diff --git a/couchpotato/core/providers/movie/imdbapi/main.py b/couchpotato/core/providers/movie/imdbapi/main.py
index 5b421c9c..53f503e1 100644
--- a/couchpotato/core/providers/movie/imdbapi/main.py
+++ b/couchpotato/core/providers/movie/imdbapi/main.py
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ class IMDBAPI(MovieProvider):
 
         name_year = fireEvent('scanner.name_year', q, single = True)
 
-        if not q or not name_year or (name_year and not name_year.get('name')):
-            return []
+        if not name_year or (name_year and not name_year.get('name')):
+            name_year = {
+                'name': q
+            }
 
         cache_key = 'imdbapi.cache.%s' % q
         cached = self.getCache(cache_key, self.urls['search'] % tryUrlencode({'t': name_year.get('name'), 'y': name_year.get('year', '')}), timeout = 3)