diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 398636ee6..ba2da462a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -19,10 +19,14 @@ class MissingParameterError < Exception; end
 
   rescue_from Exception do |exception|
     logger.error "Exception: #{exception.class}: #{exception.message}"
-    logger.error exception.backtrace.join("\n")
     @message = exception.message
     layout = request.xhr? ? false : "application"
-    notify_hoptoad(exception)
+    case exception
+      when Seeker::InvalidSearchTerm
+      else
+        logger.error exception.backtrace.join("\n")
+        notify_hoptoad(exception)
+      end
     render :template => 'error', :formats => [:html], :layout => layout, :status => 400
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/seeker.rb b/app/models/seeker.rb
index 22d9cd267..0493aba4d 100644
--- a/app/models/seeker.rb
+++ b/app/models/seeker.rb
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@ def self.prepare_result(query, baseproject=nil, project=nil, exclude_filter=nil,
     end
   end
 
+  class InvalidSearchTerm < Exception; end
 
   class SearchResult < Array
     def self.search(query, baseproject, project=nil, exclude_filter=nil, exclude_debug=false)
       words = query.split(" ").select {|part| !part.match(/^[0-9_\.-]+$/) }
       versrel = query.split(" ").select {|part| part.match(/^[0-9_\.-]+$/) }
       logger.debug "splitted words and versrel: #{words.inspect} #{versrel.inspect}"
-      raise "Please provide a valid search term" if words.blank? && project.blank?
+      raise InvalidSearchTerm.new "Please provide a valid search term" if words.blank? && project.blank?
 
       xpath_items = Array.new
       xpath_items << "@project = '#{project}' " unless project.blank?