diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
index 64dda1db61..3cd7f53459 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ function _wp_ajax_menu_quick_search( $request = array() ) {
 					'taxonomy'   => $matches[2],
 					'name__like' => $query,
 					'number'     => 10,
+					'hide_empty' => false,
 				)
 			);
 			if ( empty( $terms ) || is_wp_error( $terms ) ) {
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
index 1b44b1453d..8abb6a9b5d 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ final class WP_Customize_Nav_Menus {
 				'taxonomies' => $taxonomies,
 				'name__like' => $args['s'],
 				'number'     => 20,
+				'hide_empty' => false,
 				'offset'     => 20 * ( $args['pagenum'] - 1 ),
 			)
 		);
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php
index 1de6047097..5fb6eda1bb 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ class Test_WP_Customize_Nav_Menus extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 				's'       => 'cat',
 			)
 		);
-		$this->assertEquals( 1, count( $results ) );
+		$this->assertCount( 2, $results ); // Category terms Cats Drool and Uncategorized.
 		$count = $this->filter_count_customize_nav_menu_searched_items;
 		add_filter( 'customize_nav_menu_searched_items', array( $this, 'filter_search' ), 10, 2 );
 		$results = $menus->search_available_items_query(
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ class Test_WP_Customize_Nav_Menus extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		);
 		$this->assertEquals( $count + 1, $this->filter_count_customize_nav_menu_searched_items );
 		$this->assertInternalType( 'array', $results );
-		$this->assertEquals( 2, count( $results ) );
+		$this->assertCount( 3, $results );
 		remove_filter( 'customize_nav_menu_searched_items', array( $this, 'filter_search' ), 10 );
 
 		// Test home.
@@ -398,6 +398,51 @@ class Test_WP_Customize_Nav_Menus extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertEquals( 'custom', $results[0]['type'] );
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Tests that the search_available_items_query method should return term items
+	 * not assigned to any posts.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 45298
+	 */
+	public function test_search_available_items_query_should_return_unassigned_term_items() {
+			$menus = new WP_Customize_Nav_Menus( $this->wp_customize );
+
+			register_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax', 'post',
+					array(
+							'labels' => array(
+									'name' => 'Tests Taxonomy',
+							),
+					)
+			);
+
+			$term_id = $this->factory->term->create(
+					array(
+							'taxonomy' => 'wptests_tax',
+							'name'	 => 'foobar',
+					)
+			);
+
+			// Expected menu item array.
+			$expected = array(
+					'title'	  => 'foobar',
+					'id'		 => "term-{$term_id}",
+					'type'	   => 'taxonomy',
+					'type_label' => 'Tests Taxonomy',
+					'object'	 => 'wptests_tax',
+					'object_id'  => intval( $term_id ),
+					'url'		=> get_term_link( intval( $term_id ), '' ),
+			);
+
+			$results = $menus->search_available_items_query(
+					array(
+							'pagenum' => 1,
+							's'	   => 'foo',
+					)
+			);
+
+			$this->assertEqualSets( $expected, $results[0] );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Count for number of times customize_nav_menu_searched_items filtered.
 	 *
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php
index 55febb9e8d..c8067e9d5d 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php
@@ -121,3 +121,29 @@ class Tests_Menu_WpAjaxMenuQuickSeach extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertCount( 1, $results );
 	}
 }
+
+/**
+ * Test that search displays terms that are not assigned to any posts.
+ *
+ * @ticket 45298
+ */
+public function test_search_should_return_unassigned_term_items() {
+		register_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax', 'post' );
+
+		$term_id = $this->factory->term->create(
+				array(
+						'taxonomy' => 'wptests_tax',
+						'name'	 => 'foobar',
+				)
+		);
+
+		$request = array(
+				'type' => 'quick-search-taxonomy-wptests_tax',
+				'q'	=> 'foobar',
+		);
+		$output  = get_echo( '_wp_ajax_menu_quick_search', array( $request ) );
+
+		$this->assertNotEmpty( $output );
+		$results = explode( "\n", trim( $output ) );
+		$this->assertCount( 1, $results );
+}