diff --git a/docs/dev/engines/online/gitlab.rst b/docs/dev/engines/online/gitlab.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f0d3e3d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/dev/engines/online/gitlab.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+.. _gitlab engine:
+
+======
+GitLab
+======
+
+.. automodule:: searx.engines.gitlab
+   :members:
diff --git a/searx/engines/gitlab.py b/searx/engines/gitlab.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b5ab7df2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/searx/engines/gitlab.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+"""Engine to search in collaborative software platforms based on GitLab_ with
+the `GitLab REST API`_.
+
+.. _GitLab: https://about.gitlab.com/install/
+.. _GitLab REST API: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/
+
+Configuration
+=============
+
+The engine has the following mandatory setting:
+
+- :py:obj:`base_url`
+
+Optional settings are:
+
+- :py:obj:`api_path`
+
+.. code:: yaml
+
+  - name: gitlab
+    engine: gitlab
+    base_url: https://gitlab.com
+    shortcut: gl
+    about:
+      website: https://gitlab.com/
+      wikidata_id: Q16639197
+
+  - name: gnome
+    engine: gitlab
+    base_url: https://gitlab.gnome.org
+    shortcut: gn
+    about:
+      website: https://gitlab.gnome.org
+      wikidata_id: Q44316
+
+Implementations
+===============
+
+"""
+
+from urllib.parse import urlencode
+from dateutil import parser
+
+about = {
+    "website": None,
+    "wikidata_id": None,
+    "official_api_documentation": "https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/",
+    "use_official_api": True,
+    "require_api_key": False,
+    "results": "JSON",
+}
+
+categories = ['it', 'repos']
+paging = True
+
+base_url: str = ""
+"""Base URL of the GitLab host."""
+
+api_path: str = 'api/v4/projects'
+"""The path the `project API <https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/projects.html>`_.
+
+The default path should work fine usually.
+"""
+
+
+def request(query, params):
+    args = {'search': query, 'page': params['pageno']}
+    params['url'] = f"{base_url}/{api_path}?{urlencode(args)}"
+
+    return params
+
+
+def response(resp):
+    results = []
+
+    for item in resp.json():
+        results.append(
+            {
+                'template': 'packages.html',
+                'url': item.get('web_url'),
+                'title': item.get('name'),
+                'content': item.get('description'),
+                'thumbnail': item.get('avatar_url'),
+                'package_name': item.get('name'),
+                'maintainer': item.get('namespace', {}).get('name'),
+                'publishedDate': parser.parse(item.get('last_activity_at') or item.get("created_at")),
+                'tags': item.get('tag_list', []),
+                'popularity': item.get('star_count'),
+                'homepage': item.get('readme_url'),
+                'source_code_url': item.get('http_url_to_repo'),
+            }
+        )
+
+    return results
diff --git a/searx/settings.yml b/searx/settings.yml
index 4417485bc..2e18baaff 100644
--- a/searx/settings.yml
+++ b/searx/settings.yml
@@ -807,24 +807,21 @@ engines:
     timeout: 10
 
   - name: gitlab
-    engine: json_engine
-    paging: true
-    search_url: https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects?search={query}&page={pageno}
-    url_query: web_url
-    title_query: name_with_namespace
-    content_query: description
-    page_size: 20
-    categories: [it, repos]
+    engine: gitlab
+    base_url: https://gitlab.com
     shortcut: gl
-    timeout: 10.0
     disabled: true
     about:
-      website: https://about.gitlab.com/
+      website: https://gitlab.com/
       wikidata_id: Q16639197
-      official_api_documentation: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/
-      use_official_api: false
-      require_api_key: false
-      results: JSON
+
+  # - name: gnome
+  #   engine: gitlab
+  #   base_url: https://gitlab.gnome.org
+  #   shortcut: gn
+  #   about:
+  #     website: https://gitlab.gnome.org
+  #     wikidata_id: Q44316
 
   - name: github
     engine: github