Index: wp-admin/categories.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/categories.php	(revision 9073)
+++ wp-admin/categories.php	(working copy)
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
 <form class="search-form" action="<?php echo $pagenow ?>" method="get">
 <p class="search-box">
 	<label class="hidden" for="post-search-input"><?php _e('Search Categories'); ?>:</label>
-	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php echo attribute_escape(stripslashes($_GET['s'])); ?>" />
+	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php _admin_search_query(); ?>" />
 	<input type="submit" value="<?php _e( 'Search Categories' ); ?>" class="button" />
 </p>
 </form>
Index: wp-admin/edit-comments.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/edit-comments.php	(revision 9073)
+++ wp-admin/edit-comments.php	(working copy)
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
 <form class="search-form" action="<?php echo $pagenow ?>" method="get">
 <p class="search-box">
 	<label class="hidden" for="post-search-input"><?php _e( 'Search Comments' ); ?>:</label>
-	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php echo $search; ?>" />
+	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php _admin_search_query(); ?>" />
 	<input type="submit" value="<?php _e( 'Search Comments' ); ?>" class="button" />
 </p>
 </form>
Index: wp-admin/edit-link-categories.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/edit-link-categories.php	(revision 9073)
+++ wp-admin/edit-link-categories.php	(working copy)
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 <form class="search-form" action="<?php echo $pagenow ?>" method="get">
 <p class="search-box">
 	<label class="hidden" for="post-search-input"><?php _e( 'Search Categories' ); ?>:</label>
-	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php echo attribute_escape(stripslashes($_GET['s'])); ?>" />
+	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php _admin_search_query(); ?>" />
 	<input type="submit" value="<?php _e( 'Search Categories' ); ?>" class="button" />
 </p>
 </form>
Index: wp-admin/edit-pages.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/edit-pages.php	(revision 9073)
+++ wp-admin/edit-pages.php	(working copy)
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@
 <form class="search-form" action="<?php echo $pagenow ?>" method="get">
 <p class="search-box">
 	<label class="hidden" for="post-search-input"><?php _e( 'Search Pages' ); ?>:</label>
-	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php echo attribute_escape(stripslashes($_GET['s'])); ?>" />
+	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php _admin_search_query(); ?>" />
 	<input type="submit" value="<?php _e( 'Search Pages' ); ?>" class="button" />
 </p>
 </form>
Index: wp-admin/edit-tags.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/edit-tags.php	(revision 9073)
+++ wp-admin/edit-tags.php	(working copy)
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
 <form class="search-form" action="<?php echo $pagenow ?>" method="get">
 <p class="search-box">
 	<label class="hidden" for="post-search-input"><?php _e( 'Search Tags' ); ?>:</label>
-	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php echo attribute_escape(stripslashes($_GET['s'])); ?>" />
+	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php _admin_search_query(); ?>" />
 	<input type="submit" value="<?php _e( 'Search Tags' ); ?>" class="button" />
 </p>
 </form>
Index: wp-admin/includes/template.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/includes/template.php	(revision 9073)
+++ wp-admin/includes/template.php	(working copy)
@@ -2978,4 +2978,18 @@
 	return $title;
 }
 
-?>
+/**
+ * Display the search query.
+ * 
+ * A simple wrapper to display the "s" parameter in a GET URI. This function
+ * should only be used when {@link the_search_query()} cannot.
+ *
+ * @uses attribute_escape
+ * @since 2.7.0
+ * 
+ */
+function _admin_search_query() {
+	echo ( isset($_GET['s']) ) ? attribute_escape( stripslashes( $_GET['s'] ) ) : '';
+}
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
Index: wp-admin/link-manager.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/link-manager.php	(revision 9073)
+++ wp-admin/link-manager.php	(working copy)
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
 <form class="search-form" action="<?php echo $pagenow ?>" method="get">
 <p class="search-box">
 	<label class="hidden" for="post-search-input"><?php _e( 'Search Links' ); ?>:</label>
-	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php echo attribute_escape(stripslashes($_GET['s'])); ?>" />
+	<input type="text" class="search-input" id="post-search-input" name="s" value="<?php _admin_search_query(); ?>" />
 	<input type="submit" value="<?php _e( 'Search Links' ); ?>" class="button" />
 </p>
 </form>