diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/descriptions.rb b/Library/Homebrew/descriptions.rb
index 7785cffc7b2230..967c0d7c22010b 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/descriptions.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/descriptions.rb
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 # Helper class for printing and searching descriptions.
 class Descriptions
   # Given a regex, find all formulae whose specified fields contain a match.
-  def self.search(string_or_regex, field, cache_store, eval_all = Homebrew::EnvConfig.eval_all?)
-    # allow searching a simple hash, not only cache_store objects
-    cache_store.populate_if_empty!(eval_all:) if cache_store.methods.include?(:populate_if_empty!)
+  def self.search(string_or_regex, field, cache_store,
+                  eval_all = Homebrew::EnvConfig.eval_all?, cache_store_hash: false)
+
+    cache_store.populate_if_empty!(eval_all:) unless cache_store_hash
 
     results = case field
     when :name
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/search.rb b/Library/Homebrew/search.rb
index 058dfb1931f334..63c53e5b528fc6 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/search.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/search.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def self.search_descriptions(string_or_regex, args, search_type: :desc)
           end
         else
           descriptions = Homebrew::API::Formula.all_formulae.transform_values { |data| data["desc"] }
-          Descriptions.search(string_or_regex, search_type, descriptions, eval_all).print
+          Descriptions.search(string_or_regex, search_type, descriptions, eval_all, cache_store_hash: true).print
         end
       end
       return if !args.cask? && !both
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def self.search_descriptions(string_or_regex, args, search_type: :desc)
         end
       else
         descriptions = Homebrew::API::Cask.all_casks.transform_values { |data| data["desc"] }
-        Descriptions.search(string_or_regex, search_type, descriptions, eval_all).print
+        Descriptions.search(string_or_regex, search_type, descriptions, eval_all, cache_store_hash: true).print
       end
     end