diff --git a/.dir-locals.el b/.dir-locals.el
index ce305602f2..2f5d31f632 100644
--- a/.dir-locals.el
+++ b/.dir-locals.el
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@
    (eval . (put 'call-with-progress-reporter 'scheme-indent-function 1))
    (eval . (put 'with-temporary-git-repository 'scheme-indent-function 2))
 
+   (eval . (put 'with-paged-output-port 'scheme-indent-function 2))
+
    ;; This notably allows '(' in Paredit to not insert a space when the
    ;; preceding symbol is one of these.
    (eval . (modify-syntax-entry ?~ "'"))
diff --git a/guix/ui.scm b/guix/ui.scm
index ea5f460865..45c8923c99 100644
--- a/guix/ui.scm
+++ b/guix/ui.scm
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@
   #:use-module (ice-9 match)
   #:use-module (ice-9 format)
   #:use-module (ice-9 regex)
+  #:autoload   (ice-9 popen) (open-pipe* close-pipe)
+  #:use-module ((ice-9 binary-ports)
+                #:select (make-custom-binary-output-port
+                          put-bytevector))
+  #:use-module (rnrs bytevectors)
   #:autoload   (system base compile) (compile-file)
   #:autoload   (system repl repl)  (start-repl)
   #:autoload   (system repl debug) (make-debug stack->vector)
@@ -1557,6 +1562,77 @@ score, the more relevant OBJ is to REGEXPS."
 zero means that PACKAGE does not match any of REGEXPS."
   (relevance package regexps %package-metrics))
 
+(define (paged-output-port port)
+  (define max-rows
+    (and (isatty?* port) (terminal-rows port)))
+
+  (define lines 1)
+  (define pipe #f)
+  (define buffer '())
+  (define pager (or (getenv "PAGER") "less"))
+
+  (define (newline-count bv start count)
+    (define end (+ start count))
+    (let loop ((index start)
+               (newlines 0))
+      (if (< index end)
+          (loop (+ 1 index)
+                (match (bytevector-u8-ref bv index)
+                  (10 (+ newlines 1))
+                  (_  newlines)))
+          newlines)))
+
+  (define (flush)
+    (for-each (cut put-bytevector port <>) (reverse buffer))
+    (set! buffer '()))
+
+  (define (write! bv start count)
+    (cond (pipe
+           ;; Pager is running, write BV to it.
+           (if (zero? count)                      ;EOF
+               (begin
+                 (close-pipe pipe)
+                 (set! pipe #f)
+                 0)
+               (begin
+                 (put-bytevector pipe bv start count)
+                 count)))
+          ((zero? count)                          ;EOF, no pager
+           (flush)
+           0)
+          ((<= lines max-rows)
+           ;; We're below the threshold, so buffer BV.
+           (set! lines (+ lines (newline-count bv start count)))
+           (set! buffer
+             (let ((copy (make-bytevector count)))
+               (bytevector-copy! bv start copy 0 count)
+               (cons copy buffer)))
+           count)
+          (else
+           ;; We've reached the threshold: spawn a pager and write to it.
+           (set! pipe (open-pipe* OPEN_WRITE pager))
+           (flush)
+           (setvbuf pipe 'none)
+           (write! bv start count))))
+
+  (if max-rows
+      (let ((proxy (make-custom-binary-output-port "paged-output-port"
+                                                   write! #f #f flush)))
+        (set-port-encoding! proxy (port-encoding port))
+        proxy)
+      port))
+
+(define (call-with-paged-output-port port proc)
+  (let* ((paged (paged-output-port port))
+         (close (if (eq? paged port) (const #t) close-port)))
+    (dynamic-wind
+      (const #t)
+      (lambda () (proc paged))
+      (lambda () (close paged)))))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (with-paged-output-port proxied port exp ...)
+  (call-with-paged-output-port proxied (lambda (port) exp ...)))
+
 (define* (display-search-results matches port
                                  #:key
                                  (command "guix search")
@@ -1573,30 +1649,17 @@ them.  If PORT is a terminal, print at most a full screen of results."
   (define (line-count str)
     (string-count str #\newline))
 
-  (let loop ((matches matches))
-    (match matches
-      (((package . score) rest ...)
-       (let* ((links? (supports-hyperlinks? port))
-              (text   (call-with-output-string
-                        (lambda (port)
-                          (print package port
-                                 #:hyperlinks? links?
-                                 #:extra-fields
-                                 `((relevance . ,score)))))))
-         (if (and (not (getenv "INSIDE_EMACS"))
-                  max-rows
-                  (> (port-line port) first-line) ;print at least one result
-                  (> (+ 4 (line-count text) (port-line port))
-                     max-rows))
-             (unless (null? rest)
-               (display-hint (format #f (G_ "Run @code{~a ... | less} \
-to view all the results.")
-                                     command)))
-             (begin
-               (display text port)
-               (loop rest)))))
-      (()
-       #t))))
+  (with-paged-output-port port paged
+    (let loop ((matches matches))
+      (match matches
+        (((package . score) rest ...)
+         (let* ((links? (supports-hyperlinks? port)))
+           (print package paged
+                  #:hyperlinks? links?
+                  #:extra-fields `((relevance . ,score)))
+           (loop rest)))
+        (()
+         #t)))))
 
 
 (define (string->generations str)