diff --git a/datalad_registry_client/__init__.py b/datalad_registry_client/__init__.py
index 3e2be074..a5d8bda9 100644
--- a/datalad_registry_client/__init__.py
+++ b/datalad_registry_client/__init__.py
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@
             "registry-get-urls",
             "registry_get_urls",
         ),
+        (
+            "datalad_registry_client.search",
+            "RegistrySearch",
+            "registry-search",
+            "registry_search",
+        ),
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/datalad_registry_client/search.py b/datalad_registry_client/search.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..010ba90a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datalad_registry_client/search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"""DataLad demo command"""
+
+__docformat__ = "restructuredtext"
+
+import logging
+from typing import Optional
+
+from datalad import cfg
+from datalad.interface.base import Interface, build_doc, eval_results
+from datalad.interface.results import get_status_dict
+from datalad.support.constraints import EnsureNone, EnsureStr
+from datalad.support.param import Parameter
+
+from . import DEFAULT_BASE_ENDPOINT
+
+lgr = logging.getLogger("datalad.registry.search")
+
+
+# decoration auto-generates standard help
+@build_doc
+# all commands must be derived from Interface
+class RegistrySearch(Interface):
+    # first docstring line is used a short description in the cmdline help
+    # the rest is put in the verbose help and manpage
+    """Short description of the command
+
+    Long description of arbitrary volume.
+    """
+
+    # parameters of the command, must be exhaustive
+    _params_ = dict(
+        # name of the parameter, must match argument name
+        search_str=Parameter(
+            # cmdline argument definitions, incl aliases
+            args=("-s", "--search-str"),
+            # documentation
+            doc="""The search string used to perform a search identical to the one
+            offered by the Web UI. Please consult the Web UI for the expected syntax of
+            this search string by clicking on the "Show Search Query Syntax" button.""",
+            # type checkers, constraint definition is automatically
+            # added to the docstring
+            constraints=EnsureStr(),
+            required=True,
+        ),
+        base_endpoint=Parameter(
+            args=("-e", "--base-endpoint"),
+            doc=f"""The base API endpoint of the DataLad Registry instance to interact
+            with. This defaults to the datalad_registry.base_endpoint option if set,
+            or {DEFAULT_BASE_ENDPOINT} otherwise.""",
+            constraints=EnsureStr() | EnsureNone(),
+        ),
+    )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    # generic handling of command results (logging, rendering, filtering, ...)
+    @eval_results
+    # signature must match parameter list above
+    # additional generic arguments are added by decorators
+    def __call__(search_str: str, base_endpoint: Optional[str] = None):
+        # Set `base_endpoint` to the default if it is not provided.
+        if base_endpoint is None:
+            base_endpoint = cfg.get(
+                "datalad_registry.base_endpoint", DEFAULT_BASE_ENDPOINT
+            )
+
+        # commands should be implemented as generators and should
+        # report any results by yielding status dictionaries
+        yield get_status_dict(
+            # an action label must be defined, the command name make a good
+            # default
+            action="registry-search",
+            # status labels are used to identify how a result will be reported
+            # and can be used for filtering
+            status="ok",
+            # arbitrary result message, can be a str or tuple. in the latter
+            # case string expansion with arguments is delayed until the
+            # message actually needs to be rendered (analog to exception
+            # messages)
+            message=(
+                "search_str: '%s'; base_endpoint: '%s'",
+                search_str,
+                base_endpoint,
+            ),
+        )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def custom_result_renderer(res, **_kwargs):
+        from datalad.ui import ui
+
+        ui.message(res["message"][0] % res["message"][1:])