diff --git a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 59ffcea19..54dbd50ed 100644
--- a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@
         <activity
             android:name=".explore.SearchActivity"
             android:label="@string/title_activity_search"
+            android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden"
             android:parentActivityName=".contributions.ContributionsActivity"
             />
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/SearchActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/SearchActivity.java
index f28065eb5..475b3900a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/SearchActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/SearchActivity.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package fr.free.nrw.commons.explore;
 
+import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.database.DataSetObserver;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.support.design.widget.TabLayout;
@@ -194,6 +195,10 @@ public class SearchActivity extends NavigationBaseActivity implements MediaDetai
         mediaDetails.showImage(index);
         forceInitBackButton();
     }
+    @Override
+    public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
+        super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
+    }
 
     /**
      * This method is called on Screen Rotation