--- a/toolkit/components/search/nsSearchService.js
+++ b/toolkit/components/search/nsSearchService.js
@@ -404,27 +404,34 @@ loadListener.prototype = {
   onRedirect: function (aChannel, aNewChannel) {},
   // nsIProgressEventSink
   onProgress: function (aRequest, aContext, aProgress, aProgressMax) {},
   onStatus: function (aRequest, aContext, aStatus, aStatusArg) {}
 }
 
 // Method to determine if we should be using geo-specific defaults
 function geoSpecificDefaultsEnabled() {
+  // check to see if this is a partner build.  Partner builds should not use geo-specific defaults.
+  let distroID;
+  try {
+    distroID = Services.prefs.getCharPref("distribution.id");
+
+    // Mozilla-provided builds (i.e. funnelcake) are not partner builds
+    if (distroID && !distroID.startsWith("mozilla")) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  } catch (e) {}
+
+  // if we make it here, the pref should dictate behaviour
   let geoSpecificDefaults = false;
   try {
     geoSpecificDefaults = Services.prefs.getBoolPref("browser.search.geoSpecificDefaults");
   } catch(e) {}
 
-  let distroID;
-  try {
-    distroID = Services.prefs.getCharPref("distribution.id");
-  } catch (e) {}
-
-  return (geoSpecificDefaults && !distroID);
+  return geoSpecificDefaults;
 }
 
 // Some notes on countryCode and region prefs:
 // * A "countryCode" pref is set via a geoip lookup.  It always reflects the
 //   result of that geoip request.
 // * A "region" pref, once set, is the region actually used for search.  In
 //   most cases it will be identical to the countryCode pref.
 // * The value of "region" and "countryCode" will only not agree in one edge

--- a/toolkit/components/search/tests/xpcshell/head_search.js
+++ b/toolkit/components/search/tests/xpcshell/head_search.js
@@ -331,16 +331,63 @@ function installTestEngine() {
   do_get_file("data/engine.xml").copyTo(engineDir, "engine.xml");
 
   do_register_cleanup(function() {
     removeMetadata();
     removeCacheFile();
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Wrapper for nsIPrefBranch::setComplexValue.
+ * @param aPrefName
+ *        The name of the pref to set.
+ */
+function setLocalizedPref(aPrefName, aValue) {
+  const nsIPLS = Ci.nsIPrefLocalizedString;
+  try {
+    var pls = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/pref-localizedstring;1"]
+                        .createInstance(Ci.nsIPrefLocalizedString);
+    pls.data = aValue;
+    Services.prefs.setComplexValue(aPrefName, nsIPLS, pls);
+  } catch (ex) {}
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Installs two test engines, sets them as default for US vs. general.
+ */
+function setUpGeoDefaults() {
+  removeMetadata();
+  removeCacheFile();
+
+  do_check_false(Services.search.isInitialized);
+
+  let engineDummyFile = gProfD.clone();
+  engineDummyFile.append("searchplugins");
+  engineDummyFile.append("test-search-engine.xml");
+  let engineDir = engineDummyFile.parent;
+  engineDir.create(Ci.nsIFile.DIRECTORY_TYPE, FileUtils.PERMS_DIRECTORY);
+
+  do_get_file("data/engine.xml").copyTo(engineDir, "engine.xml");
+
+  engineDummyFile = gProfD.clone();
+  engineDummyFile.append("searchplugins");
+  engineDummyFile.append("test-search-engine2.xml");
+
+  do_get_file("data/engine2.xml").copyTo(engineDir, "engine2.xml");
+
+  setLocalizedPref("browser.search.defaultenginename",    "Test search engine");
+  setLocalizedPref("browser.search.defaultenginename.US", "A second test engine");
+
+  do_register_cleanup(function() {
+    removeMetadata();
+    removeCacheFile();
+  });
+}
 
 /**
  * Returns a promise that is resolved when an observer notification from the
  * search service fires with the specified data.
  *
  * @param aExpectedData
  *        The value the observer notification sends that causes us to resolve
  *        the promise.

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolkit/components/search/tests/xpcshell/test_location_funnelcake.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/* Any copyright is dedicated to the Public Domain.
+   http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ */
+
+function run_test() {
+  Services.prefs.setCharPref("browser.search.geoip.url", 'data:application/json,{"country_code": "US"}');
+  // funnelcake builds start with "mozilla"
+  Services.prefs.setCharPref("distribution.id", 'mozilla38');
+  setUpGeoDefaults();
+
+  Services.search.init(() => {
+    equal(Services.search.defaultEngine.name, "A second test engine");
+
+    do_test_finished();
+    run_next_test();
+  });
+  do_test_pending();
+}

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolkit/components/search/tests/xpcshell/test_location_partner.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/* Any copyright is dedicated to the Public Domain.
+   http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ */
+
+function run_test() {
+  Services.prefs.setCharPref("browser.search.geoip.url", 'data:application/json,{"country_code": "US"}');
+  Services.prefs.setCharPref("distribution.id", 'partner-1');
+  setUpGeoDefaults();
+
+  Services.search.init(() => {
+    equal(Services.search.defaultEngine.name, "Test search engine");
+
+    do_test_finished();
+    run_next_test();
+  });
+  do_test_pending();
+}

--- a/toolkit/components/search/tests/xpcshell/xpcshell.ini
+++ b/toolkit/components/search/tests/xpcshell/xpcshell.ini
@@ -33,16 +33,18 @@ support-files =
 [test_init_async_multiple_then_sync.js]
 [test_json_cache.js]
 [test_location.js]
 [test_location_error.js]
 [test_location_malformed_json.js]
 [test_location_migrate_countrycode_isUS.js]
 [test_location_migrate_no_countrycode_isUS.js]
 [test_location_migrate_no_countrycode_notUS.js]
+[test_location_partner.js]
+[test_location_funnelcake.js]
 [test_location_sync.js]
 [test_location_timeout.js]
 [test_location_timeout_xhr.js]
 [test_nodb.js]
 [test_nodb_pluschanges.js]
 [test_save_sorted_engines.js]
 [test_purpose.js]
 [test_defaultEngine.js]