diff --git a/rest_framework/filters.py b/rest_framework/filters.py
index 375242b6b..6a625ec5f 100644
--- a/rest_framework/filters.py
+++ b/rest_framework/filters.py
@@ -20,6 +20,21 @@ from rest_framework.fields import CharField
 from rest_framework.settings import api_settings
 
 
+def search_smart_split(search_terms):
+    """generator that first splits string by spaces, leaving quoted phrases togheter,
+    then it splits non-quoted phrases by commas.
+    """
+    for term in smart_split(search_terms):
+        # trim commas to avoid bad matching for quoted phrases
+        term = term.strip(',')
+        if term.startswith(('"', "'")) and term[0] == term[-1]:
+            # quoted phrases are kept togheter without any other split
+            yield unescape_string_literal(term)
+        else:
+            # non-quoted tokens are split by comma, keeping only non-empty ones
+            yield from (sub_term.strip() for sub_term in term.split(',') if sub_term)
+
+
 class BaseFilterBackend:
     """
     A base class from which all filter backend classes should inherit.
@@ -144,9 +159,7 @@ class SearchFilter(BaseFilterBackend):
 
         base = queryset
         conditions = []
-        for term in smart_split(search_terms):
-            if term.startswith(('"', "'")) and term[0] == term[-1]:
-                term = unescape_string_literal(term)
+        for term in search_smart_split(search_terms):
             queries = [
                 models.Q(**{orm_lookup: term})
                 for orm_lookup in orm_lookups
diff --git a/tests/test_filters.py b/tests/test_filters.py
index 2a87165ca..6db0c3deb 100644
--- a/tests/test_filters.py
+++ b/tests/test_filters.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.db import models
 from django.db.models import CharField, Transform
 from django.db.models.functions import Concat, Upper
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import SimpleTestCase, TestCase
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
 
 from rest_framework import filters, generics, serializers
@@ -17,6 +17,25 @@ from rest_framework.test import APIRequestFactory
 factory = APIRequestFactory()
 
 
+class SearchSplitTests(SimpleTestCase):
+
+    def test_keep_quoted_togheter_regardless_of_commas(self):
+        assert ['hello, world'] == list(filters.search_smart_split('"hello, world"'))
+
+    def test_strips_commas_around_quoted(self):
+        assert ['hello, world'] == list(filters.search_smart_split(',,"hello, world"'))
+        assert ['hello, world'] == list(filters.search_smart_split(',,"hello, world",,'))
+        assert ['hello, world'] == list(filters.search_smart_split('"hello, world",,'))
+
+    def test_splits_by_comma(self):
+        assert ['hello', 'world'] == list(filters.search_smart_split(',,hello, world'))
+        assert ['hello', 'world'] == list(filters.search_smart_split(',,hello, world,,'))
+        assert ['hello', 'world'] == list(filters.search_smart_split('hello, world,,'))
+
+    def test_splits_quotes_followed_by_comma_and_sentence(self):
+        assert ['"hello', 'world"', 'found'] == list(filters.search_smart_split('"hello, world",found'))
+
+
 class BaseFilterTests(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.original_coreapi = filters.coreapi
@@ -435,7 +454,7 @@ class SearchFilterToManyTests(TestCase):
             search_fields = ('=name', 'entry__headline', '=entry__pub_date__year')
 
         view = SearchListView.as_view()
-        request = factory.get('/', {'search': 'Lennon 1979'})
+        request = factory.get('/', {'search': 'Lennon,1979'})
         response = view(request)
         assert len(response.data) == 1