diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py
index cde0e8a34ec2..7a5e36e54904 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_views.py
@@ -3814,6 +3814,26 @@ def test_is_mfe_search_waffle_disabled(self):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
         self.assertEqual(body, {'enabled': False})
 
+    @patch.dict('django.conf.settings.FEATURES', {'COURSEWARE_SEARCH_INCLUSION_DATE': '2020'})
+    @ddt.data(
+        (datetime(2013, 9, 18, 11, 30, 00), False),
+        (None, False),
+        (datetime(2024, 9, 18, 11, 30, 00), True),
+    )
+    @ddt.unpack
+    def test_inclusion_date_greater_than_course_start(self, start_date, expected_enabled):
+        course_with_start = CourseFactory.create(start=start_date)
+        api_url = reverse('courseware_search_enabled_view', kwargs={'course_id': str(course_with_start.id)})
+
+        user_staff = UserFactory(is_staff=True)
+
+        self.client.login(username=user_staff.username, password=TEST_PASSWORD)
+        response = self.client.get(api_url, content_type='application/json')
+        body = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertEqual(body, {'enabled': expected_enabled})
+
 
 class TestCoursewareMFENavigationSidebarTogglesAPI(SharedModuleStoreTestCase):
     """
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views/views.py
index 1c57b23d9b11..b182202eddaf 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views/views.py
@@ -2317,6 +2317,13 @@ def courseware_mfe_search_enabled(request, course_id=None):
     else:
         enabled = True
 
+    inclusion_date = settings.FEATURES.get('COURSEWARE_SEARCH_INCLUSION_DATE')
+    start_date = CourseOverview.get_from_id(course_key).start
+
+    # only include courses that have a start date later than the setting-defined inclusion date
+    if inclusion_date:
+        enabled = enabled and (start_date and start_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%d') > inclusion_date)
+
     payload = {"enabled": courseware_mfe_search_is_enabled(course_key) if enabled else False}
     return JsonResponse(payload)