diff --git a/src/TableBuilder.php b/src/TableBuilder.php
index 1d9b931..5a9da10 100755
--- a/src/TableBuilder.php
+++ b/src/TableBuilder.php
@@ -93,27 +93,34 @@ public function rowsQuery()
         });
 
         if ($this->searchBy && $this->searchBy !== '') {
-            foreach ($this->getSearchableColumns() as $column) {
-                // Explode the column to separate relationships and the actual column name
-                $parts = explode('.', $column);
-
-                // Extract the actual column name from the end of the array
-                $actualColumnName = array_pop($parts);
-
-                // If there are relationships defined (implied by remaining elements in $parts)
-                if (! empty($parts)) {
-                    // Build the relationship string from the remaining $parts
-                    $relationshipPath = implode('.', $parts);
-
-                    // Use a closure to apply the search condition on the related model
-                    $query->orWhereHas($relationshipPath, function ($query) use ($actualColumnName) {
-                        $query->where($actualColumnName, 'like', '%'.$this->searchBy.'%');
-                    });
-                } else {
-                    // If there are no relationships, directly apply the search condition on the current model
-                    $query->orWhere($actualColumnName, 'like', '%'.$this->searchBy.'%');
+            // Grouped, so the searchable columns OR against each other and AND against
+            // everything else. Left ungrouped these were bare top-level orWheres applied
+            // after query(), which meant any report with real constraints discarded them
+            // as soon as someone typed — search widened the result set instead of
+            // narrowing it, and no report could defend against it from inside query().
+            $query->where(function ($query) {
+                foreach ($this->getSearchableColumns() as $column) {
+                    // Explode the column to separate relationships and the actual column name
+                    $parts = explode('.', $column);
+
+                    // Extract the actual column name from the end of the array
+                    $actualColumnName = array_pop($parts);
+
+                    // If there are relationships defined (implied by remaining elements in $parts)
+                    if (! empty($parts)) {
+                        // Build the relationship string from the remaining $parts
+                        $relationshipPath = implode('.', $parts);
+
+                        // Use a closure to apply the search condition on the related model
+                        $query->orWhereHas($relationshipPath, function ($query) use ($actualColumnName) {
+                            $query->where($actualColumnName, 'like', '%'.$this->searchBy.'%');
+                        });
+                    } else {
+                        // If there are no relationships, directly apply the search condition on the current model
+                        $query->orWhere($actualColumnName, 'like', '%'.$this->searchBy.'%');
+                    }
                 }
-            }
+            });
         }
 
         $dottedFilterValue = Arr::dot($this->filterValues);
diff --git a/tests/TableBuilderSearchScopingTest.php b/tests/TableBuilderSearchScopingTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2552a6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/TableBuilderSearchScopingTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+<?php
+
+use ACTTraining\QueryBuilder\Support\Columns\Column;
+use ACTTraining\QueryBuilder\TableBuilder;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Builder;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+/**
+ * The search box must narrow a report, never widen it.
+ *
+ * rowsQuery() appended each searchable column as a bare top-level orWhere, after
+ * everything query() returned, so the predicate became
+ * `(report constraints) AND ... OR column LIKE '%term%'` and any report with real
+ * constraints discarded them the moment someone typed (#3515 in ACT-Training/people).
+ * Nothing inside query() could defend against it: the orWhere sat outside any group
+ * the report created.
+ */
+class SearchScopingRecord extends Model
+{
+    protected $table = 'search_scoping_records';
+
+    protected $guarded = [];
+
+    public $timestamps = false;
+}
+
+class SearchScopingTable extends TableBuilder
+{
+    public function query(): Builder
+    {
+        return SearchScopingRecord::query()->where('category', 'health-and-safety');
+    }
+
+    public function columns(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            Column::make('Title', 'title')->searchable(),
+        ];
+    }
+
+    public function filters(): array
+    {
+        return [];
+    }
+}
+
+beforeEach(function () {
+    Schema::create('search_scoping_records', function ($table) {
+        $table->id();
+        $table->string('category');
+        $table->string('title');
+    });
+
+    SearchScopingRecord::insert([
+        ['category' => 'health-and-safety', 'title' => 'Fire Safety Awareness'],
+        ['category' => 'health-and-safety', 'title' => 'Manual Handling'],
+        ['category' => 'marketing', 'title' => 'Fire up your Facebook page'],
+        ['category' => 'marketing', 'title' => 'Content strategy'],
+    ]);
+});
+
+it('returns only the constrained rows when nothing is searched', function () {
+    $table = new SearchScopingTable;
+
+    expect($table->rowsQuery()->pluck('title')->all())
+        ->toEqualCanonicalizing(['Fire Safety Awareness', 'Manual Handling']);
+});
+
+it('keeps the query constraints when a search term is typed', function () {
+    $table = new SearchScopingTable;
+    $table->searchBy = 'Fire';
+
+    // Without grouping this returns the marketing row too, because the search ORs
+    // past `category = health-and-safety`.
+    expect($table->rowsQuery()->pluck('title')->all())
+        ->toEqual(['Fire Safety Awareness']);
+});
+
+it('never returns more rows with a search term than without one', function () {
+    $unsearched = (new SearchScopingTable)->rowsQuery()->count();
+
+    $table = new SearchScopingTable;
+    $table->searchBy = 'a';
+
+    expect($table->rowsQuery()->count())->toBeLessThanOrEqual($unsearched);
+});