diff --git a/CRM/Contact/BAO/Query.php b/CRM/Contact/BAO/Query.php
index 9d5e64a38a51..dc1fbd7dabf6 100644
--- a/CRM/Contact/BAO/Query.php
+++ b/CRM/Contact/BAO/Query.php
@@ -2032,6 +2032,7 @@ public function whereClauseSingle(&$values, $isForcePrimaryOnly = FALSE) {
       case 'relation_active_period_date_low':
       case 'relation_target_name':
       case 'relation_status':
+      case 'relation_description':
       case 'relation_date_low':
       case 'relation_date_high':
         $this->relationship($values);
@@ -4160,6 +4161,7 @@ public function relationship(&$values) {
     // also get values array for relation_target_name
     // for relationship search we always do wildcard
     $relationType = $this->getWhereValues('relation_type_id', $grouping);
+    $description = $this->getWhereValues('relation_description', $grouping);
     $targetName = $this->getWhereValues('relation_target_name', $grouping);
     $relStatus = $this->getWhereValues('relation_status', $grouping);
     $targetGroup = $this->getWhereValues('relation_target_group', $grouping);
@@ -4276,6 +4278,13 @@ public function relationship(&$values) {
       }
     }
 
+    // Description
+    if (!empty($description[2]) && trim($description[2])) {
+      $this->_qill[$grouping][] = ts('Relationship description - ' . $description[2]);
+      $description = CRM_Core_DAO::escapeString(trim($description[2]));
+      $where[$grouping][] = "civicrm_relationship.description LIKE '%{$description}%'";
+    }
+
     // Note we do not currently set mySql to handle timezones, so doing this the old-fashioned way
     $today = date('Ymd');
     //check for active, inactive and all relation status
diff --git a/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria.php b/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria.php
index 2d5695b78d03..d6f731b0a844 100644
--- a/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria.php
+++ b/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria.php
@@ -487,12 +487,12 @@ public static function task(&$form) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * @param $form
+   * @param CRM_Core_Form_Search $form
    */
   public static function relationship(&$form) {
     $form->add('hidden', 'hidden_relationship', 1);
 
-    $allRelationshipType = [];
+    $form->add('text', 'relation_description', ts('Description'), ['class' => 'twenty']);
     $allRelationshipType = CRM_Contact_BAO_Relationship::getContactRelationshipType(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, TRUE);
     $form->add('select', 'relation_type_id', ts('Relationship Type'), ['' => ts('- select -')] + $allRelationshipType, FALSE, ['multiple' => TRUE, 'class' => 'crm-select2']);
     $form->addElement('text', 'relation_target_name', ts('Target Contact'), CRM_Core_DAO::getAttribute('CRM_Contact_DAO_Contact', 'sort_name'));
diff --git a/templates/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria/Relationship.tpl b/templates/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria/Relationship.tpl
index 34fcb615d5bb..14619c0b5813 100644
--- a/templates/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria/Relationship.tpl
+++ b/templates/CRM/Contact/Form/Search/Criteria/Relationship.tpl
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@
         {$form.relation_target_group.html|crmAddClass:huge}
       </td>
     </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td colspan="2">
+        {$form.relation_description.label}<br />
+        {$form.relation_description.html}
+      </td>
+    </tr>
     <tr>
       <td colspan="2"><label>{ts}Start Date{/ts}</label></td>
     </tr>
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/BAO/QueryTest.php b/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/BAO/QueryTest.php
index 824a8ce215a0..f2cf4af3e104 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/BAO/QueryTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/BAO/QueryTest.php
@@ -754,6 +754,40 @@ public function testRelationshipClause() {
     $this->assertLike($where2, $sql5[2]);
   }
 
+  public function testRelationshipDescription() {
+    $contactID_a = $this->individualCreate([], 1);
+    $contactID_b = $this->individualCreate([], 2);
+    $contactID_c = $this->individualCreate([], 3);
+    $contactID_d = $this->individualCreate([], 4);
+    $desc = uniqid();
+    $this->callAPISuccess('Relationship', 'create', [
+      'contact_id_a' => $contactID_a,
+      'contact_id_b' => $contactID_b,
+      'relationship_type_id' => 1,
+      'is_active' => 1,
+      'description' => $desc,
+    ]);
+    $this->callAPISuccess('Relationship', 'create', [
+      'contact_id_a' => $contactID_c,
+      'contact_id_b' => $contactID_d,
+      'relationship_type_id' => 1,
+      'is_active' => 1,
+      'description' => 'nothing of interest',
+    ]);
+    $params = [
+      ['relation_description', '=', substr($desc, 1, 10), 0, 0],
+    ];
+
+    $query = new CRM_Contact_BAO_Query($params);
+    $dao = $query->searchQuery();
+    // This is a little weird but seems consistent with the behavior of the search form in general.
+    // Technically there are 2 contacts who share a relationship with the description searched for,
+    // so one might expect the search form to return both of them instead of just Contact A... but it doesn't.
+    $this->assertEquals('1', $dao->N, "Search query returns exactly 1 result?");
+    $this->assertTrue($dao->fetch(), "Search query returns success?");
+    $this->assertEquals($contactID_a, $dao->contact_id, "Search query returns contact A?");
+  }
+
   /**
    * Test we can narrow a group get by status.
    *