diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 26dc15fc..961a7594 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 xbps-0.38 (???):
 
+ * xbps-query(8): added -s/--search local mode, the previous repository mode must
+   be specified with -R/--repository mode explicitly.
+
  * pkgdb-0.38 format: the pkgdb plist file now contains all pkg metadata objects
    plus the pkgdb specific ones (automatic-install, install-date, metafile-sha256)
    with the pkg files list being the exception. The pkgdb code will automatically
diff --git a/bin/xbps-query/defs.h b/bin/xbps-query/defs.h
index 44a60acf..f16b51ff 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-query/defs.h
+++ b/bin/xbps-query/defs.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ int	list_pkgs_pkgdb(struct xbps_handle *);
 int	repo_list(struct xbps_handle *);
 
 /* from search.c */
-int	repo_search(struct xbps_handle *, const char *, const char *, bool);
+int	search(struct xbps_handle *, bool, const char *, const char *, bool);
+
 
 #endif /* !_XBPS_QUERY_DEFS_H_ */
diff --git a/bin/xbps-query/main.c b/bin/xbps-query/main.c
index 1d3bb28b..897534dc 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-query/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-query/main.c
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int c, flags, rv;
 	bool list_pkgs, list_repos, orphans, own;
 	bool list_manual, list_hold, show_prop, show_files, show_deps, show_rdeps;
-	bool show, search, regex, repo_mode, opmode, fulldeptree;
+	bool show, pkg_search, regex, repo_mode, opmode, fulldeptree;
 
 	rootdir = cachedir = conffile = props = pkg = NULL;
 	flags = rv = c = 0;
-	list_pkgs = list_repos = list_hold = orphans = search = own = false;
+	list_pkgs = list_repos = list_hold = orphans = pkg_search = own = false;
 	list_manual = show_prop = show_files = false;
 	regex = show = show_deps = show_rdeps = fulldeptree = false;
 	repo_mode = opmode = false;
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			break;
 		case 's':
 			pkg = optarg;
-			search = opmode = true;
+			pkg_search = opmode = true;
 			break;
 		case 'v':
 			flags |= XBPS_FLAG_VERBOSE;
@@ -252,9 +252,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		/* ownedby mode */
 		rv = ownedby(&xh, pkg, repo_mode, regex);
 
-	} else if (search) {
+	} else if (pkg_search) {
 		/* search mode */
-		rv = repo_search(&xh, pkg, props, regex);
+		rv = search(&xh, repo_mode, pkg, props, regex);
 
 	} else if (show || show_prop) {
 		/* show mode */
diff --git a/bin/xbps-query/search.c b/bin/xbps-query/search.c
index 13002737..c6c2ea6c 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-query/search.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-query/search.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 #include "defs.h"
 
 struct search_data {
-	bool regex;
+	bool regex, repo_mode;
 	int maxcols;
 	const char *pat, *prop, *repourl;
 	xbps_array_t results;
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ search_array_cb(struct xbps_handle *xhp _unused,
 		xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgver", &pkgver);
 		xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "short_desc", &desc);
 
-		if (xbps_match_virtual_pkg_in_dict(obj, sd->pat))
+		if (sd->repo_mode && xbps_match_virtual_pkg_in_dict(obj, sd->pat))
 			vpkgfound = true;
 
 		if (sd->regex) {
@@ -151,14 +151,20 @@ search_array_cb(struct xbps_handle *xhp _unused,
 					return errno;
 				if (regexec(&regex, str, 0, 0, 0) == 0) {
 					xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgver", &pkgver);
-					printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+					if (sd->repo_mode)
+						printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+					else
+						printf("%s: %s\n", pkgver, str);
 				}
 				regfree(&regex);
 			} else {
 				if ((strcasestr(str, sd->pat)) ||
 				    (fnmatch(sd->pat, str, FNM_PERIOD)) == 0) {
 					xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgver", &pkgver);
-					printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+					if (sd->repo_mode)
+						printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+					else
+						printf("%s: %s\n", pkgver, str);
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -174,18 +180,28 @@ search_array_cb(struct xbps_handle *xhp _unused,
 			if (regcomp(&regex, sd->pat, REG_EXTENDED|REG_NOSUB) != 0)
 				return errno;
 			if (regexec(&regex, size, 0, 0, 0) == 0) {
-				printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, size, sd->repourl);
+				if (sd->repo_mode)
+					printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, size, sd->repourl);
+				else
+					printf("%s: %s\n", pkgver, size);
 			}
 			regfree(&regex);
 		} else {
 			if (strcasestr(size, sd->pat)) {
-				printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, size, sd->repourl);
+				if (sd->repo_mode)
+					printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, size, sd->repourl);
+				else
+					printf("%s: %s\n", pkgver, size);
 			}
 		}
 	} else if (xbps_object_type(obj2) == XBPS_TYPE_BOOL) {
 		/* property is a bool */
 		xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgver", &pkgver);
-		printf("%s: true (%s)\n", pkgver, sd->repourl);
+		if (sd->repo_mode)
+			printf("%s: true (%s)\n", pkgver, sd->repourl);
+		else
+			printf("%s: true\n", pkgver);
+
 	} else if (xbps_object_type(obj2) == XBPS_TYPE_STRING) {
 		/* property is a string */
 		str = xbps_string_cstring_nocopy(obj2);
@@ -194,13 +210,19 @@ search_array_cb(struct xbps_handle *xhp _unused,
 				return errno;
 			if (regexec(&regex, str, 0, 0, 0) == 0) {
 				xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgver", &pkgver);
-				printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+				if (sd->repo_mode)
+					printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+				else
+					printf("%s: %s\n", pkgver, str);
 			}
 			regfree(&regex);
 		} else {
 			if (strcasestr(str, sd->pat)) {
 				xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgver", &pkgver);
-				printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+				if (sd->repo_mode)
+					printf("%s: %s (%s)\n", pkgver, str, sd->repourl);
+				else
+					printf("%s: %s\n", pkgver, str);
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -208,7 +230,7 @@ search_array_cb(struct xbps_handle *xhp _unused,
 }
 
 static int
-search_pkgs_cb(struct xbps_repo *repo, void *arg, bool *done _unused)
+search_repo_cb(struct xbps_repo *repo, void *arg, bool *done _unused)
 {
 	xbps_array_t allkeys;
 	struct search_data *sd = arg;
@@ -222,22 +244,33 @@ search_pkgs_cb(struct xbps_repo *repo, void *arg, bool *done _unused)
 }
 
 int
-repo_search(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pat, const char *prop, bool regex)
+search(struct xbps_handle *xhp, bool repo_mode, const char *pat, const char *prop, bool regex)
 {
 	struct search_data sd;
 	int rv;
 
 	sd.regex = regex;
+	sd.repo_mode = repo_mode;
 	sd.pat = pat;
 	sd.prop = prop;
 	sd.maxcols = get_maxcols();
 	sd.results = xbps_array_create();
 
-	rv = xbps_rpool_foreach(xhp, search_pkgs_cb, &sd);
-	if (rv != 0 && rv != ENOTSUP)
-		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to initialize rpool: %s\n",
-		    strerror(rv));
-
+	if (repo_mode) {
+		rv = xbps_rpool_foreach(xhp, search_repo_cb, &sd);
+		if (rv != 0 && rv != ENOTSUP) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to initialize rpool: %s\n",
+			    strerror(rv));
+			return rv;
+		}
+	} else {
+		rv = xbps_pkgdb_foreach_cb(xhp, search_array_cb, &sd);
+		if (rv != 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to initialize pkgdb: %s\n",
+			    strerror(rv));
+			return rv;
+		}
+	}
 	if (!prop && xbps_array_count(sd.results)) {
 		print_results(xhp, &sd);
 		xbps_object_release(sd.results);