diff --git a/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_modifier.py b/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_modifier.py
index ec6027963f0..196e58c4048 100644
--- a/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_modifier.py
+++ b/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_modifier.py
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ class DATA_PT_modifiers(ModifierButtonsPanel, Panel):
 
 class OBJECT_MT_modifier_add(ModifierAddMenu, Menu):
     bl_label = "Add Modifier"
-    bl_options = {'SEARCH_ON_KEY_PRESS'}
 
     def draw(self, context):
         layout = self.layout
diff --git a/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_node.py b/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_node.py
index 5606f2a95f2..033cd91fc2c 100644
--- a/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_node.py
+++ b/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_node.py
@@ -226,7 +226,6 @@ class NODE_MT_add(bpy.types.Menu):
     bl_space_type = 'NODE_EDITOR'
     bl_label = "Add"
     bl_translation_context = i18n_contexts.operator_default
-    bl_options = {'SEARCH_ON_KEY_PRESS'}
 
     def draw(self, context):
         import nodeitems_utils
diff --git a/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_view3d.py b/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_view3d.py
index 04ecaffb119..a7488ccc6ff 100644
--- a/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_view3d.py
+++ b/scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_view3d.py
@@ -2479,7 +2479,6 @@ class VIEW3D_MT_grease_pencil_add(Menu):
 class VIEW3D_MT_add(Menu):
     bl_label = "Add"
     bl_translation_context = i18n_contexts.operator_default
-    bl_options = {'SEARCH_ON_KEY_PRESS'}
 
     def draw(self, context):
         layout = self.layout
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_screen.hh b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_screen.hh
index a85ea5c9ebf..4fe3a1ba27c 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_screen.hh
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_screen.hh
@@ -411,10 +411,6 @@ enum class MenuTypeFlag {
    * dependent, menu search has to scan it in different contexts.
    */
   ContextDependent = (1 << 0),
-  /**
-   * Automatically start searching in the menu when pressing a key.
-   */
-  SearchOnKeyPress = (1 << 1),
 };
 ENUM_OPERATORS(MenuTypeFlag, MenuTypeFlag::ContextDependent)
 
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc
index e52387c809a..8035783641d 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc
@@ -10304,45 +10304,19 @@ float ui_block_calc_pie_segment(uiBlock *block, const float event_xy[2])
   return len;
 }
 
-static int ui_handle_menu_letter_press(
-    bContext *C, ARegion *region, uiPopupBlockHandle *menu, const wmEvent *event, uiBlock *block)
+static int ui_handle_menu_letter_press(uiPopupBlockHandle *menu)
 {
-  /* Start menu search on key press if enabled. */
+  /* Start menu search on spacebar press if the menu has a name. */
   if (menu->menu_idname[0]) {
-    MenuType *mt = WM_menutype_find(menu->menu_idname, false);
-    if (bool(mt->flag & MenuTypeFlag::SearchOnKeyPress)) {
-      uiAfterFunc *after = ui_afterfunc_new();
-      wmOperatorType *ot = WM_operatortype_find("WM_OT_search_single_menu", false);
-      after->optype = ot;
-      after->opcontext = WM_OP_INVOKE_DEFAULT;
-      after->opptr = MEM_cnew<PointerRNA>(__func__);
-      WM_operator_properties_create_ptr(after->opptr, ot);
-      RNA_string_set(after->opptr, "menu_idname", menu->menu_idname);
-      if (event->type != EVT_SPACEKEY) {
-        const int num_bytes = BLI_str_utf8_size_or_error(event->utf8_buf);
-        if (num_bytes != -1) {
-          char buf[sizeof(event->utf8_buf) + 1];
-          memcpy(buf, event->utf8_buf, num_bytes);
-          buf[num_bytes] = '\0';
-          RNA_string_set(after->opptr, "initial_query", buf);
-        }
-      }
-      menu->menuretval = UI_RETURN_OK;
-      return WM_UI_HANDLER_BREAK;
-    }
-  }
-
-  /* Handle accelerator keys that allow "pressing" a menu entry by pressing a single key. */
-  LISTBASE_FOREACH (uiBut *, but, &block->buttons) {
-    if (!(but->flag & UI_BUT_DISABLED) && but->menu_key == event->type) {
-      if (but->type == UI_BTYPE_BUT) {
-        UI_but_execute(C, region, but);
-      }
-      else {
-        ui_handle_button_activate_by_type(C, region, but);
-      }
-      return WM_UI_HANDLER_BREAK;
-    }
+    uiAfterFunc *after = ui_afterfunc_new();
+    wmOperatorType *ot = WM_operatortype_find("WM_OT_search_single_menu", false);
+    after->optype = ot;
+    after->opcontext = WM_OP_INVOKE_DEFAULT;
+    after->opptr = MEM_cnew<PointerRNA>(__func__);
+    WM_operator_properties_create_ptr(after->opptr, ot);
+    RNA_string_set(after->opptr, "menu_idname", menu->menu_idname);
+    menu->menuretval = UI_RETURN_OK;
+    return WM_UI_HANDLER_BREAK;
   }
   return WM_UI_HANDLER_CONTINUE;
 }
@@ -10776,8 +10750,7 @@ static int ui_handle_menu_event(bContext *C,
         case EVT_WKEY:
         case EVT_XKEY:
         case EVT_YKEY:
-        case EVT_ZKEY:
-        case EVT_SPACEKEY: {
+        case EVT_ZKEY: {
           if (ELEM(event->val, KM_PRESS, KM_DBL_CLICK) &&
               ((event->modifier & (KM_SHIFT | KM_CTRL | KM_OSKEY)) == 0) &&
               /* Only respond to explicit press to avoid the event that opened the menu
@@ -10788,10 +10761,33 @@ static int ui_handle_menu_event(bContext *C,
                     menu, but, level, is_parent_menu, retval)) {
               break;
             }
-            retval = ui_handle_menu_letter_press(C, region, menu, event, block);
+
+            /* Handle accelerator keys. */
+            LISTBASE_FOREACH (uiBut *, but, &block->buttons) {
+              if (!(but->flag & UI_BUT_DISABLED) && but->menu_key == event->type) {
+                if (but->type == UI_BTYPE_BUT) {
+                  UI_but_execute(C, region, but);
+                }
+                else {
+                  ui_handle_button_activate_by_type(C, region, but);
+                }
+                break;
+              }
+            }
+            retval = WM_UI_HANDLER_BREAK;
           }
           break;
         }
+        case EVT_SPACEKEY: {
+          /* Press spacebar to start menu search. */
+          if ((level != 0) && (but == nullptr || !menu->menu_idname[0])) {
+            /* Search parent if the child is open but not activated or not searchable. */
+            menu->menuretval = UI_RETURN_OUT | UI_RETURN_OUT_PARENT;
+          }
+          else {
+            retval = ui_handle_menu_letter_press(menu);
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_layout.cc b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_layout.cc
index 82c22a326e0..8746ac28e96 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_layout.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_layout.cc
@@ -5923,9 +5923,6 @@ void UI_menutype_draw(bContext *C, MenuType *mt, uiLayout *layout)
   }
 
   uiBlock *block = uiLayoutGetBlock(layout);
-  if (bool(mt->flag & MenuTypeFlag::SearchOnKeyPress)) {
-    UI_block_flag_enable(block, UI_BLOCK_NO_ACCELERATOR_KEYS);
-  }
   if (mt->listener) {
     /* Forward the menu type listener to the block we're drawing in. */
     ui_block_add_dynamic_listener(block, mt->listener);
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_menu_popup.cc b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_menu_popup.cc
index a6f369452e4..bae7b2b6585 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_menu_popup.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_menu_popup.cc
@@ -405,10 +405,8 @@ static uiPopupBlockHandle *ui_popup_menu_create(
     pup->slideout = ui_block_is_menu(but->block);
     pup->but = but;
 
-    if (MenuType *mt = UI_but_menutype_get(but)) {
-      if (bool(mt->flag & MenuTypeFlag::SearchOnKeyPress)) {
-        ED_workspace_status_text(C, TIP_("Type to search..."));
-      }
+    if (but->type == UI_BTYPE_PULLDOWN) {
+      ED_workspace_status_text(C, TIP_("Press spacebar to search..."));
     }
   }
 
@@ -624,8 +622,8 @@ static void ui_popup_menu_create_from_menutype(bContext *C,
   STRNCPY(handle->menu_idname, mt->idname);
   handle->can_refresh = true;
 
-  if (bool(mt->flag & MenuTypeFlag::SearchOnKeyPress)) {
-    ED_workspace_status_text(C, TIP_("Type to search..."));
+  if (mt->idname[0]) {
+    ED_workspace_status_text(C, TIP_("Press spacebar to search..."));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_popup.cc b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_popup.cc
index d053205d0ee..f4986951be5 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_popup.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_popup.cc
@@ -820,8 +820,7 @@ uiPopupBlockHandle *ui_popup_block_create(bContext *C,
 
 void ui_popup_block_free(bContext *C, uiPopupBlockHandle *handle)
 {
-  /* This disables the status bar text that is set when opening a menu that supports search (see
-   * #MenuTypeFlag::SearchOnKeyPress). */
+  /* This disables the status bar text that is set when opening a menu. */
   ED_workspace_status_text(C, nullptr);
 
   /* If this popup is created from a popover which does NOT have keep-open flag set,
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_template_search_menu.cc b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_template_search_menu.cc
index 7ec732370fd..3b3f56c8c3d 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_template_search_menu.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_template_search_menu.cc
@@ -456,12 +456,17 @@ static MenuSearch_Data *menu_items_from_ui_create(bContext *C,
   {
     const char *idname_array[] = {
         /* While we could include this, it's just showing filenames to load. */
-        "TOPBAR_MT_file_open_recent",
+        (single_menu_idname && STREQ(single_menu_idname, "TOPBAR_MT_file_open_recent")) ?
+            nullptr :
+            "TOPBAR_MT_file_open_recent",
         /* Showing undo history is not helpful since users may accidentally undo
          * an action they intend to run. */
         "TOPBAR_MT_undo_history",
     };
     for (int i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(idname_array); i++) {
+      if (!idname_array[i]) {
+        continue;
+      }
       MenuType *mt = WM_menutype_find(idname_array[i], false);
       if (mt != nullptr) {
         menu_tagged.add(mt);
@@ -469,8 +474,8 @@ static MenuSearch_Data *menu_items_from_ui_create(bContext *C,
     }
   }
 
-  {
-    /* Exclude context menus because:
+  if (!single_menu_idname) {
+    /* Exclude context menus (when not searching in a specific single menu) because:
      * - The menu items are available elsewhere (and will show up multiple times).
      * - Menu items depend on exact context, making search results unpredictable
      *   (exact number of items selected for example). See design doc #74158.
diff --git a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_ui.cc b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_ui.cc
index a53413e323b..5a4cf74110f 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_ui.cc
+++ b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_ui.cc
@@ -2009,15 +2009,6 @@ static void rna_def_menu(BlenderRNA *brna)
   PropertyRNA *parm;
   FunctionRNA *func;
 
-  static const EnumPropertyItem menu_flag_items[] = {
-      {int(MenuTypeFlag::SearchOnKeyPress),
-       "SEARCH_ON_KEY_PRESS",
-       0,
-       "Search on Key Press",
-       "Open a menu search when a key pressed while the menu is open"},
-      {0, nullptr, 0, nullptr, nullptr},
-  };
-
   srna = RNA_def_struct(brna, "Menu", nullptr);
   RNA_def_struct_ui_text(srna, "Menu", "Editor menu containing buttons");
   RNA_def_struct_sdna(srna, "Menu");
@@ -2082,12 +2073,6 @@ static void rna_def_menu(BlenderRNA *brna)
   RNA_def_property_string_sdna(prop, nullptr, "type->owner_id");
   RNA_def_property_flag(prop, PROP_REGISTER_OPTIONAL);
 
-  prop = RNA_def_property(srna, "bl_options", PROP_ENUM, PROP_NONE);
-  RNA_def_property_enum_sdna(prop, nullptr, "type->flag");
-  RNA_def_property_enum_items(prop, menu_flag_items);
-  RNA_def_property_flag(prop, PROP_REGISTER_OPTIONAL | PROP_ENUM_FLAG);
-  RNA_def_property_ui_text(prop, "Options", "Options for this menu type");
-
   RNA_define_verify_sdna(true);
 }