diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Device.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Device.pm
index 37b272c5..b8d4247f 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Device.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Device.pm
@@ -300,15 +300,6 @@ get '/device' => sub {
         return;
     }
 
-    # list of tabs
-    var('tabs' => [
-        { id => 'details',   label => 'Details'   },
-        { id => 'ports',     label => 'Ports'     },
-        { id => 'modules',   label => 'Modules'   },
-        { id => 'netmap',    label => 'Neighbors' },
-        { id => 'addresses', label => 'Addresses' },
-    ]);
-
     params->{'tab'} ||= 'details';
     template 'device', { d => $device };
 };
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin.pm
index 9fa41cda..5a7efe8c 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin.pm
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ package App::Netdisco::Web::Plugin;
 use Dancer ':syntax';
 use Dancer::Plugin;
 
-set('navbar_items' => []);
+set(
+  'navbar_items' => [],
+  'search_tabs'  => [],
+  'device_tabs'  => [],
+);
 
 register 'register_navbar_item' => sub {
   my ($self, $config) = plugin_args(@_);
@@ -23,5 +27,33 @@ register 'register_navbar_item' => sub {
   push @{ setting('navbar_items') }, $config;
 };
 
+sub _register_tab {
+  my ($nav, $config) = @_;
+  my $stash = setting("${nav}_tabs");
+
+  die "bad config to register_${nav}_tab\n"
+    unless length $config->{id}
+       and length $config->{label};
+
+  foreach my $item (@{ $stash }) {
+      if ($item->{id} eq $config->{id}) {
+          $item = $config;
+          return;
+      }
+  }
+
+  push @{ $stash }, $config;
+}
+
+register 'register_search_tab' => sub {
+  my ($self, $config) = plugin_args(@_);
+  _register_tab('search', $config);
+};
+
+register 'register_device_tab' => sub {
+  my ($self, $config) = plugin_args(@_);
+  _register_tab('device', $config);
+};
+
 register_plugin;
 true;
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm
index 2238c333..3f88d536 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm
@@ -237,14 +237,6 @@ get '/search' => sub {
     my $os_ver_list = [ schema('netdisco')->resultset('Device')->get_distinct_col('os_ver') ];
     my $vendor_list = [ schema('netdisco')->resultset('Device')->get_distinct_col('vendor') ];
 
-    # list of tabs
-    var('tabs' => [
-        { id => 'device', label => 'Device' },
-        { id => 'node',   label => 'Node'   },
-        { id => 'vlan',   label => 'VLAN'   },
-        { id => 'port',   label => 'Port'   },
-    ]);
-
     template 'search', {
       model_list  => $model_list,
       os_ver_list => $os_ver_list,
diff --git a/Netdisco/share/views/device.tt b/Netdisco/share/views/device.tt
index c7655c42..08da8cba 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/views/device.tt
+++ b/Netdisco/share/views/device.tt
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
       <i class="sidebar_pin icon-pushpin sidebar_pin_clicked"
         rel="tooltip" data-placement="left" data-offset="5" data-title="Unpin Sidebar"></i>
       <div class="tab-content">
-        [% FOREACH tab IN vars.tabs %]
+        [% FOREACH tab IN settings.device_tabs %]
         <div id="[% tab.id %]_search" class="tab-pane [% 'active' IF params.tab == tab.id %]">
           <form id="[% tab.id %]_form" class="nd_sidesearchform form-stacked"
               method="get" action="[% uri_for('/device') %]">
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@
 
   <div class="content">
     <ul id="search_results" class="nav nav-tabs">
-      [% FOREACH tab IN vars.tabs %]
+      [% FOREACH tab IN settings.device_tabs %]
       <li[% ' class="active"' IF params.tab == tab.id %]><a id="[% tab.id %]_link" href="#[% tab.id %]_pane">[% tab.label %]</a></li>
       [% END %]
       <span id="nd_device_name">[% d.dns || d.name %]</span>
     </ul>
     <div class="tab-content">
-      [% FOREACH tab IN vars.tabs %]
+      [% FOREACH tab IN settings.device_tabs %]
       <div class="tab-pane[% ' active' IF params.tab == tab.id %]" id="[% tab.id %]_pane"></div>
       [% END %]
   </div>
diff --git a/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js b/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js
index 7c6b6541..362f0cf0 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js
+++ b/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
   $(document).ready(function() {
     // search hook for each tab
-    [% FOREACH tab IN vars.tabs %]
+    [% FOREACH tab IN settings.search_tabs %]
+    $('[% "#${tab.id}_form" %]').submit(function(event){ do_search(event, '[% tab.id %]'); });
+    [% END %]
+    [% FOREACH tab IN settings.device_tabs %]
     $('[% "#${tab.id}_form" %]').submit(function(event){ do_search(event, '[% tab.id %]'); });
     [% END %]
 
diff --git a/Netdisco/share/views/search.tt b/Netdisco/share/views/search.tt
index c9f4853f..0e4a6a4f 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/views/search.tt
+++ b/Netdisco/share/views/search.tt
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       <i class="sidebar_pin icon-pushpin"
         rel="tooltip" data-placement="left" data-offset="5" data-title="Pin Sidebar"></i>
       <div class="tab-content">
-        [% FOREACH tab IN vars.tabs %]
+        [% FOREACH tab IN settings.search_tabs %]
         <div id="[% tab.id %]_search" class="tab-pane [% 'active' IF params.tab == tab.id %]">
           <form id="[% tab.id %]_form" class="nd_sidesearchform form-stacked" method="get" action="[% uri_for('/search') %]">
             <input name="tab" value="[% tab.id %]" type="hidden"/>
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@
 
   <div class="content">
     <ul id="search_results" class="nav nav-tabs">
-      [% FOREACH tab IN vars.tabs %]
+      [% FOREACH tab IN settings.search_tabs %]
       <li[% ' class="active"' IF params.tab == tab.id %]><a id="[% tab.id %]_link" href="#[% tab.id %]_pane">[% tab.label %]</a></li>
       [% END %]
     </ul>
     <div class="tab-content">
-      [% FOREACH tab IN vars.tabs %]
+      [% FOREACH tab IN settings.search_tabs %]
       <div class="tab-pane[% ' active' IF params.tab == tab.id %]" id="[% tab.id %]_pane"></div>
       [% END %]
   </div>