriptor) {
     ? `[${test.type}] > ${test.name} (${test.context.name})`
     : `[${test.type}] > ${test.name}`;
 
-  const sanitizeResources = test.context.santize?.resources;
-  const sanitizeOps = test.context.santize?.ops;
-  const sanitizeExit = test.context.santize?.exit;
+  const sanitizeResources = test.context.sanitize?.resources;
+  const sanitizeOps = test.context.sanitize?.ops;
+  const sanitizeExit = test.context.sanitize?.exit;
   const ignore = test.context.ignore;
   const userSession = !runningInCI();
 
diff --git a/tests/utils.ts b/tests/utils.ts
index 7155f6195ea..5fc579ff0a8 100644
--- a/tests/utils.ts
+++ b/tests/utils.ts
@@ -189,4 +189,4 @@ export function fileLoader(...path: string[]) {
 // On Windows, `quarto.cmd` needs to be explicit in `execProcess()`
 export function quartoDevCmd(): string {
   return Deno.build.os === "windows" ? "quarto.cmd" : "quarto";
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file