diff --git a/app/components/search_component.html.erb b/app/components/search_component.html.erb
index cf5da1898..9a56eb9c2 100644
--- a/app/components/search_component.html.erb
+++ b/app/components/search_component.html.erb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
       <%= label %>
     </label>
 
-    <input class="govuk-input app-search__input" id="search-field" name="search-field" type="search" autocomplete="off">
+    <input class="govuk-input app-search__input" id="search-field" name="search-field" type="search" autocomplete="off" value="<%= value %>">
   </div>
 
   <button class="govuk-button app-search__button undefined" data-module="govuk-button">
diff --git a/app/components/search_component.rb b/app/components/search_component.rb
index dbab17245..abb6b3d0b 100644
--- a/app/components/search_component.rb
+++ b/app/components/search_component.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 class SearchComponent < ViewComponent::Base
-  attr_reader :current_user, :label
+  attr_reader :current_user, :label, :value
 
-  def initialize(current_user:, label:)
+  def initialize(current_user:, label:, value: nil)
     @current_user = current_user
     @label = label
+    @value = value
     super
   end
 
diff --git a/app/views/users/index.html.erb b/app/views/users/index.html.erb
index 60af1b84a..41718449b 100644
--- a/app/views/users/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/users/index.html.erb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   <%= govuk_button_link_to "Invite user", new_user_path, html: { method: :get } %>
 <% end %>
 
-<%= render SearchComponent.new(current_user:, label: "Search by name or email address") %>
+<%= render SearchComponent.new(current_user:, label: "Search by name or email address", value: @searched) %>
 
 <%= govuk_table do |table| %>
   <%= table.caption(classes: %w[govuk-!-font-size-19 govuk-!-font-weight-regular]) do |caption| %>
diff --git a/spec/components/search_component_spec.rb b/spec/components/search_component_spec.rb
index d79ad53ca..89dc21436 100644
--- a/spec/components/search_component_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/search_component_spec.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ RSpec.describe SearchComponent, type: :component do
   let(:current_user) { FactoryBot.create(:user, :support) }
   let(:label) { "Search by name or email address" }
   let(:page) { Capybara::Node::Simple.new(rendered_component) }
+  let(:value) { nil }
 
   before do
-    render_inline(described_class.new(current_user:, label:))
+    render_inline(described_class.new(current_user:, label:, value:))
   end
 
   it "renders a search bar" do
@@ -16,4 +17,12 @@ RSpec.describe SearchComponent, type: :component do
   it "renders the given label" do
     expect(page).to have_content(label)
   end
+
+  context "when a search term has been entered" do
+    let(:value) { "search term" }
+
+    it "shows the search term in the input field" do
+      expect(page).to have_field("search-field", type: "search", with: value)
+    end
+  end
 end