diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5085055..23e585f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 target
 .idea/
-components/site/test_site/public
+test_site/public
 docs/public
 
 small-blog
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 613da99..f61b97f 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1153,7 +1153,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "templates 0.1.0",
  "tera 0.11.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "utils 0.1.0",
- "walkdir 2.1.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1465,6 +1464,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "errors 0.1.0",
  "tempdir 0.3.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "tera 0.11.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "walkdir 2.1.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/components/front_matter/src/page.rs b/components/front_matter/src/page.rs
index ca2c95a..935ba25 100644
--- a/components/front_matter/src/page.rs
+++ b/components/front_matter/src/page.rs
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ pub struct PageFrontMatter {
     /// Specify a template different from `page.html` to use for that page
     #[serde(skip_serializing)]
     pub template: Option<String>,
+    /// Whether the page is included in the search index
+    /// Defaults to `true` but is only used if search if explicitly enabled in the config.
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing)]
+    pub in_search_index: bool,
     /// Any extra parameter present in the front matter
     #[serde(default)]
     pub extra: Map<String, Value>,
@@ -174,6 +178,7 @@ impl Default for PageFrontMatter {
             order: None,
             weight: None,
             aliases: None,
+            in_search_index: true,
             template: None,
             extra: Map::new(),
         }
diff --git a/components/front_matter/src/section.rs b/components/front_matter/src/section.rs
index 4d629ca..64eb27d 100644
--- a/components/front_matter/src/section.rs
+++ b/components/front_matter/src/section.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ pub struct SectionFrontMatter {
     #[serde(skip_serializing)]
     pub redirect_to: Option<String>,
     /// Whether the section content and its pages/subsections are included in the index.
-    /// Defaults to `true` but is only used if search if explicitely enabled in the config.
+    /// Defaults to `true` but is only used if search if explicitly enabled in the config.
     #[serde(skip_serializing)]
     pub in_search_index: bool,
     /// Any extra parameter present in the front matter
diff --git a/components/site/Cargo.toml b/components/site/Cargo.toml
index 55c52e6..5e3a83d 100644
--- a/components/site/Cargo.toml
+++ b/components/site/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ authors = ["Vincent Prouillet <prouillet.vincent@gmail.com>"]
 [dependencies]
 tera = "0.11"
 glob = "0.2"
-walkdir = "2"
 rayon = "1"
 serde = "1"
 serde_derive = "1"
diff --git a/components/site/src/lib.rs b/components/site/src/lib.rs
index 1a0f6fb..547f91b 100644
--- a/components/site/src/lib.rs
+++ b/components/site/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 extern crate tera;
 extern crate rayon;
 extern crate glob;
-extern crate walkdir;
 extern crate serde;
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate serde_derive;
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ extern crate content;
 extern crate tempdir;
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use std::fs::{remove_dir_all, copy, create_dir_all};
+use std::fs::{remove_dir_all, copy};
 use std::mem;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ use sass_rs::{Options as SassOptions, OutputStyle, compile_file};
 
 use errors::{Result, ResultExt};
 use config::{Config, get_config};
-use utils::fs::{create_file, create_directory, ensure_directory_exists};
+use utils::fs::{create_file, copy_directory, create_directory, ensure_directory_exists};
 use utils::templates::{render_template, rewrite_theme_paths};
 use content::{Page, Section, populate_previous_and_next_pages, sort_pages};
 use templates::{GUTENBERG_TERA, global_fns, render_redirect_template};
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ pub struct Site {
     pub sections: HashMap<PathBuf, Section>,
     pub tera: Tera,
     live_reload: bool,
-    output_path: PathBuf,
+    pub output_path: PathBuf,
     pub static_path: PathBuf,
     pub tags: Option<Taxonomy>,
     pub categories: Option<Taxonomy>,
@@ -125,6 +124,11 @@ impl Site {
         Ok(site)
     }
 
+    /// The index section is ALWAYS at that path
+    pub fn index_section_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
+        self.base_path.join("content").join("_index.md")
+    }
+
     /// What the function name says
     pub fn enable_live_reload(&mut self) {
         self.live_reload = true;
@@ -198,7 +202,17 @@ impl Site {
 
         // Insert a default index section if necessary so we don't need to create
         // a _index.md to render the index page
-        let index_path = self.base_path.join("content").join("_index.md");
+        let index_path = self.index_section_path();
+        if let Some(ref index_section) = self.sections.get(&index_path) {
+            if self.config.build_search_index && index_section.meta.in_search_index {
+                bail!(
+                    "You have enabled search in the config but disabled it in the index section: \
+                    either turn off the search in the config or remote `in_search_index = true` from the \
+                    section front-matter."
+                )
+            }
+        }
+        // Not in else because of borrow checker
         if !self.sections.contains_key(&index_path) {
             let mut index_section = Section::default();
             index_section.permalink = self.config.make_permalink("");
@@ -409,45 +423,18 @@ impl Site {
         html
     }
 
-    /// Copy the file at the given path into the public folder
-    pub fn copy_static_file<P: AsRef<Path>>(&self, path: P, base_path: &PathBuf) -> Result<()> {
-        let relative_path = path.as_ref().strip_prefix(base_path).unwrap();
-        let target_path = self.output_path.join(relative_path);
-        if let Some(parent_directory) = target_path.parent() {
-            create_dir_all(parent_directory)?;
-        }
-        copy(path.as_ref(), &target_path)?;
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
-    /// Copy the content of the given folder into the `public` folder
-    fn copy_static_directory(&self, path: &PathBuf) -> Result<()> {
-        for entry in WalkDir::new(path).into_iter().filter_map(|e| e.ok()) {
-            let relative_path = entry.path().strip_prefix(path).unwrap();
-            let target_path = self.output_path.join(relative_path);
-            if entry.path().is_dir() {
-                if !target_path.exists() {
-                    create_directory(&target_path)?;
-                }
-            } else {
-                let entry_fullpath = self.base_path.join(entry.path());
-                self.copy_static_file(entry_fullpath, path)?;
-            }
-        }
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
     /// Copy the main `static` folder and the theme `static` folder if a theme is used
     pub fn copy_static_directories(&self) -> Result<()> {
         // The user files will overwrite the theme files
         if let Some(ref theme) = self.config.theme {
-            self.copy_static_directory(
-                &self.base_path.join("themes").join(theme).join("static")
+            copy_directory(
+                &self.base_path.join("themes").join(theme).join("static"),
+                &self.output_path
             )?;
         }
         // We're fine with missing static folders
         if self.static_path.exists() {
-            self.copy_static_directory(&self.static_path)?;
+            copy_directory(&self.static_path, &self.output_path)?;
         }
 
         Ok(())
diff --git a/components/site/tests/site.rs b/components/site/tests/site.rs
index 598a4f4..516b481 100644
--- a/components/site/tests/site.rs
+++ b/components/site/tests/site.rs
@@ -445,3 +445,10 @@ fn can_build_rss_feed() {
     // Next is posts/python.md
     assert!(file_contains!(public, "rss.xml", "Python in posts"));
 }
+
+
+#[test]
+fn can_build_search_index() {
+    // TODO: generate an index somehow and check for correctness with
+    // another one
+}
diff --git a/components/utils/Cargo.toml b/components/utils/Cargo.toml
index 017a1eb..ee330ee 100644
--- a/components/utils/Cargo.toml
+++ b/components/utils/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ authors = ["Vincent Prouillet <prouillet.vincent@gmail.com>"]
 [dependencies]
 errors = { path = "../errors" }
 tera = "0.11"
+walkdir = "2"
 
 
 [dev-dependencies]
diff --git a/components/utils/src/fs.rs b/components/utils/src/fs.rs
index 7b5381c..06cd80c 100644
--- a/components/utils/src/fs.rs
+++ b/components/utils/src/fs.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 use std::io::prelude::*;
-use std::fs::{File, create_dir_all, read_dir};
+use std::fs::{File, create_dir_all, read_dir, copy};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
+use walkdir::WalkDir;
+
 use errors::{Result, ResultExt};
 
+
 /// Create a file with the content given
 pub fn create_file(path: &Path, content: &str) -> Result<()> {
     let mut file = File::create(&path)?;
@@ -60,6 +63,36 @@ pub fn find_related_assets(path: &Path) -> Vec<PathBuf> {
     assets
 }
 
+/// Copy a file but takes into account where to start the copy as
+/// there might be folders we need to create on the way
+pub fn copy_file(src: &Path, dest: &PathBuf, base_path: &PathBuf) -> Result<()> {
+    let relative_path = src.strip_prefix(base_path).unwrap();
+    let target_path = dest.join(relative_path);
+
+    if let Some(parent_directory) = target_path.parent() {
+        create_dir_all(parent_directory)?;
+    }
+
+    copy(src, target_path)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub fn copy_directory(src: &PathBuf, dest: &PathBuf) -> Result<()> {
+    for entry in WalkDir::new(src).into_iter().filter_map(|e| e.ok()) {
+        let relative_path = entry.path().strip_prefix(src).unwrap();
+        let target_path = dest.join(relative_path);
+
+        if entry.path().is_dir() {
+            if !target_path.exists() {
+                create_directory(&target_path)?;
+            }
+        } else {
+            copy_file(entry.path(), dest, src)?;
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use std::fs::File;
diff --git a/components/utils/src/lib.rs b/components/utils/src/lib.rs
index 6b447f2..b529aa4 100644
--- a/components/utils/src/lib.rs
+++ b/components/utils/src/lib.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ extern crate errors;
 #[cfg(test)]
 extern crate tempdir;
 extern crate tera;
+extern crate walkdir;
 
 pub mod fs;
 pub mod site;
diff --git a/src/cmd/serve.rs b/src/cmd/serve.rs
index edf6806..67486d6 100644
--- a/src/cmd/serve.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/serve.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ use ctrlc;
 
 use site::Site;
 use errors::{Result, ResultExt};
+use utils::fs::copy_file;
 
 use console;
 use rebuild;
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ pub fn serve(interface: &str, port: &str, output_dir: &str, base_url: &str, conf
                             (ChangeKind::StaticFiles, p) => {
                                 if path.is_file() {
                                     console::info(&format!("-> Static file changes detected {}", path.display()));
-                                    rebuild_done_handling(&broadcaster, site.copy_static_file(&path, &site.static_path), &p);
+                                    rebuild_done_handling(&broadcaster, copy_file(&path, &site.output_path, &site.static_path), &p);
                                 }
                             },
                             (ChangeKind::Sass, p) => {