diff --git a/config/feature_flags/ops/global_search_commits_tab.yml b/ee/config/feature_flags/ops/global_search_commits_tab.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from config/feature_flags/ops/global_search_commits_tab.yml
rename to ee/config/feature_flags/ops/global_search_commits_tab.yml
diff --git a/ee/lib/ee/search/navigation.rb b/ee/lib/ee/search/navigation.rb
index e7d50b4835bb19be3c183d1e7a151fc3aaf714be..52657b3c733e7cf7efe141b43224f2b1acc5b658 100644
--- a/ee/lib/ee/search/navigation.rb
+++ b/ee/lib/ee/search/navigation.rb
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ def show_epics_search_tab?
 
         ::Feature.enabled?(:global_search_epics_tab, user, type: :ops)
       end
+
+      override :show_commits_search_tab?
+      def show_commits_search_tab?
+        return true if super # project search & user can search commits
+        return false unless show_elasticsearch_tabs? # advanced search enabled
+        return true if group.present? # group search
+
+        ::Feature.enabled?(:global_search_commits_tab, user, type: :ops) # global search
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/ee/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb b/ee/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb
index 43606bffec70f4cbf6bf2827bae4bfc66177a630..8f3eddb2716e1f59a4558aec7273de595a8fdc1e 100644
--- a/ee/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,78 @@
 
     subject(:tabs) { search_navigation.tabs }
 
+    context 'for commits tab' do
+      context 'when project search' do
+        let(:project) { project_double }
+        let(:group) { nil }
+
+        where(:tab_enabled_for_project, :condition) do
+          true  | true
+          false | false
+        end
+
+        with_them do
+          before do
+            allow(search_navigation).to receive(:tab_enabled_for_project?).and_return(tab_enabled_for_project)
+          end
+
+          it 'data item condition is set correctly' do
+            expect(tabs[:commits][:condition]).to eq(condition)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when group search' do
+        let(:project) { nil }
+        let(:group) { group_double }
+
+        where(:feature_flag, :show_elasticsearch_tabs, :condition) do
+          true  | true  | true
+          true  | false | false
+          false | true  | true
+          false | false | false
+        end
+
+        with_them do
+          let(:options) { { show_elasticsearch_tabs: show_elasticsearch_tabs } }
+
+          before do
+            stub_feature_flags(global_search_commits_tab: feature_flag)
+          end
+
+          it 'data item condition is set correctly' do
+            expect(tabs[:commits][:condition]).to eq(condition)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when global search' do
+        let(:project) { nil }
+        let(:group) { nil }
+
+        where(:feature_flag, :show_elasticsearch_tabs, :condition) do
+          true  | true  | true
+          false | true  | false
+          false | false | false
+          true  | false | false
+          false | nil   | false
+          true  | nil   | false
+        end
+
+        with_them do
+          let(:options) { { show_elasticsearch_tabs: show_elasticsearch_tabs } }
+
+          before do
+            stub_feature_flags(global_search_commits_tab: feature_flag)
+          end
+
+          it 'data item condition is set correctly' do
+            expect(tabs[:commits][:condition]).to eq(condition)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
     context 'for epics tab' do
       context 'when project search' do
         let(:project) { project_double }
diff --git a/lib/search/navigation.rb b/lib/search/navigation.rb
index f7eed0bae14cca17081da0284f7f722866c5bdc5..77480c2ff02de7b7af5e7a8d1e57f6401ac98115 100644
--- a/lib/search/navigation.rb
+++ b/lib/search/navigation.rb
@@ -139,9 +139,7 @@ def show_wiki_search_tab?
     end
 
     def show_commits_search_tab?
-      return true if tab_enabled_for_project?(:commits)
-
-      project.nil? && show_elasticsearch_tabs? && feature_flag_tab_enabled?(:global_search_commits_tab)
+      tab_enabled_for_project?(:commits)
     end
 
     def show_issues_search_tab?
diff --git a/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb b/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb
index c20c15077def6938d22880e165097baaf3a2012b..686965d04479eebd38ece6b57be0fe80f1572ebd 100644
--- a/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/search/navigation_spec.rb
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     before do
       allow(search_navigation)
         .to receive_messages(can?: true, tab_enabled_for_project?: false, feature_flag_tab_enabled?: false)
+      allow(search_navigation).to receive(:tab_enabled_for_project?).and_call_original
     end
 
     subject(:tabs) { search_navigation.tabs }
@@ -160,25 +161,16 @@
     end
 
     context 'for commits tab' do
-      where(:feature_flag_enabled, :show_elasticsearch_tabs, :project, :tab_enabled, :condition) do
-        false | false | nil | true | true
-        false | false | ref(:project_double) | true | true
-        false | false | nil | false | false
-        false | true | ref(:project_double) | false | false
-        false | true | nil | false | false
-        true | false | nil | false | false
-        true | false | ref(:project_double) | false | false
-        true | true | ref(:project_double) | false | false
-        true | true | nil | false | true
+      where(:project, :ability_enabled, :condition) do
+        nil                  | true  | false
+        nil                  | false | false
+        ref(:project_double) | true  | true
+        ref(:project_double) | false | false
       end
 
       with_them do
-        let(:options) { { show_elasticsearch_tabs: show_elasticsearch_tabs } }
-
         it 'data item condition is set correctly' do
-          allow(search_navigation).to receive(:feature_flag_tab_enabled?)
-            .with(:global_search_commits_tab).and_return(feature_flag_enabled)
-          allow(search_navigation).to receive(:tab_enabled_for_project?).with(:commits).and_return(tab_enabled)
+          allow(search_navigation).to receive(:can?).with(user, :read_code, project).and_return(ability_enabled)
 
           expect(tabs[:commits][:condition]).to eq(condition)
         end