diff --git a/Sources/Actions/Search.php b/Sources/Actions/Search.php
index 41e46ab51a..7d5a9f39f9 100644
--- a/Sources/Actions/Search.php
+++ b/Sources/Actions/Search.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 use SMF\ActionInterface;
 use SMF\ActionRouter;
 use SMF\ActionTrait;
-use SMF\Category;
+use SMF\Board;
 use SMF\Config;
 use SMF\Db\DatabaseApi as Db;
 use SMF\ErrorHandler;
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ public function execute(): void
 		// Don't load this in XML mode.
 		if (!isset($_REQUEST['xml'])) {
 			Theme::loadTemplate('Search');
+			Theme::loadTemplate('GenericControls');
 			Theme::loadJavaScriptFile('suggest.js', ['defer' => false, 'minimize' => true], 'smf_suggest');
 		}
 
@@ -174,91 +175,18 @@ public function execute(): void
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Find all the boards this user is allowed to see.
-		$request = Db::$db->query(
-			'SELECT b.id_cat, c.name AS cat_name, b.id_board, b.name, b.child_level
-			FROM {db_prefix}boards AS b
-				LEFT JOIN {db_prefix}categories AS c ON (c.id_cat = b.id_cat)
-			WHERE {query_see_board}
-				AND redirect = {string:empty_string}',
-			[
-				'empty_string' => '',
-			],
-			identifier: 'order_by_board_order',
-		);
-		Utils::$context['num_boards'] = Db::$db->num_rows($request);
-		Utils::$context['boards_check_all'] = true;
-		Utils::$context['categories'] = [];
-
-		while ($row = Db::$db->fetch_assoc($request)) {
-			// This category hasn't been set up yet..
-			if (!isset(Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']])) {
-				Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']] = [
-					'id' => $row['id_cat'],
-					'name' => $row['cat_name'],
-					'boards' => [],
-				];
-			}
-
-			$is_recycle_board = !empty(Config::$modSettings['recycle_enable']) && $row['id_board'] == Config::$modSettings['recycle_board'];
-
-			// Set this board up, and let the template know when it's a child.  (indent them..)
-			Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']] = [
-				'id' => $row['id_board'],
-				'name' => $row['name'],
-				'child_level' => $row['child_level'],
-			];
-
-			// If user selected some particular boards, is this one of them?
-			if (!empty(Utils::$context['search_params']['brd'])) {
-				Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']]['selected'] = \in_array($row['id_board'], Utils::$context['search_params']['brd']);
-			}
-			// User didn't select any boards, so select all except ignored and recycle boards.
-			else {
-				Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']]['selected'] = !$is_recycle_board && !\in_array($row['id_board'], User::$me->ignoreboards);
-			}
-
-			// If a board wasn't checked that probably should have been ensure the board selection is selected, yo!
-			if (!Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']]['selected'] && !$is_recycle_board) {
-				Utils::$context['boards_check_all'] = false;
-			}
-		}
-		Db::$db->free_result($request);
-
-		Category::sort(Utils::$context['categories']);
-
-		// Now, let's sort the list of categories into the boards for templates that like that.
-		$temp_boards = [];
-
-		foreach (Utils::$context['categories'] as $category) {
-			$temp_boards[] = [
-				'name' => $category['name'],
-				'child_ids' => array_keys($category['boards']),
-			];
-			$temp_boards = array_merge($temp_boards, array_values($category['boards']));
-
-			// Include a list of boards per category for easy toggling.
-			Utils::$context['categories'][$category['id']]['child_ids'] = array_keys($category['boards']);
+		// If user selected some particular boards, is this one of them?
+		if (!empty(Utils::$context['search_params']['brd'])) {
+			$boards = Utils::$context['search_params']['brd'];
 		}
-
-		$max_boards = ceil(\count($temp_boards) / 2);
-
-		if ($max_boards == 1) {
-			$max_boards = 2;
+		// User didn't select any boards, so select all except ignored and recycle boards.
+		elseif (!empty(Config::$modSettings['recycle_enable']) && !empty(Config::$modSettings['recycle_board'])) {
+			$boards = array_merge(User::$me->ignoreboards, [(int) Config::$modSettings['recycle_board']]);
+		} else {
+			$boards = User::$me->ignoreboards;
 		}
 
-		// Now, alternate them so they can be shown left and right ;).
-		Utils::$context['board_columns'] = [];
-
-		for ($i = 0; $i < $max_boards; $i++) {
-			Utils::$context['board_columns'][] = $temp_boards[$i];
-
-			if (isset($temp_boards[$i + $max_boards])) {
-				Utils::$context['board_columns'][] = $temp_boards[$i + $max_boards];
-			} else {
-				Utils::$context['board_columns'][] = [];
-			}
-		}
+		Utils::$context['categories'] = Board::getUserVisibleBoards($boards);
 
 		if (!empty($_REQUEST['topic'])) {
 			Utils::$context['search_params']['topic'] = (int) $_REQUEST['topic'];
diff --git a/Sources/Board.php b/Sources/Board.php
index d59edff048..260331e10a 100644
--- a/Sources/Board.php
+++ b/Sources/Board.php
@@ -1108,6 +1108,59 @@ public static function getMsgMemberID(int $messageID): int
 		return (int) $memberID;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Fetches the list of boards the user is allowed to see and organizes them by categories.
+	 *
+	 * This function queries the database for boards visible to the current user, grouped by categories.
+	 * It returns a structured array of categories and their associated boards.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $boards An array of board IDs to mark as selected.
+	 * @return array The structured array of categories and boards.
+	 */
+	public static function getUserVisibleBoards(array $boards): array
+	{
+		// Query to fetch boards visible to the user.
+		$request = Db::$db->query(
+			'order_by_board_order',
+			'SELECT id_board, b.name, child_level, c.name AS cat_name, id_cat
+			FROM {db_prefix}boards AS b
+				JOIN {db_prefix}categories AS c USING (id_cat)
+			WHERE {query_see_board}
+				AND redirect = {string:empty_string}
+			ORDER BY board_order',
+			[
+				'empty_string' => '',
+			],
+		);
+
+		$categories = [];
+		$categoryTracker = [];
+		$currentCategoryIndex = -1;
+
+		// Process the results and group boards by categories.
+		while ($row = Db::$db->fetch_assoc($request)) {
+			if (!isset($categoryTracker[$row['id_cat']])) {
+				$categories[++$currentCategoryIndex] = [
+					'id' => (int) $row['id_cat'],
+					'name' => $row['cat_name'],
+					'boards' => [],
+				];
+				$categoryTracker[$row['id_cat']] = true;
+			}
+
+			$categories[$currentCategoryIndex]['boards'][] = [
+				'id' => (int) $row['id_board'],
+				'name' => $row['name'],
+				'child_level' => (int) $row['child_level'],
+				'selected' => \in_array($row['id_board'], $boards),
+			];
+		}
+
+		Db::$db->free_result($request);
+
+		return $categories;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Modify the settings and position of a board.
 	 * Used by ManageBoards.php to change the settings of a board.