diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
index 5409a44d91..b844a6c308 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,15 @@ export class RequestOptions {
   /**
    * Search parameters to be included in a {@link Request}.
    */
-  search: URLSearchParams;
+  params: URLSearchParams;
+  /**
+   * @deprecated from 4.0.0. Use params instead.
+   */
+  get search(): URLSearchParams { return this.params; }
+  /**
+   * @deprecated from 4.0.0. Use params instead.
+   */
+  set search(params: URLSearchParams) { this.params = params; }
   /**
    * Enable use credentials for a {@link Request}.
    */
@@ -72,15 +80,15 @@ export class RequestOptions {
    */
   responseType: ResponseContentType;
 
+  // TODO(Dzmitry): remove search when this.search is removed
   constructor(
-      {method, headers, body, url, search, withCredentials,
+      {method, headers, body, url, search, params, withCredentials,
        responseType}: RequestOptionsArgs = {}) {
     this.method = method != null ? normalizeMethodName(method) : null;
     this.headers = headers != null ? headers : null;
     this.body = body != null ? body : null;
     this.url = url != null ? url : null;
-    this.search =
-        search != null ? (typeof search === 'string' ? new URLSearchParams(search) : search) : null;
+    this.params = this._mergeSearchParams(params || search);
     this.withCredentials = withCredentials != null ? withCredentials : null;
     this.responseType = responseType != null ? responseType : null;
   }
@@ -116,18 +124,49 @@ export class RequestOptions {
       headers: options && options.headers != null ? options.headers : this.headers,
       body: options && options.body != null ? options.body : this.body,
       url: options && options.url != null ? options.url : this.url,
-      search: options && options.search != null ?
-          (typeof options.search === 'string' ? new URLSearchParams(options.search) :
-                                                options.search.clone()) :
-          this.search,
+      params: options && this._mergeSearchParams(options.params || options.search),
       withCredentials: options && options.withCredentials != null ? options.withCredentials :
                                                                     this.withCredentials,
       responseType: options && options.responseType != null ? options.responseType :
                                                               this.responseType
     });
   }
-}
 
+  private _mergeSearchParams(params: string|URLSearchParams|
+                             {[key: string]: any | any[]}): URLSearchParams {
+    if (!params) return this.params;
+
+    if (params instanceof URLSearchParams) {
+      return params.clone();
+    }
+
+    if (typeof params === 'string') {
+      return new URLSearchParams(params);
+    }
+
+    return this._parseParams(params);
+  }
+
+  private _parseParams(objParams: {[key: string]: any | any[]} = {}): URLSearchParams {
+    const params = new URLSearchParams();
+    Object.keys(objParams).forEach((key: string) => {
+      const value: any|any[] = objParams[key];
+      if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+        value.forEach((item: any) => this._appendParam(key, item, params));
+      } else {
+        this._appendParam(key, value, params);
+      }
+    });
+    return params;
+  }
+
+  private _appendParam(key: string, value: any, params: URLSearchParams): void {
+    if (typeof value !== 'string') {
+      value = JSON.stringify(value);
+    }
+    params.append(key, value);
+  }
+}
 
 /**
  * Subclass of {@link RequestOptions}, with default values.
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts
index c123265f6b..7155e8ee40 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ export abstract class XSRFStrategy { abstract configureRequest(req: Request): vo
 export interface RequestOptionsArgs {
   url?: string;
   method?: string|RequestMethod;
-  search?: string|URLSearchParams;
+  /** @deprecated from 4.0.0. Use params instead. */
+  search?: string|URLSearchParams|{[key: string]: any | any[]};
+  params?: string|URLSearchParams|{[key: string]: any | any[]};
   headers?: Headers;
   body?: any;
   withCredentials?: boolean;
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts
index 9c756a9df8..adace1648f 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts
@@ -76,15 +76,15 @@ export class Request extends Body {
     // TODO: assert that url is present
     const url = requestOptions.url;
     this.url = requestOptions.url;
-    if (requestOptions.search) {
-      const search = requestOptions.search.toString();
-      if (search.length > 0) {
+    if (requestOptions.params) {
+      const params = requestOptions.params.toString();
+      if (params.length > 0) {
         let prefix = '?';
         if (this.url.indexOf('?') != -1) {
           prefix = (this.url[this.url.length - 1] == '&') ? '' : '&';
         }
         // TODO: just delete search-query-looking string in url?
-        this.url = url + prefix + search;
+        this.url = url + prefix + params;
       }
     }
     this._body = requestOptions.body;
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts
index ca4d4e1224..4f70e04fc7 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts
@@ -24,5 +24,26 @@ export function main() {
       const options2 = options1.merge(new RequestOptions({method: RequestMethod.Delete}));
       expect(options2.method).toBe(RequestMethod.Delete);
     });
+
+    it('should accept search params as object', () => {
+      const params = {a: 1, b: 'text', c: [1, 2, '3']};
+      const options = new RequestOptions({params});
+
+      expect(options.params.paramsMap.size).toBe(3);
+      expect(options.params.paramsMap.get('a')).toEqual(['1']);
+      expect(options.params.paramsMap.get('b')).toEqual(['text']);
+      expect(options.params.paramsMap.get('c')).toEqual(['1', '2', '3']);
+    });
+
+    it('should merge search params as object', () => {
+      const options1 = new BaseRequestOptions();
+      const params = {a: 1, b: 'text', c: [1, 2, '3']};
+      const options2 = options1.merge(new RequestOptions({params}));
+
+      expect(options2.params.paramsMap.size).toBe(3);
+      expect(options2.params.paramsMap.get('a')).toEqual(['1']);
+      expect(options2.params.paramsMap.get('b')).toEqual(['text']);
+      expect(options2.params.paramsMap.get('c')).toEqual(['1', '2', '3']);
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/http/index.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/http/index.d.ts
index 8534db90f5..061a804f05 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/http/index.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/http/index.d.ts
@@ -139,11 +139,12 @@ export declare class RequestOptions {
     body: any;
     headers: Headers;
     method: RequestMethod | string;
+    params: URLSearchParams;
     responseType: ResponseContentType;
-    search: URLSearchParams;
+    /** @deprecated */ search: URLSearchParams;
     url: string;
     withCredentials: boolean;
-    constructor({method, headers, body, url, search, withCredentials, responseType}?: RequestOptionsArgs);
+    constructor({method, headers, body, url, search, params, withCredentials, responseType}?: RequestOptionsArgs);
     merge(options?: RequestOptionsArgs): RequestOptions;
 }
 
@@ -152,8 +153,13 @@ export interface RequestOptionsArgs {
     body?: any;
     headers?: Headers;
     method?: string | RequestMethod;
+    params?: string | URLSearchParams | {
+        [key: string]: any | any[];
+    };
     responseType?: ResponseContentType;
-    search?: string | URLSearchParams;
+    /** @deprecated */ search?: string | URLSearchParams | {
+        [key: string]: any | any[];
+    };
     url?: string;
     withCredentials?: boolean;
 }