diff --git a/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py b/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
index 53249e7078f..3cce276e0aa 100644
--- a/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
+++ b/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
@@ -3046,7 +3046,7 @@ class Text(Widget):
         args.append(pattern)
         args.append(index)
         if stopindex: args.append(stopindex)
-        return self.tk.call(tuple(args))
+        return str(self.tk.call(tuple(args)))
     def see(self, index):
         """Scroll such that the character at INDEX is visible."""
         self.tk.call(self._w, 'see', index)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 13ace63d801..0e88f1deda2 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #5193: Guarantee that Tkinter.Text.search returns a string.
+
 - Issue #5394: removed > 2.3 syntax from distutils.msvc9compiler.
   Original patch by Akira Kitada.